The New York Central Dining Car was ordered by the New York Central in 1945 from the Edward G. Budd Company. Building of the car was completed in 1947, where upon the car was put into service as a dining car until 1967 when it was retired to work train service. Learn More!
This car was built in 1946 by ACF (American Car Foundry) for the Louisville & Nashville Railroad as a long distance coach. Later, it was sold to the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, where it operated in commuter service out of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Learn More!
The Silver Sword was one of four Cars built by the Budd Car Company in an order for the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad. It was ordered in March 1951 and delivered September/October 1952. The Silver Sword was assigned Car Number CB&Q #4734 as a 50-seat coach for pool service on the CB&Q, its number was changed by Amtrak #5013 in 1971. Learn More!
Our newly acquired Ringling circus car #41406 was built in 1950 by the Budd Company as a 44 seat coach car for the Southern Pacific Railroad. The SP assigned number 2226 to the car and used it in regular service for the next seven or so years. Sometime in the late 1950s, the SP sold the car to the Texas and New Orleans railroad who re-numbered it as car 438. In 1961 the Texas and New Orleans sold the car back to the SP who then assigned it number 2365. Like most Budd built cars, coach #2365 was sold by the SP to Amtrak in late May of 1971 when Amtrak was first formed. Amtrak assigned it number 4413. It served as a coach car on Amtrak through the seventies and then was shopped at Amtrak’s Beechgrove Indiana shops in 1980 where it received full 480 head end power or “HEP”. Sometime around 1980 Amtrak again re-numbered it as 4016 but then retired the car in early 1981. Learn More!
Built by Budd as a baggage car for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1953 and numbered 3651. Conveyed to Amtrak in 1971 and numbered 1101. Converted to Head-End Power from Steam Heat in March 1979 and renumbered 1164. The car was used on various Amtrak routes but mainly on the Lake Shore Limited from 1971 until approximately 2017 when it was retired and stored long term at the Beechgrove Amtrak yard in Indianapolis Indiana. It was sold at auction in early 2019 to Brian Collins and Bill Thomas for use on the Cincinnati Dinner Train. During the first half of 2020 the car was converted to an entertainment car for the dinner train. Extensive modifications were done including adding complete HVAC, ten windows, a curved hallway, custom ventilation and lighting, aluminum and vinyl walls, a complete vestibule with open side windows, safety bars for the four open side baggage doors, a custom performance stage with lighting and audio and a complete stripping of all outside graphics, down to the base stainless steel. The car will now provide a larger performance area for the popular Queen City Sisters to perform after dinner. We have named the car “ALBEE” in honor and recognition of the historic Albee theater that stood on the south side of fountain square in downtown Cincinnati. A mural of the Albee is a prominent feature inside the car. Learn More!
Each car is approximately 85 feet long.
Milwaukee Road Dining Car: If you choose a table in this car, you are closest to the boarding vestibule.
Silver Sword Dining Car: If you choose a table in this car, you are closest to the boarding vestibule.
New York Central Dining Car: If you choose a table in this car, you are two cars away from the boarding vestibule.
Oasis Tavern Dining Car: If you choose a table in this car, you are three cars away from the boarding vestibule.
Albee Entertainment Car: If you choose a table in this car, you are three cars away from the boarding vestibule.
The Cincinnati Dinner Train kitchen car was originally one of a ten baggage car production lot built by the Pullman Standard Car Company in 1960 for the Santa Fe Railroad. These cars were later used to haul theater sets from city to city and coast to coast. In the late sixties the cars were assigned to maintenance of way service by the Santa Fe.
In 1971 Amtrak was formed and all well maintained rail cars from the existing railroads, were bought by Amtrak for use in their service. Although Santa Fe baggage car #3999 was assigned an Amtrak number of #1098, it nor the other nine baggage cars from Santa Fe were ever pressed into Amtrak service as baggage cars. The original Santa Fe number 3999 has been retained and the car has been painted and lettered as it appeared in 1960 when it first served on the Santa Fe. Learn More!
Built by Budd as a baggage car for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1953 and numbered 3536. Conveyed to Amtrak in 1971 and numbered 1050. Converted to Head-End Power from Steam Heat in January 1978 and renumbered 1234. The car was used on various Amtrak routes from 1971 to approximately 2012 when it was retired and stored long term at the Beechgrove Amtrak yard in Indianapolis Indiana. It was sold at auction in early 2019 to Brian Collins and Bill Thomas for use on the Cincinnati Dinner Train. During the first half of 2020 the car was converted to a power car for the Cincinnati Dinner Train. It had a Cummins 230KW Generator installed along with a Kohler 250KW generator as a backup unit. A bulkhead wall was installed so as to create a toolroom along with an air compressor and a large diesel fuel tank. The car now serves as the main power source for the dinner train and is internally referred to by the name “Brutus”. Learn More!
The GP-30 Locomotive hauling our train today was one of ten locomotives built for the New York Chicago & St. Louis Railway, more commonly known as the “Nickel Plate Road.” This railroad ran from Buffalo west toward St. Louis and Chicago with lines throughout Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and, of course, western New York. The locomotive was delivered to the NKP in November of 1962 and operated as unit 902 until their merger with the Norfolk & Western on October 16th, 1964. At that time the engine was renumbered in the N&W Engine series as #2902. In the late 1980’s, it was retired by the Norfolk Southern, sold to the Great Miami Short Line Railroad, and painted in their burgundy and black colors. It was renumbered as engine #30 as it operated throughout Southern Ohio. In the late 1990’s, the unit was sold to US Rail and moved to Hamblin, Ohio. In early 2012, Cincinnati Railway Company President Brian Collins purchased the locomotive for lease to the Cincinnati Dinner Train. The Great Miami color scheme was retained but the number was changed back to its original #902. Learn More!
Occasionally we will opt to use locomotive #901 which is usually in service on the scenic LM&M Railroad in Lebanon, Ohio. This sister GP-30 locomotive to the #902 was one of ten locomotives built for the New York Chicago & St. Louis Railway, more commonly known as the “Nickel Plate Road.” This railroad ran from Buffalo west toward St. Louis and Chicago with lines throughout Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and, of course, western New York. The locomotive was delivered to the NKP in November of 1962 and operated as unit #901 until their merger with the Norfolk & Western on October 16th, 1964. At that time the engine was renumbered in the N&W Engine series as #2901. In the late 1980’s, it was retired by the Norfolk Southern and sold to the Indiana & Ohio Short Line Railroad, and painted in their red, white and orange colors. It was renumbered as engine #85 as it operated throughout Southern Ohio. In 1995, the unit was sold to the Cincinnati Railway Company and moved to Lebanon, Ohio. In early 2005 the unit was moved to the home rail yard of the Cincinnati Railway in Norwood, Ohio for use in tendering Amtrak compliant private cars “Moonlight Dome”, ”Birch Grove” and “Oliver Hazard Perry” from Norwood to Cincinnati Union Terminal for attachment to Amtrak. In 2009 the unit was painted in original Nickel Plate Road colors and reassigned its original number of #901. Also in 2009 it was put into service pulling the newly founded Cincinnati Dinner Train. Ownership of #901 remains with the Cincinnati Railway Company. Locomotives #901 and #902 are the only two of the original ten produced, to still be in running condition. Learn More!
