Home > Rolling Stock > Passenger Cars > Types > Baggage Cars

 

Baggage Cars

GN 265

 

Click for larger image

 

Location:            Minnesota Transportation Museum

                              Jackson St. Roundhouse, St. Paul, MN                            

 

Type:                   Storage mail baggage car

 

Series:                 262-276

 

Built:                    1945 rebuilt from heavyweight passenger cars 

 

Picture taken:    May 2003 by Eric Hopp

 

Remarks:            Car is currently undergoing restoration at the Jackson

                               St. roundhouse.

 


GN 270

 

Click for larger image

 

Location:            Inland Empire Railway Historical Society

                              At the Fairgrounds, Spokane, WA                            

 

Type:                   Storage mail baggage car

 

Series:                 262-276

 

Built:                    1948 Rebuilt from heavyweight passenger cars 

 

Picture taken:    July 28th, 2000

 


GN 319

 

Click for larger image

 

Location:            Inland Empire Railway Historical Society

                              At the Fairgrounds, Spokane, WA

 

Type:                    Baggage-express-storage mail

 

Series:                 300-324

 

Built:                    Rebuilt in the 1950s by GN from heavyweight solarium-

                              observation car.

 

Picture taken:    July 28th, 2000

 

Remarks:            Built by Pullman as a Solarium-Observation car for

                              Great Northern's 1929 Empire Builder, it was named

                              "C. O. Jenks" to honor a long-time G.N. official. It was

                              rebuilt in the G.N. shops in the 1950s as a semi-

                              streamlined baggage car. 

 


GN 429

 

Click for larger image

 

Location:            Inland Empire Railway Historical Society

                              At the Fairgrounds, Spokane, WA

 

Type:                    Baggage

 

Series:                  

 

Built:                    1893 by Barney & Smith 

 

Picture taken:    July 28th, 2000

 

Remarks:            Built as open ended wooden passenger car in 1893 it

                              was converted to Business car A-12. In 1940 it was

                              rebuilt with metal sides as baggage car 429.

 


GN 480

 

Click for larger image        Click for larger image

 

Location:            Minnesota Transportation Museum

                              Jackson St. Roundhouse, St. Paul, MN

 

Type:                   Rider-storage mail car

 

Series:                 475-486

 

Built:                    Converted between October and December 1948 from

                              Pullman tourist sleeper cars at GN's St. Cloud Shops.

 

Picture taken:    July 18th, 2001

 

Remarks:            This baggage car is part of an unique series of 

                              baggage-rider cars on the GN. Converted from Pullman

                              Sleepers they were used for mail storage on the end of

                              certain trains like the Western Star and were equipped

                              with a compartment for the rear brakeman (hence the

                              vestibule and single coach window).

 


GN 485

 

Click for larger image

 

Location:            Northwest Railway Museum

                              Snoqualmie - North Bend, WA

 

Type:                   Rider-storage mail car

 

Series:                 475-486

 

Built:                    Converted December 1948 at the St. Cloud Shops.

 

Picture taken:    Date unknown. Courtesy Richard S. Wilkens

 

Remarks:            This baggage car is part of an unique series of 

                              baggage-rider cars on the GN. Converted from Pullman

                              Sleepers they were used for mail storage on the end of

                              certain trains like the Western Star and were equipped

                              with a compartment for the rear brakeman (hence the

                              vestibule and single coach window).

                              GN 485 was built by the Pullman Car & Manufacturing

                               Co. in 1921, Lot 4624, Plan 2411C, as Pullman Co. 

                              Sleeping Car EPICURUS. In September 1941 the car

                              was changed to Pullman Tourist Sleeping Car #1056,

                              the number it would hold for the next seven years. 

                              After World War Two Pullman was suffering from a glut

                              of older heavyweight sleeping cars and a number were

                              sold to the Great Northern for conversion to baggage,

                              mail storage, dormitory, rules, and work service. 

                              In March 1948 GN acquired TS #1056 and in December

                              1948 after conversion work the car emerged as GN

                              Baggage Car #485. Work consisted of welding over the

                              vestibule doors and side windows, removal of the

                              interior, and installation of a desk and coal stove. The

                              car lasted in regular service in to the creation of

                              Burlington Northern in 1970 and was one of the few

                              cars to receive the Great Northern Big Sky Blue paint

                              scheme. With the forming of Amtrak in May 1971 the

                              cars revenue service days were over and in 1972 the

                              car was assigned maintenance of way number

                              BN 968060, but this number was changed to BN 950190

                              in the same year. Retired from BN in 1986 the car was

                              purchased by the Northwest Railway Museum.

                              (History kindly provided by Richard S. Wilkens)

 

Number history: Pullman Co. EPICURUS

                                   - Sleeping Car (1921-1941)

                                Pullman Co. #1056

                                   - Tourist Sleeping Car (1941-1948)

                                Great Northern #485

                                   - Baggage Car (1948-1970)

                                Burlington Northern GN #485

                                   - Baggage Car (1970-1972)

                                Burlington Northern BN 968060 

                                   - Work Service 1972

                                Burlington Northern BN 950190 

                                   - Work Service (1972-1986)