GN A-11

Streamlined Business Car

Prior to about 1924, the Great Northern owned and operated its own sleeping car fleet for overnight accomodations. (On most railroads, sleeping cars were owned and staffed by the George M. Pullman company, under contract.) In 1911, the Great Northern received 21 new sleepers from builder Barney and Smith, and numbered them 9015 to 9035. As sleepers, they were unusual. Most sleepers were designed in an open pattern around a center aisle, with only curtains for privacy. 9015 through 9035 were more opulent, providing four private sleeping compartments, a buffet, a smoking lounge, and an observation room and platform to bring up the rear of the train. Their design reflected the height of wooden car design, with arched windows, a clerestory roof, interiors of polished woodwork, a wooden frame stiffened by truss rods, enclosed vestibules, and six-wheel trucks. Their observation platform was a little unusual, in that the door inside was offset to make room for a large picture window. (Click here for a 1912 diagram.)

Approximate As-Built Specs

In November 1922, car 9021 was rebuilt into official car A-1. (It was the second to wear that number.) Extensive remodelling included a steel underframe, replacing the restrooms and first compartment with a kitchen and pantry, turning the remaining compartments into a porter's room, secretary's room, and state room, replacing the buffer and smoking lounge with two more state rooms, and building a dividing wall in the observation compartment to create an office with a conference table.

From an equipment diagram made between 1938 and 1957 comes the following information: In 1924, rivited steel sheathing was applied. A 1937 photograph shows the window arches were covered by a wide letterboard and the observation platform door centered. Then in 1930, it was upgraded to a fishbelly underframe. In 1938, air conditioning was added. (The 1937 photograph shows air conditioning ducts. One date may be wrong.) Authorizations for expenditure 20784, 26818, and 53905 apply to this car.

In April, 1957, the A-1 was renumbered to the (second) A-11. (Click here to see a hi-res scan of its equipment diagram.) As such it was assigned to senior company officials in Minnesota. It was again renumbered to (fourth) A-6 in 1969 and assigned to the Executive Vice President in St. Paul. In June 1971 it became Burlington Northern Compass (computer assisted car tracking system) training car B-7. This is probably when the open room was enlarged by removing the divider and one or two state rooms. A photograph from this period shows the exterior had been smoothed to match the streamliners.

A-11 was purchased by MTM in 1981. It was in good shape and, having been repainted into GN Omaha orange and Pullman green, was put to work providing first class service in the museum's passenger trains.

Around 1994 it was decided A-11 was due for more extensive repairs, and it was withdrawn from service. Replacement of all windows with modern FRA glazing, repair of the air conditioning, and installation of toilets was completed in 1999. (Picture by Mike Gamble.) In 2003, stand-by air was installed to provide running water and to operate the toilets when not in a train. A bell and horn for backup movements were also installed. In 2005 it received fresh paint again. A-11 is used regularly on the O&StCV Railway for first class, dinner trains, pizza trains, movie trains, and even the occasional wedding. Its a key member of MTM's GN streamlined passenger train set. Sources:

• "Great Northern Pictorial - Vol 5," by John F. Strauss Jr.; data p57, photo p59.
• Reference Sheet 256, "Early GN Sleeping Cars; Part III: Compartment-Observation Cars," published in December 1997 by the Great Northern Railway Historical Society.
• "Mech. Dept. Passenger Car Diagrams," pub. by the Great Northern, 11-1-69; data & plan, p144.