View source for Hi-Level

{{short description|Class of American bilevel railroad passenger cars}}
{{other uses|High level (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox train
| background         =
| name               = Hi-Level
| image              = File:Passengers of the Southwest Limited strolling beside the Amtrak train at Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1974.jpg
| imagesize          = 300px
| imagealt           = Row of silver double-deck coaches with red-white-blue striping in the middle
| caption            = Hi-Level coaches on [[Amtrak]]'s ''[[Southwest Chief|Southwest Limited]]'' at Albuquerque in 1974; the lounge is second from right.
| interiorimage      = Pacific parlour car.jpg
| interiorimagealt   = Glass windows curving up to ceiling above rows of tables
| interiorcaption    = The interior of an Amtrak Pacific Parlour Car, a refurbished lounge
| service            = 1954–2018
| manufacturer       = [[Budd Company]]
| factory            =
| family             =
| replaced           =
| yearconstruction   = 1952–1964
| yearservice        =
| refurbishment      =
| yearscrapped       =
| numberconstruction =
| numberbuilt        = 73 (61 coaches, 6 lounges, 6 diners)
| numberservice      =
| numberpreserved    = Various in private ownership
| numberscrapped     =
| formation          =
| fleetnumbers       =
| capacity           = {{Plainlist|
* 67 (coach prototypes)
* 68 (step-down coaches)
* 72 (coaches)
}}
| operator           = {{Plainlist|
* [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]]
* [[Amtrak]]
}}
| depots             =
| lines              =
| carbody            = [[Stainless steel]]
| carlength          = {{convert|85|ft}}
| width              =
| height             = {{convert|15|ft|6|in}}
| floorheight        =
| platformheight     =
| entrylevelorstep   =
| doors              =
| art-sections       =
| wheeldiameter      =
| wheelbase          =
| maxspeed           =
| weight             = {{Plainlist|
* {{convert|80|ST}} (coaches)
* {{convert|83|ST}} (lounges)
* {{convert|97|ST}} (dining cars)
}}
| axleload           =
| aux                =
| powersupply        =
| hvac               =
| bogies             =
| brakes             =
| coupling           =
| gauge              =
| notes              =<ref name="White" />
}}

The '''Hi-Level''' was a type of [[Bilevel rail car|bilevel]] intercity railroad [[passenger railroad car|passenger car]] used in the United States. Car types included coaches, [[dining car]]s, and [[lounge car]]s; a [[sleeping car]] variant was considered but never produced. Most passenger spaces were on the upper level, which featured a row of windows on both sides. Boarding was on the lower level; passengers climbed up a center stairwell to reach the upper level. [[Vestibuled train|Vestibules]] on the upper level permitted passengers to walk between cars; some coaches had an additional stairwell at one end to allow access to single-level equipment.

The [[Budd Company]] designed the car in the 1950s for the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] ("Santa Fe") for use on the ''[[El Capitan (train)|El Capitan]]'', a coach-only [[streamliner]] which ran daily between Los Angeles and Chicago. The design was inspired by two recent developments in railroading: the [[dome car]], employed in intercity routes in the western United States, and bilevel commuter cars operating in the Chicago area. Budd built 73 Hi-Level cars between 1952 and 1964.

The first two prototype coaches entered service on the ''El Capitan'' in 1954 and were immediately successful. Budd built sufficient coaches, dining cars, and lounge cars to fully equip the ''El Capitan'', with additional coaches seeing use on the ''[[San Francisco Chief]]''. [[Amtrak]] inherited the entire fleet in 1971 and continued to use the equipment on its western routes. [[Structure gauge|Tunnel clearances]] restricted their use in the eastern United States. In 1979, the first [[Superliner (railcar)|Superliners]], based on the Hi-Level concept although built by [[Pullman-Standard]], entered service. Amtrak gradually retired most of its Hi-Levels in the 1990s as more Superliners became available. Five lounges, dubbed "Pacific Parlour Cars", provided first-class lounge service on the ''[[Coast Starlight]]'' until their retirement in 2018.

