Description
Detailed Information
AMTRAK CALIFORNIA PASSENGER CAR FEATURES:
- First time in plastic for 1994-1995-built M-K CARS
- Sound versions feature accurate sounds recorded from actual California cars in cooperation with Amtrak
- Numerous lighting features including flashing ditch lights*, operating red strobe*, operating marker lights, lighted destination boards, number boards (cab cars), and interior
- Accurate body and interior details portraying early and late cab cars, as well as coach, coach-baggage, and cafe cars
- Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
- Accurate painting and printing featuring licensed Amtrak paint colors and artwork
- Each car individually named and numbered
- Tinted window glass
- Full end details including train line hoses & HEP receptacles
- Cab cars feature either original or modified headlight & antenna arrangements per era
- Unique interior details for each car type
- Detailed paint colors including separate colors for floors, walls, seats, tables, control compartment, etc
- Café cars feature complete upper level serving area & lounge furnishings
- Interior stair & luggage rack details
- McHenry® scale knuckle couplers - Kadee® compatible
- All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
- Wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brands of track
*Sound-equipped cab cars only
LED LIGHT-EQUIPPED FEATURES:
- LED lighting for long life and reliable operation
- On-board DCC Decoder by NCE – Operates in DCC and Analog (DC) with lighting functions controllable in DCC
- LED Interior Lights
SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE:
- Soundtraxx Tsunami SoundCar decoder w/ exclusive sounds recorded from actual Surfliner cars:
- A/C compressor operation
- Doors opening & closing with associated “beep”
- Generic station announcements with associated “beep” for PA system use
- Vacuum toilet operation sound
- “Clickety Clack” rail sound
- Brake system sounds including brake set & application, and emergency brake air dump sound
- Cab cars feature authentic K5LA or P5 horn and bell
- Interior LED lights on upper & lower levels
- Cab cars feature working headlights and flashing ditch lights
PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION
The first generation of these Bi-Level intercity cars was dubbed the “California Car” and incorporated numerous innovative features specified for California’s intercity services. These include two large entry vestibules for high-volume passenger loading and unloading, two automatically controlled door pairs per side, an on-board wheelchair lift, two straight staircases, bicycle storage, large workstation tables, a food service car with an elevator to move food from storage to the sales counter on the upper level, center aisles of width compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and control cab cars to allow for push-pull operation. Caltrans awarded the $155 million contract to build the California Cars to Morrison–Knudsen in February 1992. Morrison–Knudsen would later spin off its transit car manufacturing unit as the American Passenger Rail Car Company, or Amerail, in October 1995, which would complete the order.
The first cars were delivered in early 1995 and were first put in service on the San Diegan line (the predecessor to the Pacific Surfliner), followed later by the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquins routes.
“California Car (railcar)”. Wikipedia. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
