Slumbercoach
Encyclopedia
The Slumbercoach is an 85-foot-long, 24 single room, 8 double room streamlined
sleeping car
originally built in 1956 by the Budd Company
for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
for service on the Denver Zephyr
. Subsequent orders were placed in 1958–1959 by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
and Missouri Pacific Railroad
for the Texas Eagle
/National Limited
, and in 1959 by the Northern Pacific Railroad for its North Coast Limited
and also the New York Central Railroad
for use on the 20th Century Limited
.
Slumbercoaches contained a central aisle flanked on each side of the car by one-person and two-person rooms with one or two narrow, six-foot-long beds provided with basic sheets and blankets. Each room featured a fold-away washbasin and private toilet similar in design to contemporary standard Pullman but on a smaller scale.
To maximize the number of rooms per car, the designers chose a “duplex” or staggered design for the single rooms such that every other room was accessible by a small flight of steps. This allowed the beds in the car to either overlay or underlay the room in front of it.
The slumbercoach, in economic terms, was part of the American railways’ attempt, in the 1950s, to recapture market share lost to airlines, buses and the automobile by providing upgraded accommodations for non-first class passengers. Demand for private accommodation (bedrooms and roomettes) remained high, while demand for the traditional Pullman open section was declining. Other types of economy sleeping car did not have the capacity of the slumbercoach — the 16 duplex roomette 4 double bedroom car slept only 24, while the traditional 16 section Tourist Pullman slept 32. Thus the slumbercoach, sleeping 40, allowed railroads to offer coach passengers private sleeping car accommodation at little more than coach fare. In its first year of using slumbercoaches on the North Coast Limited, the Northern Pacific Railway had an average of 27/32 room and 34/40 passenger occupancy rate In late 1964 and early 1965, Northern Pacific bought eight slumbercoaches second hand – four from New York Central, three from Baltimore and Ohio, and Missouri Pacific's sole example. This enabled them to expand slumbercoaches to their secondary transcontinental passenger train the Mainstreeter, and to discontinue the pooling of slumbercoaches between the North Coast Limited and Burlington's Denver Zephyr
Western railways (and some eastern lines) chose to redesign the coach seat for greater width and comfort, with the result that by the time U.S. passenger rail transport was nationalized, railway coach seats provided, at a basic price, comfort available only in first class on airlines. The cramped accommodations of the slumbercoaches were considered, by some, oppressive and strange. Nevertheless, the cars were popular and Amtrak
used them well into the 1990s.
A total of 18 slumbercoaches were built. All 18 eventually served on Amtrak
although two, built for the Baltimore and Ohio's Columbian
, were not acquired until the early '80s. At that point, Amtrak rostered and used all 18 cars. However, the first casualty was on July 7, 1984, when the northbound Montrealer hit a culvert that had washed out, destroying car #2083 which originally had been owned by the New York Central Railroad
. About the same time, an ex-Denver Zephyr
slumbercoach, the #2086 Silver Siesta, was burned by vandals while resting in Queens, NY, Sunnyside Yard between trips. The 16 remaining cars soldiered under Amtrak until 1995, when they were discontinued because of age and the lack of retention toilets and the newly introduced Viewliner
s.
Several Slumbercoaches have been preserved:
Internationally, the slumbercoach can be compared to “second class” and “hard” sleeper facilities on Asian and European lines, but economically comparable facilities such as those provided on the “Train Bleu” between Paris and the south of France which de-emphasized American privacy, and in place of this provided multiple-occupant couchette compartments with foldaway beds.
The development of midlevel accommodation like the Slumbercoach has ceased, due to changing demand in mass transit.
Streamliner cars (rail)
The streamliners are a class of streamlined railway cars built in the forties and fifties of the twentieth century for long distance passenger railservices in North America.-Predecessors:...
sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
originally built in 1956 by the Budd Company
Budd Company
The Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....
for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
for service on the Denver Zephyr
Denver Zephyr
The Denver Zephyr was a passenger train operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago, Illinois, and Denver, Colorado...
. Subsequent orders were placed in 1958–1959 by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
and Missouri Pacific Railroad
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
for the Texas Eagle
Texas Eagle (MP train)
The Texas Eagle was a named passenger train operated by the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the Texas and Pacific Railway between St. Louis, Missouri and multiple destinations in the state of Texas. The train began on August 15, 1948, with the renaming of the Sunshine Special. For thirteen years,...
/National Limited
National Limited
The National Limited was the premier train of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on its route between New York City and St. Louis, Missouri, with major station stops in Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati, Ohio. The all-Pullman version of the National Limited was introduced by the B&O on April 26,...
, and in 1959 by the Northern Pacific Railroad for its North Coast Limited
North Coast Limited
The North Coast Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Bismarck, North Dakota...
and also the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
for use on the 20th Century Limited
20th Century Limited
The 20th Century Limited was an express passenger train operated by the New York Central Railroad from 1902 to 1967, during which time it would become known as a "National Institution" and the "Most Famous Train in the World". In the year of its last run, The New York Times said that it "...was...
.
Slumbercoaches contained a central aisle flanked on each side of the car by one-person and two-person rooms with one or two narrow, six-foot-long beds provided with basic sheets and blankets. Each room featured a fold-away washbasin and private toilet similar in design to contemporary standard Pullman but on a smaller scale.