== Background ==

{{see also|El Capitan (train)}}

The [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway|Santa Fe]] introduced the ''[[El Capitan (train)|El Capitan]]'' in 1938. The train ran on the Santa Fe's main line between Chicago and Los Angeles. Unusually for [[streamliner]]s of the period, the ''El Capitan'' carried coaches only, and had no [[sleeping cars]]; this was meant to provide passengers with a lower-cost alternative to the sleeping car-equipped ''[[Super Chief]]'', which served the same route. Passengers flocked to the new train, and the Santa Fe added cars to meet the demand. The train grew from five cars in 1938 to twelve in 1942.<ref>{{Harvnb|Abbey|2016|p=62}}</ref> By the early 1950s fourteen was common.<ref>{{Harvnb|Flick|Kogan|1999|p=9}}</ref> Only seven or eight of these would be passenger-carrying coaches; other cars included [[head-end car]]s, a [[combine car|baggage-dormitory]] for the crew, two [[dining car]]s, and a [[Big Dome]] lounge.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dorin|2005|p=38}}</ref>

Sometimes demand was high enough to justify running a second instance ("section") of the train on the same day. The Santa Fe sought a solution to increase the capacity of the train without lengthening it further. Two popular innovations by the [[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad]] (CB&Q) suggested a solution. First, in 1945, the CB&Q introduced the [[dome car]], in which passengers rode on a second level high above the tracks, affording better views. Second, in 1950, it placed [[bilevel rail car]]s in [[commuter rail|commuter service]] in the Chicago area. Taken together, these innovations suggested a new possibility: a long-distance bilevel coach, with greater capacity than single-level cars, and the panoramic views of a dome.<ref>{{Harvnb|Flick|Kogan|1999|pp=8–9}}</ref>

== History ==

=== Santa Fe ===

{{Stack|
[[File:Sante Fe Railroad El Capitan.JPG|thumb|right|alt=Exterior of silver railcar with large windows|The exterior of a Hi-Level lounge on the ''[[El Capitan (train)|El Capitan]]'' soon after completion in 1956]]
[[File:San Francisco Chief in Hercules, March 1971.jpg|thumb|right|The ''San Francisco Chief'' in 1971. The train had both Hi-Level and single-level cars.|alt=Red diesel locomotive with yellow striping leading silver train cars through rolling countryside]]
}}

The [[Budd Company]] approached Santa Fe in 1952 with the proposal to build long-distance bilevel cars, building on the gallery commuter car concept. Santa Fe accepted the proposal, and took delivery of two prototype coaches in 1954. The cars went into regular service on the ''El Capitan''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Zimmermann|2016|pp=52–53}}</ref> Following a positive customer response, the Santa Fe ordered 47 more cars: ten 68-seat "step down" coaches, twenty-five 72-seat coaches, six lounges, and six dining cars. These constituted five equipment sets ("[[consist]]s"), sufficient for daily service on the ''El Capitan''.<ref name="Wayner">{{Harvnb|Wayner|1972|pp=196–197}}</ref> The project cost $13{{nbs}}million.<ref>{{Harvnb|Frailey|2010|p=55}}</ref>

A press trip took place between [[Washington, D.C.]], and [[Pittsburgh]] on June 16, 1956, using the route of the [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]] (and presaging the use of [[Superliner (railcar)|Superliners]] on [[Amtrak]]'s ''[[Capitol Limited (Amtrak train)|Capitol Limited]]'').<ref>{{Harvnb|Zimmermann|2016|p=53}}</ref> Santa Fe exhibited the equipment throughout the United States during June and early July. A formal christening took place in [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]], on July 8, with the [[Beltrán Alfonso Osorio, 18th duke of Alburquerque|duke of Alburquerque]] in attendance. Regular revenue service began on July 15.<ref name="Zimmermann-2016-57">{{Harvnb|Zimmermann|2016|p=57}}</ref> The new train was far more efficient than its predecessor. As Fred Frailey explained:<ref>{{Harvnb|Frailey|2010|p=56}}</ref>
{{Quote
|text=...{{nbs}}a conventional ''El Cap'' ran 16 cars, carried 438 people and weighed 1,069 tons. [[Fred Gurley]]'s $13 million got Santa Fe a 13-car train (including the same head-end cars) that carried 130 additional people ''and'' weighed 110 tons less{{nbs}}...
|author=Fred Frailey | title=''Twilight of the Great Trains''
}}

''[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]]'' editor David P. Morgan thought the equipment was "comfortable" and "[rode] well, even above 90 mph".<ref name="Morgan-2015-92" /> [[S. Kip Farrington]] wrote that he was "definitely sold on the high level in every angle" and that it was "here to stay".<ref>{{Harvnb|Farrington|1958|p=203}}</ref> A typical train comprised two step-down coaches, five standard coaches, a lounge, and a dining car. The Hi-Level cars continued in service after the Santa Fe combined the ''El Capitan'' and ''[[Super Chief]]'' in 1958.<ref>{{Harvnb|Flick|Kogan|1999|p=15}}</ref> The Santa Fe also converted six single-level [[baggage car]]s to baggage-dormitories ({{Abbr|Nos.|Numbers}} 3477–3482), with a [[Spoiler (automotive)|spoiler]] at one end to create a visual transition.<ref name="Simon 2011 166">{{Harvnb|Simon|Warner|2011|p=166}}</ref> The cars dated from the 1938 version of the ''El Capitan''.<ref name="Dubin-1974-489" />

