Passenger ("Business") cars

I stand corrected. Now back to my question.

George

I would think a business car would almost always be at the end of the train. Wouldn't want the passengers to be traipsing through to the next car. Today its common on the special car owners trains to have observation type cars in the middle to the train but expect it would not be common back in the day.

Pete

Norton posted:

I would think a business car would almost always be at the end of the train. Wouldn't want the passengers to be traipsing through to the next car. Today its common on the special car owners trains to have observation type cars in the middle to the train but expect it would not be common back in the day.

Pete

And so there would only be one business car in each consist?

GJP, the Great Northern annually ran a Director's Special that included several business cars (4 or more) in the consist. This train carried no fare-paying passengers, just executives and directors of the railroad on an inspection tour. The railroad president's assigned car (GN No. A28) was at the end of the train. This train consist also included a sleeper, a diner, and a full-length dome lounge car borrowed from the Empire Builder pool. 

Some modern day RR's have assembled business car trains with perhaps as many as eight cars.  Often those are pulled by what appears to be vintage locomotives.   These might be the types of cars/trains that you're looking for.  They form an impressive appearance for the RR's customers, being painted and decorated in a specific style for the RR.

Back in the days of RR owned passenger trains, the business cars of individual RR's, were generally a single car, often assigned to one officer of the company.  While they were usually found at the back of passenger trains, I have seen examples of them located at the front of the consist, ahead of the baggage or express cars, but generally behind any RPO's in the consist.  I also recall seeing business cars attached to either end of freight trains in cases where the personnel needed to get somewhere not being serviced by passenger trains.

Paul Fischer

Slightly OT but this a  AAPRCO (American Association or Private Railroad Car Owners) train that ran last summer. A couple of friends had a room in the second last car, the oldest passenger car certified 120 MPH. These are all privately owned cars. I suspect only a few were at one time business cars.

Pete

Let's remember the business cars usually had under platform white lights shining aft and buttons under the aft facing desks to dribble or squirt paint.    John in Lansing, ILL

Thanks to all who posted replies to my question. So, I suppose it would make some sense at least to have four or five business cars, along with other cars in the consist. I hope some day to buy a GS-4 SP Daylight to pull it. I assume that I should remove the diaphragms from the business cars, especially if they are strung together in the consist.