The New York Central converted some heavyweight coaches into rider cars, for use on mail and express trains, by blanking off windows toward the center of the car and installing an oil tank and oil stove/heater.
They were cars used on dedicated mail trains that provided limited passenger accommodations and were usually placed on the tail end of the train. These trains were carded as passenger trains, using passenger power and given the same priority over fright trains. On the Santa Fe, they were not listed in the public time tables for passenger trains but you could book passage on them if you knew about them. The Santa Fe used old coaches sometimes but mostly used baggage combines. You brought your own food as there was no diner service.
Thanks. Being similar to combines, I wonder why railroads would spend money modifying a car rather than using an existing combine.
Railroads would use basically the oldest equipment they had - note, the dedicated mail, express and baggage cars that were used in Mail Trains all contained steam lines as these cars were also able to be used for the mail, express and baggage hauling abilities on scheduled PASSENGER trains as 'head end' equipment. The equipment on Mail Trains was built to passenger train standards and operated at passenger train speeds. In 'Mixed' trains whatever rider car was used had to have its own heating 'system' - a oil stove or a pot belly caboose stove were most likely used for heating. Mixed trains contained freight cars and operated a normal freight train speeds.
Hi, here is one of my RDCs in the freelanced livery and this a close shot of the former observation, future cab car in the making will have to change the interiors, put the lights and a cabin inside...
Here the RDC and the cab car is arriving at the station. In the second picture a three unit RDC consist (all I have) meets an Italian railway class 663 rail car. Inviato dal mio BLN-L21 utilizzando Tapatalk
The Santa Fe sometimes called their drover cars that. Drover cars were basically ranch bunkhouses on wheels. Sometimes they were old passenger cars, but the Santa Fe also converted boxcars. The drovers who rode them herded stock in and out of cars at food and water stops.