NP - Northern Pacific
In 1954, the "North Coast Limited" was upgraded with 10 dome coaches and 10 dome sleepers from Budd. Of each 10, ownership was split NP-7, Burlington-2, SPS-1. In 1957 a protection coach and sleeper were added by NP.
The sleepers were somewhat "unique" in that other than 1 built for the GM "Train of Tomorrow" and 3 built for the stillborn "Chessie" on C&O, these were the only other full sleepers ever constructed.
Each of the 5 trainsets carried 2 of the dome sleepers, with 1 going to Seattle and 1 to Portland. In the winter, the Portland car was removed. In 1959 the dormant cars were temporarily traded for IC sleepers and ran on the Chicago - Florida IC-CofG-ACL/SCL(1967)-FEC "City of Miami" and the PRR-L&N-ACL/SCL(1967)-FEC "Southwind".
The "trading" occured again in the 5 years 1963-1967 except that in 1963 they did not run on the "City of Miami" but ran on the IC "Panama Limited" instead.
The cars on the "Southwind" remained in NP colors, but the cars used by IC were repainted (TWICE!) each year. The cars repained to chocolate & orange IC colors each year were:
1959 NP 307-308-310
1963 NP 308-310
1964 CBQ 304 - NP 308-309-310
1965 NP 310-312-313
1966 CBQ 304 - NP 311
1967 NP 305-313
All of the sleepers were originally built as 4 double bedroom, 4 roomette, 4 single room cars. In 1967 NP 307-308-311-312-314 and CBQ 304 were renumbered NP 375-376-377-378-379 and CBQ 380 and were rebuilt, removing 2 of the single rooms, adding a buffet-lounge and changing the dome seating to tables and lounge seats instead of forward facing chairs. NP renamed the service "Lounges in the Sky".
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