Heavyweight Train
Climb aboard the "heavyweight train" at IRM and find yourself transported back to the golden days of rail travel. Experience luxury travel aboard long-distance Pullman cars renowned for their opulence and comfort. Relax in an armchair in the lounge car or enjoy the plush seating in a sleeping car. Check out the view from the open rear platform of the observation car at the back of the train. Imagine yourself aboard one of the famous trains of yesteryear like the Aristocrat, the Pan-American, or the 20th Century Limited.
The "heavyweight train" got its name from the large size and substantial all-steel construction of its Pullman cars. There is no extra fare to ride, but the train runs only a few days a year during special events. You may find either a steam engine - usually Frisco 1630, built in 1918 - or an historic diesel locomotive pulling the train. The cars in the train are a mixture of different types of long-distance passenger car. The train may include a railway post office (RPO) car and coaches or combines from our coach train consist as well.
Cars in the heavyweight train often include between two and four of the following:
- Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe 2544 - 1927 combine
- Louisville & Nashville 2726 "Galt House" - 1930 dining car
- Milwaukee Road X5000 - 1929 dynamometer car
- New York Central "Dover Strait" - 1924 buffet-lounge-sleeping car
- Pullman "Pawnee" - 1930 open-platform observation private car
- Pullman "Villa Real" - 1911 sleeping car
Support Passenger Car Restoration at IRM
The Illinois Railway Museum is home to one of the largest and most varied collections of historic passenger cars in the country. Our Passenger Car Department volunteers are working on multiple restoration projects and we need your support to help sustain these efforts. Click here to donate to the Passenger Car Equipment Restoration Fund and support the restoration and maintenance of the Illinois Railway Museum's collection of vintage passenger cars.