PENNSYRR.COM by Jerry Britton

bernard auto train 4002 and train 1972 03 25 ashland va 01 1000x

I had the fortune of riding the Auto-Train in the spring of 1975, just after the series of articles in Model Railroader. I would have been 12 at the time. Southbound I would have sworn we were in a full coach, but looking at the cars that Auto-Train ran, it must have been one of the short domes and we just sat on the lower level. I don't know if the tickets were assigned seats or general admission, but that's where we sat. Northbound we sat in the first two rows of a full dome.

I have not found any consists for the spring of 1975, so I picked a northbound train #2 from March 1973. The train still had several sleepers in their original liveries.

Train #2, northbound, 3-11-1973
4001 U36B Diesel Locomotive  Atlas, Athearn or Bachmann  
4004 U36B Diesel Locomotive Atlas, Athearn or Bachmann  
AT 7 75' Auto Carrier  Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 9 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann  
AT 29 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 22 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 13 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 11 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 23 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 12 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 19 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 8 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 10 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 24 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 3 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
AT 21 75' Auto Carrier Walthers or Bachmann   
SF REGAL ELM Sleeper Walthers #9015 85' P-S REGAL Series 4-4-2 Sleeper -- Santa Fe.* Retains SF livery.
UP OCEAN SCENE Sleeper Walthers #9510 Union Pacific City Streamliner Car -- 5-5-2 Ocean Series Sleeper. Retains UP livery. 
UP OCEAN VIEW  Sleeper  Walthers #9510 Union Pacific City Streamliner Car -- 5-5-2 Ocean Series Sleeper. Retains UP livery. 
SF REGAL GULF  Sleeper  Walthers #9015 85' P-S REGAL Series 4-4-2 Sleeper -- Santa Fe.* Retains SF livery. 
UP OCEAN SANDS  Sleeper  Walthers #9510 Union Pacific City Streamliner Car -- 5-5-2 Ocean Series Sleeper. Retains UP livery.
AT 463  Dome Coach   Broadway Limited #538 SILVER SCOUT, #1496 SILVER THISTLE.​ *  
AT 461  Dome Coach Broadway Limited #538 SILVER SCOUT, #1496 SILVER THISTLE.​ *  
AT 524  "Big Dome" Coach Walthers #9462 85' Budd Big Dome Bar Lounge - Standard - 1954 El Capitan -- Santa Fe #506-513.*  
AT 540  "Big Dome" Night Club Walthers #9462 85' Budd Big Dome Bar Lounge - Standard - 1954 El Capitan -- Santa Fe #506-513* or Bachmann.  
AT 592 Movie-Buffet      
AT 597 Kitchen-Dorm  Walthers #9407 et al --  85' P-S Kitchen-Dormitory.*  
AT 590 Movie-Buffet      
AT 522 "Big Dome" Coach Walthers #9462 85' Budd Big Dome Bar Lounge - Standard - 1954 El Capitan -- Santa Fe #506-513.*  
AT 510  "Big Dome" Coach-Dorm Walthers #9324 85' Budd Big Dome Bar Lounge Dorm - Standard - San Francisco Chief -- Santa Fe #550-555.*  
AT 512  "Big Dome" Coach-Dorm Walthers #9324 85' Budd Big Dome Bar Lounge Dorm - Standard - San Francisco Chief -- Santa Fe #550-555.*  
AT 135 Steam Generator Broadway Limited #1492 Zephyr WP Baggage Car #802 SILVER STAG. * Substituted AT 135 for AT 137 due to availability of accurate model.
30 cars
* Will require custom paint and lettering.