To all the Super Chief and early Amtrak fans out there, Do you know which of the Regal Series Sleepers made it into the early Amtrak era (IE, ended up in Phase I paint)? I can't find an all inclusive list anywhere and was hoping that some knew where to point me. Thanks! Chris
”Regal Creek,” ex-Santa Fe “Super Chief” sleeping car was privately-owned, kept in stainless steel with original "Regal Creek" name, Santa Fe roadname replaced with "Lone Star." Stored near Corpus Christi Texas Mexican depot, 1986, occasionally run on Texas Mexican Express (scheduled passenger service started by railroad which never joined Amtrak!) as a chartered car for private parties. I later saw "Regal Creek" in San Antonio in 1988 for use on a dinner train. Regal Spa and Regal Hunt were kept by Santa Fe for use as sleeping cars in Directors' Train according to Passenger Train Equipment 1870-1975 of the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Vol. 2 Business and Special Purpose Cars There is a book called something like "Amtrak Car Spotters' Guide" published 1973 which lists the original railroad names and numbers and Amtrak renumbering of equipment taken oven by Amtrak. My wife is cleaning the floor in the hall leading to the train room library and I cannot get to it at this moment.
32 Reagl cars were built. Regal Center, City, Creek, Crown, Gorge, Hill, Pass, River, Ruby, Stream, Town, Vale, Dome, Inn, and Isle went to Amtrak. Regal Cross, Oak, Ring, Temple, and House were sold for scrap. Regal Arms, Corps, Court, Elm, Gate, and Gulf were sold to Auto-Train. Regal Crest, Hunt, Lane, Lark, Manor, and Spa were retained as business cars.
These Santa Fe “Regal” series 4-2-2- sleeping cars became Amtrak cars according to Robert J. Wayner, ed. Amtrak Car Spotter: A Guide to the New Amtrak Car Numbers and Pre-Amtrak Histories of Amtrak’s 1262 Cars, (New York: Wayner Publications, 1972), p.13 Regal Dome ex-ATSF 1813 Amtrak 2350 Regal Inn ex-ATSF 1821 Amtrak 2351 Regal Isle ex-ATSF 1822 Amtrak 2352 Regal Center ex-ATSF 1805 Amtrak 2360 Regal City ex-ATSF 1806 Amtrak 2361 Regal Creek ex-ATSF 1807 Amtrak 2362 Regal Crown ex-ATSF 1812 Amtrak 2363 Regal George ex-ATSF 1816 Amtrak 2364 Regal Hill ex-ATSF 1818 Amtrak 2365 Regal Pass ex-ATSF 1829 Amtrak 2366 Regal River ex-ATSF 1829 Amtrak 2367 Regal Ruby ex-ATSF 1830 Amtrak 2368 Regal Stream ex-ATSF 1832 Amtrak 2369 Regal Town ex-ATSF 1834 Amtrak 2370 Regal Vale ex-ATSF 1835 Amtrak 2371 Former Santa Fe cars were not all immediately repainted in Amtrak colors. I observed “Pine” and “Palm” sleepers in Santa Fe markings on the Amtrak Texas Chief in June and December 1973, and May 1974; and “Regal Hill” in Santa Fe markings in August 1973. However, by December 1973, I saw “Regal River” as Amtrak 2367 and “Regal Ruby” as Amtrak 2368.
