I asked the same question if these cars owned by Tacoma Rail for the "Train to the Mountain"... OH NO, I was told by a Tacoma Rail official, we are not in the passenger business...

So I asked why do we (the taxpayers) have passenger cars? Answer: Well, we use them for the Port Days celebration in September when they give free train rides around the Tacoma Rail tracks. I was told they bought the cars vs paying Mt Rainier Scenic $20,000 to use the MRSR locomotive and cars...

But I did find out when they first had these passenger cars that the Tacoma Rail "snuck" them in on the budget request one year. Those were the exact words from a Tacoma City Councilman who I wrote asking why Tacoma Rail had passenger cars....

Tacoma Rail also uses the cars to give trips to perspective clients around the yard also. I heard one of the cars is set up for serving food/drinks too.

And Tacoma Rail did use their cars on an excursion a year ago for a group doing a fund raiser for a scenic railroad back east.