The Placid series was a fleet of ten lightweight streamlined sleeping cars built by Pullman-Standard for the Union Pacific Railroad in 1956. Each car contained eleven double bedrooms. Amtrak acquired all ten from the Union Pacific and operated them into the 1980s; it retired the last in 1996. Several cars remain in private use.
Design As with all cars built for the Union Pacific, save the Pacific series sleeping cars, the Placid series cars were smooth-sided, not corrugated.
Service history The Union Pacific took delivery of all ten cars in 1956 and they saw service on a variety of trains, including the City of Portland and City of Los Angeles.
Amtrak acquired all ten cars from the Union Pacific in 1971 and operated them through the 1970s; all but one were retired by 1981. The remainder, Placid Scene, it converted from steam heating to head end power (HEP) in 1984 as part of its Heritage Fleet program, part of a pool of nine 11-bedroom sleeping cars. Amtrak assigned Placid Scene to the revived Auto Train. In 1996 Amtrak sold it to American Orient Express, who renamed it Grand Canyon. There it was reunited with three other of the Placid series: Berlin (ex-Placid Lake), Vienna (ex-Placid Waters), and Placid Bay.
+ Table of names and numbers Name UP No. Amtrak No. Notes Placid Bay 1501 2260 Placid Harbor 1502 2261 Placid Haven 1503 2262 Placid Lake 1504 2263 Renamed "Berlin" during its time in the American Orient Express Placid Meadow 1505 2264 Placid Scene 1506 2265 Renamed "Grand Canyon" during its time in the American Orient Express. After the dissolution of the AOE, it was renamed back to Placid Scene. Currently for sale as of Feb 2024 Placid Sea 1507 2266 Placid Vale 1508 2267 Placid Valley 1509 2268 Placid Waters 1510 2269 Renamed "Vienna" during its time in the American Orient Express
References
External links
List of cars produced