Private Rail Car Tours

December 16, 2006 - Private Rail Cars from Train Chartering in association with entrepreneur John Thompson has the ultimate gift idea - the private rail car from New York City to Chicago. Our private rail car will travel at the rear of the scheduled Amtrak train service.

We propose the Mount Vernon rail car for this journey. Mount Vernon was built between December 1949 and June 1950 for Pullman service on the Union Pacific Railroad. Following renovation completed in 2004, it is a six bedroom lounge car for up to ten passengers & two crew. Dining in the separate lounge / diner can be on separate tables or round a banquet-style single table.

On a client-selected date in 2007, the itinerary for the special private charter is:

• Day 1 - Depart New York Penn Station at 3:45pm; dinner is served.
• Day 2 - Arrive Chicago Union Station after breakfast at 9:45am Overnight in Chicago at the hotel of choice.
• Day 3 - Depart Chicago Union Station at 5:45pm; dinner is served.
• Day 4 - Travel day, dining en route, arriving New York Penn St at 10:29pm.

The route takes us between city centres through Albany, Buffalo and Cleveland, passing along Lake Erie for much of the journey.

Mount Vernon has onboard entertainment such as television, DVD / video, audio CD & XM satellite radio receiver. There is a full kitchen and a marble-tiled shower room. Each bedroom has an en suite WC & basin. Dividers between bedrooms can be opened to create suites of beds and lounge.

The full service option for the charter is $17,500, which includes fine dining and all beverages, along with the services of the executive chef. A 'no frills' board-only option is available for $13,500. Prices for up to 10 passengers, includes the services of a uniformed steward attendant. Flights, transfers & hotels are excluded.

Simon Pielow from Train Chartering is excited about this rare opportunity, "Private rail car travel is the ultimate luxury land cruise. The railway between the Big Apple & the Windy City makes the whole journey not only memorable but also carbon responsible. This is a very special gift, perfect for a romantic interlude or a family gathering!"

Train Chartering (www.trainchartering.com) is the pioneer of a coordinated approach to sourcing, theming and crewing special trains & rail cars for luxury & first class travel, group travel, corporate & private events, film locations & cruise transfers. The full service approach is enhanced by comprehensive guest management, including ground handling & transfer services.

Contact Train Chartering for more information about the continuing research, or to contribute to the data source.