I just finished up a business car for my layout and was wondering just how the railroads operated these. Were they strictly added to the end of passenger trains or were they also thrown onto freights? I've done a small amount of research, but nothing to uncover their movements or operations.
Well; an interesting topic. Now; others will know more than I but generally they would have run on passenger consists due to the need for steam heat/head end power. While some could have been self sustaining; most would have needed that from their head end which means steam generators and/or head end power. I guess short movements on freights were possible; but a longer journey would have been difficult. Business cars were often "assigned" to a specific person; such as a Division Super or a VP of a region, thus they would have geographic perimeters; some cars could travel system wide; for example the President/CEO's car or a car used for client entertaining or movement across a part of the system. I like to model business cars and have done a couple too. This 60 ft heavyweight was a Divisional Super intendants car for the CPR and later CP Rail. The Canadian National refitted "Pacific" as a business car/ historical learning car in the 1970's...... The Wm W McGrattan - a "foobie" Canadian Pacific business car, assigned to the Puddington Valley Super.....it's named for my late father who got me into model trains 40 plus years ago......... I love business cars.
They also run/ran purpose-built consists for a long/special inspection tour or client entertainment trip. A chair car(s) for secretaries, family and/or train staff, a sleeper(s) and the biz car (say) would be pulled by some snazzy passenger engines, short consists often enough (over)powered with an A-B or A-A engine set. Like F- and E-units. A single 4-6-2 steam engine would work. And in any era IMO, though nowadays the steam engine would have a diesel in the consist just in case. But, remember, it's your railroad . . .
It depended on the pride each railroad had. The Denver & Rio Grande Western had a beloved leader Judge Wilson McCarthy. At a low point, the Judge stepped in and saved the railroad from outside carpetbaggers. The shop built him a private car as a present! Each day the Judge would ask the time that the Prospector arrived, and the railroad men would do their best not to disappoint him, not because of their jobs but because they really liked him! [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Always-Cowboy-McCarthy-Western-Railroad/dp/0874217156"]Amazon.com: Always a Cowboy: Judge Wilson McCarthy and the Rescue of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (9780874217155): Will Bagley: Books[/ame]
I believe that in the days when Santa Fe ran their passenger trains with observation cars, business cars were not to be put behind the observation car as it would spoil the appearance of the train and the passengers view.
I run them. This Rivarossi car has been extensively modified. This Kato car has different trucks and the tail light has been moved to the platform railing.
It depends upon era and what was happening. Most often at the tail end of a passenger consist, so the car could be easily set out. I have seen many of examples pictured of their use in freights. Where new equipment was being tested, a dynomometer or track geometry test car was in use. So they could be close up and observe. Boxcab E50
Well I am not sure about the prototype, but when I am running with the NTrak club, their rules say that either a caboose or a FRED enabled car are at the end of every train. This is to know if the train has broken as it comes around the layout. When I want to run any modern trains, I use the business cars as my end of train marker. Works for me, and looks pretty cool as well.
The Great Northern and Northern Pacific would put their Business Cars on their secondary Trains. This way like most have said, that it would not empede on the view of the passenger or the look of the train. This is also why runthrough cars were never put on the Empire builder but on the Western Star.
I run a Kato one, that used to be like one pictured above. It was a santa Fe, but I removed the lettering and relettered it for Rock Island. Rock Island had one that I know of it was named the "Lake Michigan". I lettered my Kato business car per that prototype.
When those Kato business cars were released, I read somewhere that the prototype was a CB&Q car. I have both Santa Fe cars and Both of the Kato, (Chicago & Tokyo) cars.
Business cars had 2 uses.....track inspection and obviously business. On the business side, this could mean actually taking customers (or potential customers) on a tour of the railroad....this would usually be done on a "special" train, but could be mixed into virtually ANY train that was headed in the right direction. In other cases, the cars were simply hauled to a siding someplace and were simply portable meeting locations where the railroad could conduct business meetings, offer banquets to customers, or sometimes just be office space at a remote location. Again the cars could be hauled on any train headed the right direction, and were usually at the front. If the car was being used for track inspection, it would be more likely to be at the rear of the train.
Thanks for the inputs. It will make operations just that more interesting. I'll post some pics once I get some free time.
Hmmm. This is just the reverse of what I recall seeing. The private car traveling alone was usually at the rear for easy setout at destination. Thus a train did not need to be broken, and could quickly continue on. And the officials aboard weren't banged around a lot, through needing fewer switching moves When there was dyno or geometry work, that equipment was usually right behind the power. Which was followed by any other company cars for crew use and officials observing, then the rest of the train. I have seen official cars deadheaded at either the head end, or tacked onto the rear. Boxcab E50
Well this is what I know of current operations. Amtrak has a business car. It is an amfleet that was wrecked and rebuilt. It has inspection stuff on it, a lage table for the business to be taken care of, a small kitchen and other rooms for the CEO and company. Been on it, looks really nice, named the Beechgrove. Will be on the rear of any train due to it having a viewing platform. UP has many business cars that they run on Amtrak and their own freights. They are rigged with both a generator for when on their trains and HEP for when on Amtrak. When on Amtrak they are treated as a private car. Always on the rear.
I got a train of 14 cars which at the moment will be pulled by a pair of SD70MACs until someone comes out with an AB set of F-9s. But most of the cars I got are brass car sides on cores.
Yes, the Kato car is a CB&Q prototype but is close enough to stand in for other roads with a little kit bashing. The ATSF car "Santa Fe" was delivered with six wheel trucks. I cut the skirts away and used old Bachmann trucks off of the full dome to get this look. Later they put four wheel trucks under all of their business cars. I converted this one to the Atchison which was a Pullman built car.
