rock island bar cars

[west towns]

Anyone recall metra operating bar cars which had video games installed in one section? This was mid 80s?

[Pace831]

Anyone recall metra operating bar cars which had video games installed in one section? This was mid 80s?

I remember the "refreshment cars" well. The "bar" was a simple fold up counter in the vestibule between the aisle and the doors. It would be the third car from the rear of the train, and the doors would not open on that car because they were blocked by the counter. There were two women who were the regular bartenders, making a little extra money on their commute home to Joliet. The atmosphere was very loud and festive, as most riders were regulars looking to unwind after a long day at work. I bet the cleaning crew dreaded going into that car at the end of the day. I don't recall video gaming in the bar cars, but there could have been in the mid 80's which was before I started riding. Bar cars were discontinued in 2008, due to requirements that the doors open in case of an emergency evacuation.

[Busjack]

Most of the lines had bar cars. As 831 noted, they were discontinued.

[2200SeriesFan]

On 9/25/2015 at 11:29 AM, Pace831 said:

I remember the "refreshment cars" well. The "bar" was a simple fold up counter in the vestibule between the aisle and the doors. It would be the third car from the rear of the train, and the doors would not open on that car because they were blocked by the counter. There were two women who were the regular bartenders, making a little extra money on their commute home to Joliet. The atmosphere was very loud and festive, as most riders were regulars looking to unwind after a long day at work. I bet the cleaning crew dreaded going into that car at the end of the day. I don't recall video gaming in the bar cars, but there could have been in the mid 80's which was before I started riding. Bar cars were discontinued in 2008, due to requirements that the doors open in case of an emergency evacuation.

Ah, that explains why those cars were eliminated. I wondered why that was.

And am I correct in thinking that private club car that's attached on one weekday morning Kenosha-Chicago rush hour run, and also an afternoon rush hour run back to Kenosha, is the last such car operating on any of Metra's lines? You usually can see that train it's assigned to parked on the track just west of the Kenosha platform near the stairs in and out of that platform, if you ride there on Saturday and Sunday(based on the 1 time I ever rode there on Sunday, usually don't go to Kenosha on Sundays/holidays since the schedule north of Waukegan sucks more vs. Saturdays).

[strictures]

45 minutes ago, 2200SeriesFan said:

Ah, that explains why those cars were eliminated. I wondered why that was.

And am I correct in thinking that private club car that's attached on one weekday morning Kenosha-Chicago rush hour run, and also an afternoon rush hour run back to Kenosha, is the last such car operating on any of Metra's lines? You usually can see that train it's assigned to parked on the track just west of the Kenosha platform near the stairs in and out of that platform, if you ride there on Saturday and Sunday(based on the 1 time I ever rode there on Sunday, usually don't go to Kenosha on Sundays/holidays since the schedule north of Waukegan sucks more vs. Saturdays).

There used to be three such private cars on that North Line train. They were 6300, 553 & 555.  6300 once had the word "Deerpath" painted in the sides in a fancy script, so the other cars were given the nicknames of "Cowpath" & Psychopath". Originally that train which is currently #341, used to run express from Highland Park to Madison St. & the reverse, but now makes stops at Clybourn, Ravenswood, Wilmette & Braeside.

[Pace831]

On 9/22/2016 at 4:13 AM, strictures said:

There used to be three such private cars on that North Line train. They were 6300, 553 & 555.  6300 once had the word "Deerpath" painted in the sides in a fancy script, so the other cars were given the nicknames of "Cowpath" & Psychopath". Originally that train which is currently #341, used to run express from Highland Park to Madison St. & the reverse, but now makes stops at Clybourn, Ravenswood, Wilmette & Braeside.

553 is the only one of the three still in Metra service, but the other two are still around (see edit below).

6700 (not 6300) ended up at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth, MN.

555 was purchased by businessman William McEnery, who was best known for the now-defunct Gas City chain. The car resides on his farm in Homer Glen painted in a faux Rock Island scheme, in honor of McEnery's father who was an engineer for the RI. EDIT: The car was scrapped in 2013 during McEnery's bankruptcy proceedings.