(cross-posted to Pontchartrain Railroad)
New York Central buffet-lounge-sleeper car “Swift Stream”, on the Amtrak Crescent.
Swift Stream
Yesterday’s Amtrak Crescent (#20, heading from New Orleans to New York City) pulled a guest. Budd built the Silver Swift for the New York Central in 1949. NYC Investments operates Swift Stream as a private car. It is available for charter.
Budd
The New York Central Railroad ordered eleven Buffet-Lounge cars from Budd in 1949. They became the “Stream” series. The Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company built passenger rail cars to compete with the Pullman Company. Edward Budd built all-steel automobile bodies when he founded the company in 1913. Edward sold his designs to Dodge. The company invented a technique of welding stainless steel components together called “shotweld”. Budd used shotweld to build “streamliner” passenger rail cars. The manufacturer sold these cars to various railroads from the 1930s through the 1960s. Budd discontinued its passenger car division in the 1970s.
6DB Buffet Lounge Stream-Series
Floor Plan of the Swift Stream (courtesy nycswiftstream.com)
While Budd built more of its “Slumbercoach” line of sleeper cars, the “Streams” offered railroads a comfortable option for their streamliner trains. The Streams had six bedrooms, a kitchen, and seating for twenty-two. Here’s a list of the eleven cars and their status (as of 2013).
Swift Stream’s history
New York Central operated Swift Stream for 22 years. Amtrak acquired the car in 1971. The national company ran it until the 1990s. Amtrak retired the car in 1981. So, it was sold it to a private owner in 1983.
Here’s the info on the car on Railway Preservation News (link above):
#10627 Swift Stream renumbered in May 1967 to #660 to PC #4415 sold in 1973 to Amtrak #3204. Retired in October 1981. Sold in 1983 to private ownership?? Located at the Midland RY Historical Association (Baldwin City, KS). Later moved to Los Angeles. Renamed City of Angels (1st) (#800460), then sold (when??) to second private owner. Acquired (when??) by Mid America Railcar Leasing. Name changed back to Swift Stream.
This post on the forum has a nice bibliography that railroad historians will appreciate.
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