| About the Train Passenger Cars | Southern Pacific 786 | Alco Diesel 442 | Rail Line History 
Passenger Car Information and Pictures We offer three levels of service on each train ride into the Hill Country; Coach Class, Excursion Class, and First Class Pullman Lounge. We also offer the private Boonesborough Lounge available for charter on the Hill Country Flyer. Ticket prices vary according to Coach, Excursion or Lounge seating. ____________________________________________________________________________ Coach Class - Pennsylvania Railroad P70 Cars
Our six P70 coach cars were constructed by the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1920s, and saw use in commuter service until the 1960s. The cars were acquired by Mr. Arthur Boone in 1990, refurbished by ASTA volunteers, and released for service in 1992. One of the coaches, 1726, was converted into a concession car. Snacks and souvenirs are offered for sale in the concession car. Previously equipped with steam heat and rudimentary air conditioning, these features have been removed. The coaches do, however, have windows that open and close. The cars seat 72 passengers on upholstered roll-over seats. Our coaches are handicap accessible by way of a wheelchair lift available at all our stops and an on board transfer chair. The generosity of the Lower Colorado River Authority has allowed ASTA to continue to maintain and operate these historic cars, and in honor of that, we have named each of the day coaches after one of the lakes in the LCRA’s chain of Highland Lakes.
_______________________________________________________________________________ Excursion Class - Buckeye Lake Built in 1949 for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, this coach car with heating and air conditioning seats two passengers on either side of the aisle. Originally operating on daily trains between New York and Buffalo, the recently painted and renamed Buckeye Lake car operates on every Hill Country excursion train.
Excursion Class - Buckeye Trail Built for the New York, Chicago and St. Louis (Nickel Plate) Railroad, this coach car with heating and air conditioning seats two passengers on either side of the aisle. First Class Pullman Lounge - City of Chicago
Our car from the Nickel Plate Road — also known as the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad — was one of a pair of sleeper-lounge cars (the other was 150, the City of Cleveland). Both were built by Pullman-Standard and delivered in 1950. The interior design includes 5 two-person compartments (A through E), a three-person crew dorm room (F), a kitchen and lounge area. Compartment sets A-B or C-D may be joined for larger groups by opening a partition. The lounge area seats 24 at two-person and four-person tables. The car originally went into service on night trains 5 and 6, operating between Cleveland and Chicago in early 1950. The City of Chicago remained in the consist until NKP passenger operations were absorbed through a merger with the Norfolk & Western Railroad. The car became part of Amtrak's fleet in 1971. Upon retirement from Amtrak service, the City of Chicago fell into private ownership. In 1995 Dr. Henry Renfert donated it to the Austin & Texas Central Railroad. This car is heated and air-conditioned.
______________________________________________________________________________ First Class Pullman Lounge - Eagle Cliff
The Eagle Cliff was
used on Missouri Pacific/Texas & Pacific trains 1 and 2, the
Texas Eagle, between St. Louis and Ft. Worth. The Eagle
Cliff was built in 1948 by Pullman-Standard and is an example
of the so-called "smooth side" streamline car design.
It is an 85-foot sleeper-lounge and is the sole survivor of three
such cars. The interior design is beautifully appointed and consists
of 4 three-person compartments, a fifth 2-person compartment and
seats for 26 in the lounge area. The interior also includes the
original built-in magazine tables (with original lamps) and lounge-area
details nearly identical to the original shop drawings. Two illuminated
photographic murals in the lounge represent places of interest on
the MP line: the Alamo and a monument dedicated to the Mexican hero
Morales. After retirement from the MP in 1966, the Eagle Cliff was purchased by A.C. Schwethelm to entertain visitors at his business. The car was eventually abandoned on an isolated siding in Comfort, Texas. It was purchased in 1975 by Burt Dockall of Rockdale and James Vaughan of Liberty Hill and restored between 1977 and 1979 in Cameron. The car is owned and cared for by Eagle Rail Services and is leased to the Austin & Texas Central Railroad. This car is heated and air-conditioned. _______________________________________________________________________________ First Class Pullman Lounge - Santa Fe
This car originally housed a barbershop, shower, passenger lounge and crew dormitory on the Santa Fe’s famous Super Chief train, which operated between Chicago and Los Angeles. It was built by Pullman-Standard in November 1950 as one of six identical cars. The 1343 later became part of Amtrak’s fleet during the 1970s, and was purchased by Charles and Lowell Turner in 1982. Today the car contains two passenger compartments, a kitchen and lounge area for passenger seating. The car is heated and air-conditioned.
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Available for exclusive luxury charter service is our beautifully preserved former Southern Railway business car, the Boonesborough. The car was built in 1929 to accommodate railway officials on business trips around their lines. It was later used by ASTA founder Arthur Boone and his family on numerous trips around the country for over two decades. The Boonesborough features an open observation platform, a spacious parlor area, two large bedrooms — each with its own bath, a large dining room, a butler's pantry, a kitchen, and quarters for the on board crew. Please refer to the charter page for details on our premium travel opportunity. |
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