CONO at MEM this Morning

This morning I met the CONO to take some pictures of the connection between the cars so I could super detail a HO scale KATO SWC that I will be modeling this Spring at my club's open house. The consist was:

P-42DC #61

Transition Sleeper

Sleeper

Lounge Cafe ( was marked )

Diner

3 Coaches

Coach Baggage

The SCA was very nice and engaged you man, most informative with me playing Q & A. He gave me a fast look at the lower level of the Transition Sleeper. I was disappointed ! Best way to describe it is Run Down or maybe just Neglected. Everything needs to be ripped out and thrown in a junk heap.

I was told that about half the Roomettes were sold in the Transition Sleeper and the Sleeper was booked from CHI thru to NOL and just a few detrained here in MEM from the Transition Sleeper. Also informed me they had been operating with 4 Coaches “for a while now”. He looked after both sleepers.

Returning back outside the Conductor walk up and was a super nice man and eager to play 20 questions, but he had to hustle to the 1st Coach as a Japanese tour group exploded into complete chaos boarding just as the Engineer walked up with her bag in tow. A mid-40ish Black Lady with a hilarious personalty know as “Miss Lynn”.

The next surprise was when the train left Miss Lynn was by herself in the locomotive.

The station was magic to get to !!!! There is a major construction in progress with key streets closed !!!

As far as leaving a car in the parking lot ….. this is Memphis !!! I felt I was on over time being there 45 minutes, plus it is a staging area for the construction  equipment but enough space for that time of morning.

You sure that the diner came after the Lounge? The diner (technically a CCC) used on the CONO is marked as a “Diner-Lounge”, while the actual Sightseer Lounge car is marked as a “Lounge car”. With the exception of through-cars and trains that split, Amtrak always tries to keep the dining car adjacent to the sleepers, which functions as a sort of barrier to keep coach passengers out of the sleepers, and makes it easy for the diner staff to identify who gets their meals free.

Yes sir I am positive, In fact I did a search to see if I could find a HO scale car like that and none are available, I don't remember seeing that on  You-tubes or pictures, or reading comments on that car. That was why I noted ( was marked ). I'm new to this, that was why I posted what I saw. I should have taken pic that was my mistake, but my interest was in the car connections, and playing 20 questions with the crew. Maybe I'll go down again and see what comes through on 59.

Mike G said:

Yes sir I am positive, In fact I did a search to see if I could find a HO scale car like that and none are available, I don't remember seeing that on  You-tubes or pictures, or reading comments on that car. That was why I noted ( was marked ). I'm new to this, that was why I posted what I saw. I should have taken pic that was my mistake, but my interest was in the car connections, and playing 20 questions with the crew. Maybe I'll go down again and see what comes through on 59.

Click to expand...

Since the Diner/Lounge (aka Cross Country Cafe) is simply a rebuilt Superliner 1 (I believe I am right) Diner, you should be able to do the same with a Kato or Walthers S1 Diner; I think there are some minor changes to the window config.