Santa Fe business car #33 was built in 1923 by Pullman Car and Manufacturing, one of essentially identical “30 series” cars, numbered 30-39, constructed for the railway between 1918 and 1928. These cars were originally assigned to top executives out of Chicago, perhaps on a rotating basis. With arrival of lightweight, streamlined replacements after WWII, 30 series units were sent all over the Santa Fe System, primarily to General and Assistant General Managers of the Grand Divisions. Many were modernized with formica interiors replacing the original golden oak. No. 33 never received this treatment; its last assignment was for the Assistant General Manager, Coast Lines, Los Angeles. Santa Fe retired the car in 1969, the first of the series to leave the roster. Post AT&SF owners of note were Atlantic Richfield; General Rail Corporation – which named the car TAMALPAIS and retrucked it in 1999; and Gibraltar House, which upgraded the machinery, paneling and the ceilings. Redwood Empire is equipped with a lounge, 4 bedrooms, a general toilet, dining room, crew room and a stainless steel pantry and kitchen. Redwood Empire is in serviceable condition and will need to have a Amtrak PC-1 inspection to move in Amtrak service.
Some of the mechanical details include : Excellent body & roof, rotating end cap bearings, cast trucks with straight bar equalizers, T frame disc brakes, rubber diaphragms, 27 pin and MU lines, head end power, good wheels, 8 ton air conditioning condensing unit, electric heat, Stadco 60 KW generator, F couplers, decelostats, upgraded electrical locker (still uses D/C for select circuits), 250 gal holding tanks, 230v 3 phase standby, Last PC-1 inspection 9/3/2020 , PC2a due 6/29/2029, freeze protection, emergency lights, retrucked 1999, C clearance, CS couplers, current PC-1 inspection, current COT&S (8/20/2025).
Redwood Empire is Amtrak certified and in operating condition.
How much does it cost to ship a passenger car by rail?
If a passenger car is capable of being shipped by rail, that does not mean that is the easiest or cheaper method of transport. If the final destination is off live rail then shipping by truck (see above paragraph) will be the best option. This way you know when it will show up and an in what condition it will be in. To ship a car by rail it will need to meet all mechanical and safety standards of the Federal Railroad Administration and the interchanging railroad. In most cases we can recommend a trusted independent inspector who can do an evaluation of the car for you and perform what work needs to be done. On average the car will need to have the air brakes recertified (approx. $5,000-$8,000). And it will need to have UMLER Tags and reporting marks installed on the side of the car (approx. $250.00 - $500.00). If the car is ready to be shipped in freight service (like a box car in a train) you will need to open an account with all railroads involved in the move and get a tariff for moving a passenger on it's own wheels (we can recommend several trusted contractors who can make all the shipping arrangements for you). The railroads charge between $5.00- $15.00 per mile, often the railroads don't go directly from point A to point B so you will need to pay the total amount of mileage the car will travel to get to the final destination. It is recommend that you have the car insured before shipment ( we can recommend several carriers who specialize insuring railroad equipment).
How much does it cost to ship a car on Amtrak?
To ship a car on Amtrak the car will need to be Amtrak certified and have a current yearly PC-1 inspection. You can view the current Amtrak Tariffs and Terminal Charges with the link below.
https://www.amtrak.com/privately-owned-rail-cars
