What Are Support Railcars?
It takes a team of dedicated crewmembers and lots of equipment to keep a 1927-built steam locomotive operating, especially on today's modern railroads. To bring the most efficient, practical and safe transportation of personnel and equipment in support of Santa Fe 3751's operations, along with always seeking ways to accomplish the mission of the society, the SBRHS has acquired a fleet of ex-Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway railcars.
SBRX 1161 - Tool Car
Ex-ATSF 3656, Baggage car
ATSF 3656 was built by Budd in 1953 in a series of orders for lightweight baggage cars from ACF, Budd, & Pullman. This car spent its entire career in baggage & storage mail service for Santa Fe & likely saw use on every train in the Santa Fe system. Like many Budd built cars (Santa Fe cars especially), 3656 went to Amtrak as AMTK 1106 & went to work system wide. It is just as likely that this car saw service on every Amtrak service that offered checked baggage. In 1980, 3656 made the cut for conversion to HEP & was renumbered to AMTK 1161, its final Amtrak number. 3656 continued in service system wide until 2015 when replaced by a large order of brand new Viewliner II baggage cars.
The SBRHS acquired this car in 2019 and looks forward to transforming it into a rolling workshop/tool transportation car, more commonly called a "Tool Car."
SBRX 2506 - Crew Support Car
Ex-ATSF 1636, "Pine Lodge"
ATSF 1636 “Pine Lodge” & ATSF 1639 “Pine Peak” were built by the Budd Company in 1950 in a group of 27 cars of the 10 Roomette, 6 Double Bedroom floor plan, the largest single group of lightweight sleepers on the Santa Fe. These 10-6 sleepers & a group of ACF built 10-6 sleepers were the preferred sleeping cars in Santa Fe’s transcontinental sleeping car line as their simple floor plan was conducive to the through sleeping car service provided in conjunction with connecting eastern railroads in Chicago. All of Santa Fe’s 10-6 sleeping cars spent their entire lives in near constant rotation protecting sleeping car lines on every major Santa Fe passenger train. By the mid 60’s, all of the “Pine” series cars were re-equipped with 41-CDO-11 trucks.
Most of the 10-6 sleeping cars made it to Amtrak service. “Pine Lodge” was renumbered AMTK 2725 & “Pine Peak” to AMTK 2728. Both cars protected sleeping cars lines out of LA for Amtrak in the 1970’s with occasional usage on the San Francisco Zephyr, Empire Builder, & on east coast bound services. Both cars were converted from steam heat to head end power (HEP) early in 1978, extending their lives into the modern era. “Pine Lodge” became AMTK 2994 & “Pine Peak” became AMTK 2992 after the conversion to HEP. As new Superliner cars began arriving, beginning in 1978, much of Amtrak’s single level heritage equipment retreated to the Midwest & east coast services.
As more new equipment arrived in the 90’s, Amtrak selected a group of sleeping cars of various heritages to be converted into “sleeper-dorms” for use on New York based single level long distance trains. “Pine Lodge” & “Pine Peak were among this group & received their final numbers, AMTK 2523 & 2506 respectively. Both cars lived out their revenue lives in dorm service until being withdrawn & stored in January 2007 at Amtrak’s Beech Grove IN shop facility.
This car was acquired by the SBRHS in 2019. The society looks forward to restoring it so that it can travel with Santa Fe 3751 during operations and help carry additional tools, equipment, merchandise, food, water and provide the crew dorms to sleep in.
SBRX 2523 - Crew Support Car
EX-ATSF 1639, "Pine Peak"
ATSF 1636 “Pine Lodge” & ATSF 1639 “Pine Peak” were built by the Budd Company in 1950 in a group of 27 cars of the 10 Roomette, 6 Double Bedroom floor plan, the largest single group of lightweight sleepers on the Santa Fe. These 10-6 sleepers & a group of ACF built 10-6 sleepers were the preferred sleeping cars in Santa Fe’s transcontinental sleeping car line as their simple floor plan was conducive to the through sleeping car service provided in conjunction with connecting eastern railroads in Chicago. All of Santa Fe’s 10-6 sleeping cars spent their entire lives in near constant rotation protecting sleeping car lines on every major Santa Fe passenger train. By the mid 60’s, all of the “Pine” series cars were re-equipped with 41-CDO-11 trucks.
Most of the 10-6 sleeping cars made it to Amtrak service. “Pine Lodge” was renumbered AMTK 2725 & “Pine Peak” to AMTK 2728. Both cars protected sleeping cars lines out of LA for Amtrak in the 1970’s with occasional usage on the San Francisco Zephyr, Empire Builder, & on east coast bound services. Both cars were converted from steam heat to head end power (HEP) early in 1978, extending their lives into the modern era. “Pine Lodge” became AMTK 2994 & “Pine Peak” became AMTK 2992 after the conversion to HEP. As new Superliner cars began arriving, beginning in 1978, much of Amtrak’s single level heritage equipment retreated to the Midwest & east coast services.
As more new equipment arrived in the 90’s, Amtrak selected a group of sleeping cars of various heritages to be converted into “sleeper-dorms” for use on New York based single level long distance trains. “Pine Lodge” & “Pine Peak were among this group & received their final numbers, AMTK 2523 & 2506 respectively. Both cars lived out their revenue lives in dorm service until being withdrawn & stored in January 2007 at Amtrak’s Beech Grove IN shop facility.
This car was acquired by the SBRHS in 2019. The society looks forward to restoring it so that it can travel with Santa Fe 3751 during operations and help carry additional tools, equipment, merchandise, food, water and provide the crew dorms to sleep in.
