NEWS RELEASE Jan. 18, 2018 Contact Information: For immediate release Dagny Zupin
[email protected] New Rail Equipment Acquired for Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad Operation ATLANTA, Ind. –Six historic 1950s-era Santa Fe Railway Hi-Level passenger cars have been acquired by Tom Hoback’s Atlanta Pacific Rail, LLC, to be ready for the launch of the new Nickel Plate Express Railroad later this year, according to the railroad’s management team which acquired them in late 2017. These ground-breaking “hi-level” luxury passenger cars were developed by the Santa Fe Railway Company in 1956 to provide exceptional comfort on the El Capitan luxury train which operated between Chicago and Los Angeles. Unlike conventional passenger cars, these hi-levels were two stories tall, with an upper and lower floor. Most seating is on the upper level which offers better views and a quieter, more comfortable ride. They were developed by the Budd Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and were so successful Santa Fe had another order of similar cars built in 1964. These were among the tallest and heaviest passenger cars ever built at the time. The trains will have an initial seating capacity of more than 200 and include VIP seating. “The capacity of the train will support the project’s viability,” said Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad Board President Toni Dickover. Atlanta Pacific Railroad, LLC is under the ownership of Tom Hoback, who sold his highly successful Indiana Rail Road operation in 2015 and came out of semi-retirement to help launch the new “Nickel Plate Express” railroad. Hoback, who has acquired and restored other historic Santa Fe Railway equipment, used several nationally recognized passenger car experts to locate these six historic cars, which include three coaches, two coach transition cars and a diner-lounge.