CHICAGO — Three cars making their first appearance will highlight the tours of Pullman-built railcars offered as part of Pullman Railroad Days, set for June 1-2 at Pullman National Historic Park.
Dover Harbor, built in 1923, is the only heavyweight car still in an original Pullman configuration that is fully operational for use on Amtrak passenger trains. The car was originally built as a baggage-library, with a 28-foot baggage area, four sleeping berths, a barber shop, and a 12-seat lounge. After 10 years in service, it was rebuilt with six double bedrooms, a buffet and lounge.
Blue Ridge Club was built by Pullman-Standard in 1950 for the Chesapeake & Ohio. The flat-end observation currently wears the brown and orange of Illinois Central, with a floor plan including three double bedrooms, one master suite, and a large dining-lounge-observation area.
Solarium car Hollywood Beach, built in 1956 for Seaboard Air Line’s Silver Meteor, is one of just three cars built in a half-lounge, half-sleeper configuration. In includes five double bedrooms, a large lounge, and a galley-style kitchen.
Tours of the railcars will be conducted at the 111th Street/Pullman Metra Station from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Early-bird tickets for Railroad Days are no now on sale through April 15, priced at $22, and will include a guaranteed spot in the railcar tours, which have limited capacity. More information and tickets are available at Eventbrite.
More information on the Historic Pullman Foundation, organizer of Railroad Days, is available here; more on Pullman National Historic Park is available here.
— Updated April 1 at 9:40 a.m. to correct hours of railcar tours.
