AZL - 73146-1 - Passenger Car, Lightweight, Pullman, Sleeper 6-6-4 - Southern Pacific - 514

Specific Item Information: 73046-1 SP 9104 Sleeper 4-4-2 “Lark” 73046-2 SP 9106 Sleeper 4-4-2 “Lark” 73046-3 SP 9107 Sleeper 4-4-2 “Lark” 73146-1 SP 514 Pullman 6-6-4 “Lark” 73146-2 SP 516 Pullman 6-6-4 “Lark” 73546-1 SP 10202 Diner 73646-2 Baggage “Lark” (mislabeled on the box as “Cascade”) 73746-1 SP 2494 Chair 73846-2 SP 400 Pullman Observation “Lark” 73946-1 SP 5036 RPO / Baggage

Prototype History: As lightweight articulated streamliners were proving their reliability and economy on the Union Pacific and Burlington route, Santa Fe made its' first investment in modern equipment with an order to Budd for a stainless steel coach numbered 3070 delivered in January of 1936. The car would be built with the patented Shotweld process that produced a full size car with a great savings in weight over the standard riveted cars (83,000 vs. 160,000 lbs.) The shiny fluted sides gave a pleasant appearance to the car and were easy to maintain. Santa Fe's second lightweight car, 3071, built at St. Louis Car Co. from welded Corten steel came in at 98,00 lbs., a great weight savings but not enough to sway Santa Fe from placing orders for 103 cars with Budd for eight new streamline train sets: a new Super Chief, San Diegan, Tulsan and twin sets for El Capitan, Golden Gate and Chicagoan-KansasCitian. A second Super Chief was also added. 47 more cars were ordered for delivery 1940-1942

119 6 Sec-6 Rmt-4 DB cars were built under Lot #6669 to Plan 4099 and delivered in June of 1942. Except for exterior paint and air conditioning systems the cars were identical and assigned to the Missouri Pacific (4), Erie (4), Illinois Central (12), Overland Route (60), Golden State (13) Santa Fe (26). These were the first smooth side streamline sleepers on the Santa Fe. These cars were to be used to provide new sleeping cars for secondary trains Grand Canyon and Ranger. Painted in the new Pullman two-tone gray scheme these cars were pressed into service during the war on the previously all-stainless steel sided Chief.

Road Name History: The Southern Pacific Transportation Company (reporting mark SP), earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually called the Southern Pacific or (from the railroad's initials) Espee, was an American Class I railroad. It was absorbed in 1988 by the company that controlled the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad and eight years later became part of the Union Pacific Railroad.

The railroad was founded as a land holding company in 1865, later acquiring the Central Pacific Railroad by lease. By 1900 the Southern Pacific Company was a major railroad system incorporating many smaller companies, such as the Texas and New Orleans Railroad and Morgan's Louisiana and Texas Railroad. It extended from New Orleans through Texas to El Paso, across New Mexico and through Tucson, to Los Angeles, through most of California, including San Francisco and Sacramento. Central Pacific lines extended east across Nevada to Ogden, Utah, and reached north through Oregon to Portland. Other subsidiaries eventually included the St. Louis Southwestern Railway (Cotton Belt), the Northwestern Pacific Railroad at 328 miles (528 km), the 1,331 miles (2,142 km) Southern Pacific Railroad of Mexico, and a variety of 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge routes.

In 1929 SP/T&NO operated 13848 route-miles not including Cotton Belt, whose purchase of the Golden State Route circa 1980 nearly doubled its size to 3,085 miles (4,965 km), bringing total SP/SSW mileage to around 13,508 miles (21,739 km).

By the 1980s route mileage had dropped to 10,423 miles (16,774 km), mainly due to the pruning of branch lines. In 1988 the Southern Pacific was taken over by D&RGW parent Rio Grande Industries. The combined railroad kept the Southern Pacific name due to its brand recognition in the railroad industry and with customers of both constituent railroads. Along with the addition of the SPCSL Corporation route from Chicago to St. Louis, the total length of the D&RGW/SP/SSW system was 15,959 miles (25,684 km).

By 1996 years of financial problems had dropped SP's mileage to 13,715 miles (22,072 km), and it was taken over by the Union Pacific Railroad.

Read more on Wikipedia.

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