So, often I see private train cars in Union Station, usually hooked onto the end of a long-distance Amtrak. I've been taking photos with the intent of doing a piece here on the Surfliner Stories blog. Imagine my surprise today to find a consist with two Gennies, entirely made up of classic cars!
Turns out it is an "Art Happening" called
Station to Station, which explains why the only people I saw around it were cool hipster types. I don't think I'm cool enough. In fact, I know I'm not, because I was much more interested in taking pictures of the train cars.
Originally, the artist Doug Aitken whose idea this is, wanted the train to look something like the picture at the right. Yeah, well, I guess that didn't work out.
Instead, they are using a consist made up of private train cars, mostly classics. They have a
description of most of them on their web page that includes a lot of interior pictures. Quite a few of these cars are from the old
Hiawatha service of the "Milwaukee Road", which was a famous
streamliner-style passenger train.
They ARE pretty neat. Here are a few pictures:
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Lambert's Point is a luxury sleeper/lounge car dates from 1914, and
has carried many famous political candidates on their "whistle stop" train tours. |
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See those 3 rows of sparkly dots along the side? Those are color changing LEDs
that are flicking on and off. MOst of the cars had them. I guess this is part of the art. |
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| Nice dome. Apparently this is the dining car; downstairs is the kitchen. |
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| This is the classic "Skytop" lounge car, built in 1948. |
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| Another view of the Skytop. Looks oddly modern in a retro way. |
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