Heritage Sleeping car Bedroom Suite, 1983.

Many of Amtrak's early Sleeping cars had 10 Roomettes and 6 Double Bedrooms, and are commonly known as "10-6 Sleepers." In the image above, the common wall between two Double Bedrooms has been opened to create a Bedroom Suite sleeping four persons. A sofa and seat converted to beds, while two berths folded out from the wall. Each bedroom also contained a toilet and washing facilities.

Heritage Sleeping car No. 2463 was originally built by the Budd Company for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1952. Known as the Silver Dale, it was used on the American Royal Zephyr (Chicago-Kansas City). When it first came to Amtrak, the car was numbered 2658. Following its conversion to head-end power in the late 1970s, it was renumbered 2463. The last Heritage Sleeping cars were retired after Amtrak received the Viewliner cars in the mid-1990s. The Silver Dale was later sold to VIA Rail Canada.

Photographer: William Kratville (American, 1929-2011) for Amtrak.

From the Blair Slaughter Collection.