Lounge car disposition
Author: Top Fuel
Date: 02-10-2009 - 07:29
I saw the remains of the ex-Amtrak, ex-SP barber shop lounge car being used as the bait shop in Kansas maybe 15 years ago. There was very little of the car recognizable. Just the 2 side walls, roof, and floor. It was on a foundation, and the end walls had been removed. You just walked right into the wide opening at the end of the car. The interior had been gutted.
The car had been one of several involved in a grade crossing accident of the San Francisco Zephyr circa 1976 and sustained some relativley minor sideswipe damage, but was nevertheless retired due to the damage. There was no reason the car should have suffered such a horrible fate in retirement. I have no idea if the bait shop is still in business.
The same guy with the bate shop also had an ex-Amtrak, ex-SP 7/8ths dome lounge from the same grade crossing accident. Evidently it was gutted in a similar fashion as the lounge, but was not able to survive such a serious structural hatchet job and was scrapped on site before I made the visit 15 or so years ago.