| UP steam boiler-dormitory #304, built by AC&F in 1949 in Lot #3029 as baggage-dormitory #6006, 1 of 9 such cars (#6000-#6008) built in that Lot; 3 cars built in Lot #3037 (#9300-#9302) were delivered to the C&NW at the same time for use in the UP-C&NW-SP OVERLAND pool. These 12 cars had a steward's room (with sofa and upper berth) next to the baggage section, followed by 2 dormitory rooms with 2 sets of 2-tier bunks, followed by 3 dormitory rooms with 2 sets of 3-tier bunks. In 1960, 2 of the C&NW cars (#9300 and #9302) were rebuilt to baggage cars #8902 and #8903, while #9301 was sold in 1962 to NP and rebuilt to 30' RPO-dormitory #430. In 1962, 5 of the UP cars (#6000, #6008, #6001, #6004, and #6006) were rebuilt to steam boiler-dormitories #300-#304 in that order, and in 1972 the 4 un-rebuilt cars were sold to Amtrak as #1570-#1573. UP retained all 5 of the rebuilt steam boiler-dormitories until the head end power (HEP) conversion program of the business-and-excursion fleet, when #300 and #301 were sold; the 3 remaining cars, including #304, were further rebuilt at that time. #304 was first renumbered to UPP #209 in 1987, and in 1993 it was equipped with a generator to provide HEP (an additional generator was installed in 1997). However, the car also retains its steam boiler, which is used to provide additional/initial steam during the firing-up of either the #3985 or #844. During the 1993 rebuild, the 2 dormitory rooms with 2-tier bunks were converted to a single storage room (for the concessions car), and this room was later modified to a crew break room. At the same time, the 3 dormitory rooms with 3-tier bunks had these bunks replaced by a single bed (1 of these 3 rooms also was equipped with an office desk). Also, the steward's room became a crew luggage room. At the 1997 rebuild, the car was named HOWARD FOGG. Much of the preceding information comes from Don Strack's Utah Rails website: http://utahrails.net/pass/heritage-fleet-2.php#upp209. Scanned with an Epson V550 from an original Kodachrome 35mm slide. |