City of Los Angeles, 16th Train, 1950
Car Orientation
A major obstacle has been to determine what end of each car would be facing the engine. OK, so the
Observation car is pretty obvious, but the rest gave me a bit of a problem.
I am now beginning to figure out what end of each car would be facing the engine. Through the help of
the friendly crowd on the Yahoo group PCL (Passenger Car List) I have sorted some of it out, but some
of the information is conflicting so there is still a lot to do. I have collected the information that
I have received so far into a couple of "rules" (and, oh, for those that are as much in the dark as
I was: the "B" end is where the hand brake is - "B" for Brake, that's easy, even I can remember that):
I was given a number of statements in several posts on the PCL list. I have collected these statements,
which I call "rules" and they are as follows:
| 1: | Most coaches had reversible seats and were bi-directional. Some-times adjacent
coaches ran with vestibules adjoining to aid loading |
| 2: | Lounges often ran with lounge area adjoining diner |
| 3: | Diners usually ran with tables towards the sleepers so coach passengers could
be lined up in corridor |
| 4: | Sleeper 6-6-4: vestibule Fwd (The roomettes in light weight sleepers have a
fixed direction) |
| (5: | All of the sleepers (at least on CZ) ran with the aisle to the right side
(same as the diner's aisle).) |
| 6: | SP would normally operate the coffee shop kitchen to the rear next to the kitchen
of the diner. The lounge would follow the diner providing waiting space for
passengers |
| 7: | On some cars, it made a difference as to the side where the supply door is |
| 8: | Aisles in lightweight cars were generally on the left facing forward. This would put
sleeping accommodations on the outside on double track. |
| - | I see that rule 5 is the opposite of rule 8 and I will remove #5 since this refers to
CZ and not the Cities trains. |
Using these rules and also studying books, videos, etc., gives me to the following chart:
| Car | B End | Forward | "Rule" | Notes |
|---|
| Mail Express #5620 | Stanchions | B? |
| 1 |
| Baggage Dorm #6006 | Dorm | A |
| |
| Coach #5330 series | Vestibule | A |
1 | |
| Coach #5330 series | Vestibule | B |
1 | |
| Cafe Lounge "Mission Inn" | Kitchen | A |
2, 6, 7 | 4 |
| Diner #4815 | Dining Room | A |
3, 6, 7 | |
| Club Lounge | Lounge | B |
2, 6, 7 | |
| Sleeper 4-4-2 | Vestibule | B |
8 | 3 |
| Sleeper 10-6 | Vestibule | B |
8 | |
| Sleeper 6-6-4 | Vestibule | B |
4, 8 | 2 |
| Sleeper 6-6-4 | Vestibule | B |
4, 8 | 2 |
| Sleeper 4-4-2 | Vestibule | B |
8 | 3 |
| Observation Lounge "Sun Valley" | "flat end" | B |
| |
Note 1: Externally a symmetrical car. Stanchions are at the B end. The B end is to the
left when looking at the car and the desk is at the far side.
Note 2: The PS drawing does not show the hand brake but denotes "Front" (vestibule) and "Rear" ends.
Note 3: The Pullmanshop's site defines the Vestibule end as the "B" end.
Note 4: Rule 2 would imply that the "B" end would be towards the front.
Acknowledgments
The trademark "Union Pacific" is used with permission of
Union Pacific Railroad.
|
