| This car was originally built in 1947 for Chicago & North Western Railway as a lightweight 56-seat coach/smoker car #3444 and later renumbered CNW 808. It was sold to Great Northern in 1962 as their GN 1097 with the "Big Sky Blue" paint scheme. Later, it was put in Amtrak service between the Twin Cities and Duluth. The car eventually was returned to BN. Luckily, the Minnesota Transportation Museum obtained the car for its tourist train at Osceola, Wisconsin and rebuilt it to serve as an open diner car or lounge car. It correct reporting mark is MNTX 1097. |