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Builder: Pullman. Year Built:
1949
This combination diner-lounge was
completed by Pullman Standard and delivered to the Southern Pacific
in August 1949 along with three other identical cars. Two of these
cars ran on the Cascade and two on the Cascade's sister train, the
Lark, which ran overnight between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The Cascade and Lark were both painted in the railroad's classic
two tone gray scheme.
The "Cascade Club" is approximately 204
feet long and is considered by many as the world's longest passenger
car. The car was constructed under Lot 6816 and Plans 7576 (kitchen),
7577 (diner) and 7578 (lounge).
The "Cascade Club" cleverly conceals the
articulation between each of the units to make it appear to be one
very long car. The lounge and dining area are over 130 feet long.
The three distinct sections of the car include the lounge area with
a semicircular bar which the Southern Pacific was noted for, the
44 seat dining room, the kitchen/pantry area, and a dormitory for
18 crew members who worked as part of the crew in the car.
These cars proved to be very popular with the riding
public, and literally defined fine travel on the West Coast. The
kitchen area is fully outfitted with ranges, coffee percolators,
and brick-lined ovens. Access doors on both sides of the kitchen
car allowed the railroad to stock the kitchen from commissaries
at any station from either side. The train also featured a radio
telephone which was located in a booth between the lounge and dining
areas for the use of the on board passengers.
The "Cascade Club" triple diner traditionally
operated in the same consist as SP
#9053, a 10-6 blunt-end sleeper. Not only were they built for
and operated in the Cascade, they actually remained in the very
same trainset into the early 1960's.
The car remains virtually intact with only the dining
room chairs and some other furniture missing. The fixtures in the
dormitory area were removed prior to the museum acquiring the car
and the area is presently used as storage space.
The car has been privately owned since the railroad
retired it in 1968. Prior to coming to the museum the car was stored
at Jamestown, California. To our knowledge it is one of only two
remaining examples of this type of car. The other example is located
in Tyler, Texas with the Cotton Belt Historical Society.
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