Pullman Gallery Car
The Pullman Gallery Car was a double-decker passenger car built by Pullman-Standard during the 1950s to 1970s for various passenger rail operators in the United States.
The car's upper level was accessed by four sets of stairs in the middle vestibule. A narrow walkway with handrail and middle sections open looking below. Passengers disembarked from stairs from the vestibule on both sides. The original bench seating on the lower level was often upgraded to individual seats during rebuilds by operators. The 8700 series cars feature a control cab; this is not found in the 7600 series cars.
Models
There were four types:| Model | Operators | Builder | Years | Notes |
| 7006A series | built 1950s | |||
| 7600 series | C&NW | St. Louis Car Company, Pullman Company | 1956-1961, 1963, 1965-68, 1970 | Built 262 |
| 8700 series | C&NW | Pullman Company | 1960-1961, 1965-1968 | Built 64 |
| Town Car series | Canadian Pacific Railways | Canadian Vickers | 1969 | Manufactured 9 gallery cars used by Canadian Pacific Railway Montreal passenger service and later used by STCUM and AMT and retired 2010. |
Operators
- AMT - Canadian Vickers-built gallery cars
- Amtrak: Acquired twelve cars from the Chicago and North Western Railway in the 1970s; ten coaches and food-service cars. Amtrak converted four of coaches into control cars in 1981–1982. All twelve were off the roster by 1994.
- Burlington Northern and Santa Fe - acquired the six Transcisco Tours gallery cars and converted them to be used as business cars ; two were later converted to track geometry cars.
- Canadian Pacific Railway - Montreal passenger routes and cars transferred to STCUM, and then to AMT
- Chicago and North Western - sold cars to Metra and Amtrak
- Foxville and Northern - shortline operator in North Carolina. Owns 7 former VRE cars. Leased to other operations for various events.
- Metra - currently used on the Milwaukee District lines and the Union Pacific routes
- Music City Star - acquired seven Metra gallery cars.
- Southern Pacific - Peninsula Commute, then Caltrain. Operated 46 gallery cars until 1985. Sold to Tour Alaska in 1986. Colorado Railcar converted four into "Ultra Dome" cars at Tillamook, Oregon. Six sold to Transcisco Tours, subsequently acquired by BNSF.
- Transcisco Tours - acquired six from SP and converted them for tour use.
- Utah Transit Authority FrontRunner - for parts
- - borrowed both CP Rail and Chicago and North Western cars for trial runs.
Preserved Cars
- Two cars, a coach and a cab car, are preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum. Others serve on heritage railroads like the North Shore Scenic Railroad, which has 3, 2 of which are in the original C&NW paint scheme. Numerous others survive, but are still in operation on railroads like Metra.