FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Pullman railcar Kitchi Gammi Club, built in 1923, assigned to Nickel Plate Road passenger service after a 1937 modification, and later converted to a business car for that railroad, will move from New York City to become part of special events at the Indiana Rail Experience this October and December, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has announced.
Tickets to ride the car will be available on its Amtrak charter from New York to Chicago to Grand Rapids, Mich., as well as on its seasonal Indiana Rail Experience excursions, will be available at the Indiana Rail Experience website.
The Kitchi Gammi Club operated in Nickel Plate passenger service until 1953, then was converted into a business car. After later serving in wreck train service, it was deemed surplus and was restored and operated between 1988 and 2019 by the Virginia Rail Investment Corp. and owners Chuck Akers and Chuck Jensen. The car’s full history is available here. It will be accompanied on the move to Indiana by former Union Pacific Budd sleeper Pacific Island, operated by Adios Rail.
Plans call for the cars to depart New York’s Penn Station on Sept 6, arriving in Chicago on Sept. 7, after a brief stop in Waterloo, Ind. Arrival in Grand Rapids will be on Sept. 8, followed by move to northern Indiana by freight train. Ten individual overnight tickets, six double-bedroom overnight tickets, and a limited number of one-way tickets are available for the Amtrak portion of the trip. A berth aboard Kitchi Gammi Club is $950. A double bedroom for two aboard Pacific Island is $2,500. One-way individual tickets between Waterloo and Chicago, or Chicago and Grand Rapids, are $325. Passengers will be responsible for their own return travel, lodging, and accommodations.
Kitchi Gammi Club and Pacific Island will operate on the Indiana Rail Experience’s previously sold-out Fall Colors Steam Special between Pleasant Lake and Hillsdale, Mich., on Oct 19-20, and board the diesel-powered Autumn Limited Oct. 25-27. Both cars will also be part of Indiana Christmas Train dates throughout December.
— Updated at 11:50 a.m. CT to correct location to Waterloo, Ind.
According to Wayner, the car was built in 1923 as Mountain View, a 10 Section Obs car; rebuilt in 1937 to an 8 Section Restaurant Lounge, flowedfrom Pullman Co. to Nickel Plate Road in 1948 but became Office Car 7 in 1950 (when new 5 DB Cafe-Lounge cars arrived.) It probably pinch-hit for one of the lightweight 5 DB Cafe-Lounge cars when one of those was not available.
Shouldn’t that be Chuck Akers and CARL Jensen?
Waterloo, Iowa, or Waterloo, INDIANA , which is an Amtrak stop.
Corrected to Indiana. Thank you.