To maximize the number of rooms per car, the designers chose a “duplex” or staggered design for the single rooms such that every other room was accessible by a small flight of steps. This allowed the beds in the car to either overlay or underlay the room in front of it.
The slumbercoach, in economic terms, was part of the American railways’ attempt, in the 1950s, to recapture market share lost to airlines, buses and the automobile by providing upgraded accommodations for non-first class passengers. Demand for private accommodation (bedrooms and roomettes) remained high, while demand for the traditional Pullman open section was declining. Other types of economy sleeping car did not have the capacity of the slumbercoach — the 16 duplex roomette 4 double bedroom car slept only 24, while the traditional 16 section Tourist Pullman slept 32. Thus the slumbercoach, sleeping 40, allowed railroads to offer coach passengers private sleeping car accommodation at little more than coach fare. In its first year of using slumbercoaches on the North Coast Limited, the Northern Pacific Railway had an average of 27/32 room and 34/40 passenger occupancy rate In late 1964 and early 1965, Northern Pacific bought eight slumbercoaches second hand – four from New York Central, three from Baltimore and Ohio, and Missouri Pacific's sole example. This enabled them to expand slumbercoaches to their secondary transcontinental passenger train the Mainstreeter, and to discontinue the pooling of slumbercoaches between the North Coast Limited and Burlington's Denver Zephyr
Denver Zephyr
The Denver Zephyr was a passenger train operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago, Illinois, and Denver, Colorado...
Western railways (and some eastern lines) chose to redesign the coach seat for greater width and comfort, with the result that by the time U.S. passenger rail transport was nationalized, railway coach seats provided, at a basic price, comfort available only in first class on airlines. The cramped accommodations of the slumbercoaches were considered, by some, oppressive and strange. Nevertheless, the cars were popular and Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
used them well into the 1990s.
A total of 18 slumbercoaches were built. All 18 eventually served on Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
although two, built for the Baltimore and Ohio's Columbian
Columbian
Columbian is the adjective form of Columbia.Columbian can refer to:* Columbian High School * The Columbian, the U.S...
, were not acquired until the early '80s. At that point, Amtrak rostered and used all 18 cars. However, the first casualty was on July 7, 1984, when the northbound Montrealer hit a culvert that had washed out, destroying car #2083 which originally had been owned by the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
. About the same time, an ex-Denver Zephyr
Denver Zephyr
The Denver Zephyr was a passenger train operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago, Illinois, and Denver, Colorado...
slumbercoach, the #2086 Silver Siesta, was burned by vandals while resting in Queens, NY, Sunnyside Yard between trips. The 16 remaining cars soldiered under Amtrak until 1995, when they were discontinued because of age and the lack of retention toilets and the newly introduced Viewliner
Viewliner
The Viewliner is a single-level car type used by Amtrak on eastern routes. With the exception of a prototype dining car named "Indianapolis" , all cars built so far are sleeping cars and are assigned names that include the word "View."- Early design :...
s.
Several Slumbercoaches have been preserved:
- Silver Repose — Built 1956 for Burlington's Denver ZephyrDenver ZephyrThe Denver Zephyr was a passenger train operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago, Illinois, and Denver, Colorado...
, current location: Tennessee Central Railway MuseumTennessee Central Railway MuseumThe Tennessee Central Railway Museum is a railroad museum located in Nashville, Tennessee.It is a small non-profit facility which is preserving the heritage of rail transport in Tennessee and the central South...
, Nashville, Tennessee. - Silver Slumber — Built 1956 for Burlington's Denver ZephyrDenver ZephyrThe Denver Zephyr was a passenger train operated by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad between Chicago, Illinois, and Denver, Colorado...
, current location: Gold Coast Railroad MuseumGold Coast Railroad Museum- Description :It was founded in 1956. The museum was built on the former Naval Air Station Richmond . With over three miles of tracks, the old base was an ideal place to build a railroad museum....
, Miami, Florida. - Dreamland — Built 1956 for B&O's ColumbianColumbianColumbian is the adjective form of Columbia.Columbian can refer to:* Columbian High School * The Columbian, the U.S...
, current location: Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum, Baltimore, Maryland. - Loch Sloy — Built 1959 for NP/CB&Q North Coast LimitedNorth Coast LimitedThe North Coast Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Northern Pacific Railway between Chicago and Seattle via Bismarck, North Dakota...
, current location: Illinois Railway MuseumIllinois Railway MuseumThe Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, northwest of Chicago...
, Union, Illinois. - Loch Arkaig - Built 1959 for NYC 20th Century Limited20th Century LimitedThe 20th Century Limited was an express passenger train operated by the New York Central Railroad from 1902 to 1967, during which time it would become known as a "National Institution" and the "Most Famous Train in the World". In the year of its last run, The New York Times said that it "...was...
, current location: Southeastern Railway MuseumSoutheastern Railway MuseumThe Southeastern Railway Museum is a railroad museum located in Duluth, Georgia in suburban Atlanta.The museum was founded in 1970 by the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. It is recognized by the IRS as a 501 non-profit organization for historical and educational purposes...
, Duluth, Georgia
Internationally, the slumbercoach can be compared to “second class” and “hard” sleeper facilities on Asian and European lines, but economically comparable facilities such as those provided on the “Train Bleu” between Paris and the south of France which de-emphasized American privacy, and in place of this provided multiple-occupant couchette compartments with foldaway beds.
The development of midlevel accommodation like the Slumbercoach has ceased, due to changing demand in mass transit.