The Naugatuck Railroad has purchased three former Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe passenger cars. 

The cars include two 86-seat, hi-level “Pacific Parlour” cars — Columbia Valley (ex-AMTK 39970, ATSF 575) and Willamette Valley (ex-AMTK 39975, ATSF 580) — and transition car (ex-AMTK 9936, ex-ATSF 736) built for AT&SF by Budd that allowed “hi-level” cars to be run with single-level cars. All three cars were built by Budd between 1956 and 1964 and used on the El Capitan. The parlour cars continued on through the Amtrak era, and were retired in 2018.

The cars were most recently operated by the Steam Railroad Institute in Michigan. Officials with the Naugatuck said they hope to get the unique stainless steel cars in service before the end of 2025 and that they’ll greatly expand capacity on their popular holiday season excursions.

“These cars are unique and will be the first of their kind operating in New England,” said Orion Newall-Vuillemot, Manager of Passenger Operations at the Naugatuck Railroad. “We’re committed to providing the best possible service for our passengers, and these new cars will be a tremendous upgrade for our excursion offerings. We’re grateful to the Steam Railroading Institute for the work they’ve done to maintain and preserve these cars and for the opportunity to offer enjoyable new experiences for our visitors.” —Justin Franz