However, private rail travel, no matter how luxurious and relaxing, is not the transportation of choice for those with demanding timetables. The cars make their way to destinations by tagging along on the rear of regularly scheduled passenger trains run by Amtrak and Via Rail Canada. Not only is lead time required for scheduling a run (a minimum of 10 days; ideally a month), but passenger trains are often sidetracked while waiting for freight traffic to clear. In fact, in August 2004 only 63 percent of Amtrak trains ran on schedule.
Private rail aficionados, however, say the mise-en-scène mitigates the tedium of trackside lingering. “If you don’t have to get somewhere at any specific time, it’s the most pleasant way to travel,” explains Phil Sheridan, a private varnish owner who also flies on business several times a week. “With your own car, you get to sleep in a bed when you want, you have food when you want, you carry what you want. You don’t just sit there.” Garner concurs: “You’re not traveling in order to get someplace at a particular time. You’re traveling for the pleasure of the journey.”
VALUE JUDGEMENT Similar to ocean-going yachts, private railcars provide an almost unmatched level of comfort and luxury. But these vehicles are often expensive to refurbish and must meet stringent safety standards. Moreover, private cars are pulled by commercial railways, leaving travelers vulnerable to scheduling snafus. |
While a journey in a posh railcar offers unparalleled views at see level, the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners suggests that prospective owners first charter cars to ensure an understanding of the vagaries of ownership. This enables us to decide what type of car, or cars, best suits our needs. In addition to the dome and sleeper, other cars include: business, usually with a kitchen, dining room, lounge and one or two tiny bedrooms; sleeper-lounge, with bedrooms, a sitting area and a pantry with a refrigerator; dining, with a large kitchen and seating area; and coach, with numerous seats. The association’s website (www.aaprco.com) explains the various types of private varnish and lists dozens of cars available for charter.Whistle-Stop Provenance
The affluent traveled in private-car luxury until World War II, when many owners donated them to the military for the war effort. Afterward, as air travel became safe and reliable, the rails lost their luster. Today, provenance plays a role in the desirability of a railcar. Sheridan, the owner of San Francisco-based International Fire Equipment, has four private varnish cars. Two—the Houston and the Los Angeles—he uses primarily for personal expeditions, but he also charters them. The Houston was the favorite car of Lyndon Johnson, he says. Southern Pacific owned the car when Johnson was president, and kept it on call for him. The Los Angeles was the car Robert Kennedy used on his trip down the California coast the day before his death. Ronald Reagan, a railroad buff, frequently dined on the Los Angeles, Sheridan says. Cars once owned by the Vanderbilts and Wrigleys are among those now available for charter.
Basic private railcars can be found on the market for less than $100,000, and owners can expect to spend in the neighborhood of $50,000 in interior furnishings to create a pleasant unit. Some devotees, however, have spent as much as $1 million refurbishing their cars. Owners caution that mechanical work, which can take as long as three years to complete, can increase the cost by hundreds of thousands of dollars. Before a refurbished car meets the rails, exacting specifications for brakes, wheels, power and wastewater must be met. Amtrak regulations require a visual exam before each trip, an annual inspection, a major inspection every 10 years and a rebuild every 40 years, Garner says.
Even after a complete renovation, expenses mount. “It’s not the cost, it’s the upkeep,” Henry notes. “You’re talking about cars built in the ’20s and ’30s, and when you have a part that breaks down, it’s not like you can run to The Home Depot.” The tight network of private car owners can usually provide referrals to mechanics at virtually any stop. Some repairs are refreshingly simple; Henry once spent $15 to fix a leaking dome window.
It Takes a Train
Once a car is in proper operating condition, it can travel on nearly any Amtrak or Via Rail Canada route. The railroads charge private car owners based on mileage, switching and parking. The total operating bill, including crew and miscellaneous charges, can run as high as $5,000 per car, per day. When not in use, cars sit on spurs or in rail yards. Specialized locations that boast amenities also are an option. Hanover Park, operated by the Morristown & Erie Railway on the grounds of the Whippany Railroad Museum in New Jersey, even offers concierge service.
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