Amtrak Baggage Cars in the 90's

[SD80MAC]

I recently picked up a new HO scale Walthers Amtrak 73' Budd baggage car. Since I'm going to modeling Conrail's Chicago Line in the late 90's someday, I'd like to number the car as close to what would have been seen on the Lakeshore or Capitol Limited during that time period. Does anyone know if there was a specific series of baggage cars assigned to these trains, or would any number be fair game?

[GP30M4216]

I have several photos of heritage baggage cars on the Capitol or Lake Shore Limited in Elkhart in the late 90s and e2000s. Describe the car a little more....what paint scheme? Fluted sides or smooth? I can get you some road numbers.

[SD80MAC]

Phase III, fluted sides.

[PerRock]

Phase III, fluted sides.

That particular baggage car would only have the numbers 1020-1060 and they didn't have all the numbers in the series. They're ex-ATSF baggage cars. However Amtrak also has some over, very similar looking baggage cars: the 1200 series, which only have one window on the doors (and one door pre-hole) and the 1800 series; the 1800 series ones you will still see in service today (but not for long). IDK if that helps at all.

peter

[GP30M4216]

The first couple are in Elkhart in/around 2000. The third one is perhaps most like the model, as this was one of the few Amtrak baggage cars to retain the double-window doors so late. This photo is in Dearborn in 2002, but the car probably went over the Water Level Route - multiple times. All are former Santa Fe.

[GP30M4216]

Here are a few more.....1228 is shown in this photo in Dearborn but I've also photographed it in Elkhart. 1203 and 1160 are both seen in Elkhart. I don't know when the side-sliding doors were replaced by the roller shutter doors on 1160 but in the late 90s it may still have had the old type. Hope this helps!

[PerRock]

I don't know when the side-sliding doors were replaced by the roller shutter doors on 1160 but in the late 90s it may still have had the old type. Hope this helps!

I would presume it was while Amtrak was installing the rolling doors on the 1700 series cars and/or the Cabbages. They would have been on hand at that time. I'll see if I can't match the dates up.

peter

Edit: So the 1700 Series Baggage cars (which are converted Coaches) happened around 1996; as did the F40PH to NPCU conversions. So I would hazard a guess that 1160 had the roll-up doors installed around then as well.

[SD80MAC]

Thanks for the info, guys!

[J T]

I'd number it 1234. That would be cool.