1950s American Dinner Car Train, USA

This abandoned 1950s American Dinner Car Train is a relic of retro Americana. Although the dinner and passenger cars were built in the 1950s, the diesel railcar was manufactured in the 1960s. The train operated until the 1990s, before being retired and left to rust. Nowadays the train now sits in a rural location. Apparently awaiting sale along with other bits of railway memorabilia.

We visited the 1950s American Dinner Car Train on the second half of our USA 2018 Road Trip.

The 1960s diesel-powered railcar

The diesel railcar at the front of the train was built in the 1960s, by a Pennsylvanian railway company. Originally this company built automobiles. Subsequently, after the Great Depression, the company produced railway diesel engines. Their expertise in steel working and welding gave them a unique advantage. Using these skills they build light-weight locomotives, at a reasonable price. These new carriages were also strong, and modern-looking.

This is a self-propelled railway vehicle, powered by on-board diesel engines. The railway car’s maximum speed would have been around 86 mph. These train models were innovative, featuring two engines. The underfloor-mounted dual engines were capable of generating 550 horsepower when operated in tandem. Additionally, they could operate independently of one another. Moreover, this allowed the railcar to safely complete its journey, in the event of a single-engine failure. Interestingly, these engines are identical to those used in certain World War 2 tanks.

The railcar had seating for approximately 90 passengers. It weighs around 50 tonnes and ran on standard gauge rails (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in). Typically, these types of railcars operated in rural areas with lower traffic, or on short-haul commuter services. They were less expensive than larger diesel locomotives, which had separate hauled carriages.

The 1950s dinner car and passenger car

Attached to the 1960s diesel railcar, are two older carriages. The first, is the late 1950s dinner car. In this train carriage, the walls appear to have once been painted green. The tavern-style bar stools are a orange/brown leather with chrome bases.

The third and final car is an early 1950s passenger car. Retro fans hang precariously from the ceiling, and the carpet is green with algae. This carriage also has some fire damage, which has occurred over recent years.