Could Kato make an Amtrak train using Olympian Hi cars?

[milw156]

So how long did the domes last in Armour Yellow while in Amtrak service?

Domes were purchased by Amtrak in 1972 (they may very well have been leased prior to then), and by 1973 had been repainted in Platinum Mist some time prior to June 27, 1973. According to the book "Milwaukee Road Through Passenger Service 1966-1977" They saw service on the San Francisco Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, and on occasion, pinch hitting for the Budd cars on the Builder. The Pullman Cars, unlike their Budd counterparts, did not have vestibules at either end, which limited the escape routes in case of a derailment.
The 23 coaches (40 & 52 seat) were finally purchased in 1974, although they had been leased from 5/71, most were used on the Chicago to Milwaukee service, and sometimes as a Chicago to Minneapolis overflow car on the Builder (it was dropped at Minneapolis for return to Chicago in same capacity), and on the Milwaukee to St Louis runs, the only Amtrak trains to run THRU Chicago. At least on the Builder and North coast Hi, BN, GN, NP & CB&Q seemed to predominate, with UP & SP next and an occasional east coast car.
 Any Milwaukee equipment operating in an Amtrak train would have been Armour Yellow adopted in 1955, not the 1952 scheme this train is being issued in. If you wanted to strip the car and repaint yellow, and are modeling the first 5 or 6 years of Amtrak, AND you are modeling a line that originated or terminated in Chicago, It would be PLAUSIBLE to include Milwaukee equipment, tho not necessarily prototypical. However, for those of us who remember this era, almost anything was possible, as long as it was a "current paint scheme. Not too many people would realize it, and hey, Kato has never foobed us before, right?!!!!!!!!!!!

[Missaberoad]

and hey, Kato has never foobed us before, right?!!!!!!!!!!!

No never... *cough*Empire Builder*cough*

What was that?  

[cjm413]

They could reuse the Super Dome, Lake sleeper (10-6), and Skytop for the CN Super Continental
 

[cjm413]

Ex-MILW Creek

http://trainweb.org/hiawatha/malpeque2.jpg

Ex-MILW Lake

http://www.cnrphotos.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=89020

Ex-MILW dome

http://cnrphotos.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=54339

[nkalanaga]

In Pasco, in the early Amtrak years, SP cars were rare on the Empire Builder, although baggage cars started appearing in the mid 70s, as the BN wanted theirs back for MOW conversions.  ATSF coaches weren't uncommon, although certainly not an everyday occurrence.

But as Milw156 said, it was basically a BN train, at least west of the Twin Cities, with the exception of UP sleepers.  Any other UP cars were a rare event, but UP "Pacific" series sleepers were very common, to the point that I noticed if at least one wasn't there.  Part of the reason was that Amtrak wanted 10-6 sleepers, and they were rare on the BN.  The CB&Q had them, but they usually stayed on other trains, the NP had a few (2?), and as far as I know, the GN never owned one. 

[lashedup]

I would guess Kato will get their money worth releasing a yellow paint version of this train.

[milw156]

Here are a few links I found on Youtube that show a few Amtrak consists containing Milwaukee coaches But all in the yellow and gray scheme. There are even a few GM&O heavyweights in one of the consists. I remember thinking at the time, that after taking the Hiawatha and the Zephyr to Minneapolis several times, that taking the GM&O to St Louis( before Amtrak & after) was a more or less second class train compared to the Milw or Q.

Sorry about the timer on these, but some cool stuff none the less

I had picked up both sets of Green Frog vids and killed a winter weekend a few years back watching them. Think I'll have to break them out again.

[OldEastRR]

I would guess Kato will get their money worth releasing a yellow paint version of this train.

I've heard that KATO plans to do that eventually. Be nice if they re-did a new set of numbers on a COLA re-run, too.

[milw156]

I came across this photo from 1976 with a Milwaukee coach on the WB Empire Builder leaving Chicago. Looks like about the only car visible not in Amtrak paint. Express car ahead of baggage car?
http://on-track-on-line.com/twttingallery/slides/twttin-jul2016.html

[Nato]

              What KATO could do is the "City Of Portland" , how hard would it be to do a new neon tail sign on the dome observation car for COP and add a correct CP dome observation number. The other cars would also receive new names and or numbers. I too agree how about rerunning Pacific series sleepers. I have used Con Cor Budd 10-6 sleepers to provide extra cars as their UP paint is pretty good and they have two Pacific car names, but their window configuration is based on California Zephyr Cars. The Kato Southwest Chief set has Amquack (track) painted versions of this car, but it would be a shame to strip down a nice paint scheme.    Nate Goodman (Nato). Salt Lake, Utah. 

[jmlaboda]

I came across this photo from 1976 with a Milwaukee coach on the WB Empire Builder leaving Chicago.

Cars like those from MILW, which were shop built and not built by a carbuilder usually were orphaned rather quickly by Amtrak... their construction methods and trucks (check those beauties out on the Kato model, they nailed them) usually were not what could be considered part of the "standard" equipment and it was easier to set cars aside except that they were badly needed.

Looks like about the only car visible not in Amtrak paint. Express car ahead of baggage car?

Well, no.  Express was not being handled at that time and the type of car was retired for the most part by the time Expresstrak was started (shame really, with some of the money they popped for boxcars they could have rebuilt that type of car with better trucks and had better, more reliable cars).  It likely was a car being used to haul storage mail for USPS (in this case a former Army streamlined troop kitchen car but regular baggage and the Material Handling boxcars could also be used).

[Ngineer]

Part of the reason was that Amtrak wanted 10-6 sleepers, and they were rare on the BN.  The CB&Q had them, but they usually stayed on other trains, the NP had a few (2?), and as far as I know, the GN never owned one.

Yes, the NP had two PS 10-6 sleepers (plan #4140C): # 364 and #365.

   Javier

[jmlaboda]

Yes, the NP had two PS 10-6 sleepers (plan #4140C): # 364 and #365.

They were very unique... they actually were painted to match Southern Pacific cars because of them being used as run-through cars.

[nkalanaga]

Yes, originally they were assigned to the SP's Portland-California service, and painted in SP colors.

Sometime in the 1960s they were reassigned to NP "general service", painted in the NP's standard passenger colors, and eventually went to the BN.  Amtrak didn't buy them, but the 864 was leased in 1973/74, along with a lot of other BN cars that Amtrak hadn't bought.  I saw it in the Empire Builder at least once.

[jmlaboda]

FOUND ONE!!!  How 'bout an Amtrak consist with an EMD E7A and MILW cars (coaches and a food service car)... IT DID HAPPEN!!!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mbernero/39864353962