Despite their success, the cars did not inspire a wave of imitators. By the late 1950s, private-sector passenger travel was in what turned out to be irreversible decline. Most railroads were cutting service; few ordered new equipment of any kind. An exception was the [[Chicago and North Western Railway]] (CNW). The CNW, like the Burlington, used bilevel coaches on its Chicago-area commuter routes. In 1958 it ordered thirteen intercity bilevel cars from [[Pullman-Standard]]: ten coaches, a [[parlor car]], a coach-parlor, and a coach-lounge. Visually they resembled the CNW's existing commuter equipment; a noticeable difference from the Hi-Levels was the adoption of [[head-end power]] (HEP) instead of steam. The cars entered service on the ''[[Peninsula 400]]'', a Chicago–[[Ishpeming, Michigan]], day train, on October 26, 1958.<ref>{{Harvnb|Scribbins|2008|pp=195–196}}</ref> The CNW would be the only other railroad to introduce bilevel equipment on intercity runs.<ref>{{Harvnb|Reed|1975|pp=257–258}}</ref>

By the 1960s, the Santa Fe encountered capacity problems on the ''[[San Francisco Chief]]'', which ran between Chicago and [[San Francisco]]. Unlike the ''El Capitan'', the ''Chief'' carried a mix of sleeping cars and coaches.<ref>{{Harvnb|Flick|Kogan|1999|p=16}}</ref> To augment capacity, the Santa Fe ordered more coaches in 1963–1964 (standard and step-down, twelve each).<ref name="Wayner" /> This was the final major order for new long-distance passenger equipment before the coming of Amtrak; after [[Kansas City Southern Railway]] bought ten new coaches from [[Pullman-Standard]] in 1965, no new locomotive-hauled coaching stock would be built until the first [[Amfleet]]s arrived a decade later.<ref name="Zimmermann-2016-57" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Frailey|2010|pp=11–12}}</ref> Each ''San Francisco Chief'' carried four Hi-Level coaches, displacing six single-level coaches.<ref>{{Harvnb|Flick|Kogan|1999|p=21}}</ref>

=== Amtrak ===

{{see also|Amtrak#History}}
{{Stack|
[[File:AMTK F40PH 292 and a SDP40F with Train 4, The Southwest Limited near Darling, AZ in March 1981 (28728387250).jpg|thumb|right|Hi-Levels mixed with slightly taller Superliners on the ''Southwest Limited'' in 1981|alt=Tall silver coaches with scrub desert in the background]]
[[File:Amtrak-Norman.jpg|thumb|right|Hi-Level coaches mixed with a [[Superliner (railcar)|Superliner]] coach (center) on the ''[[Heartland Flyer]]'' in 2005|alt=Tall silver coaches with brick building at right]]
}}

Throughout the 1960s passenger ridership declined on American railroads while losses mounted. In 1971 the United States federal government created Amtrak, a subsidized for-profit corporation, to take over intercity services and reverse the decline.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sanders|2006|pp=1–3}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Thoms|1973|pp=38–39}}</ref> The Santa Fe, after some hesitation, participated.<ref>{{Harvnb|Frailey|2010|p=72}}</ref> Amtrak took over the Santa Fe's remaining trains on May 1, 1971. It acquired the entire Hi-Level fleet and continued to operate them.<ref>{{Harvnb|Solomon|2004|p=129}}</ref> The primary assignment continued to be the combined ''Super Chief''/''El Capitan'', known as the ''[[Southwest Chief|Southwest Limited]]'' from 1974 to 1984 and the ''Southwest Chief'' thereafter.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sanders|2006|pp=132–133}}</ref> The Chicago–[[Houston, Texas|Houston]] ''[[Texas Chief]]'', another ex-Santa Fe train, also carried Hi-Level coaches.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sanders|2006|p=119}}</ref>

Amtrak was impressed with the Hi-Levels and used them as the basis for the design of the bilevel Superliner family of railcars. The first of 284 Superliner{{nbs}}I cars began arriving from Pullman-Standard in 1978.<ref>{{Harvnb|Schafer|Welsh|1997|p=57}}</ref> As the Superliners went into service, Hi-Levels could be found on more of Amtrak's trains throughout the Western United States. Hi-Level coaches appeared on the San Francisco–Chicago ''[[San Francisco Zephyr]]'',<ref name="Sanders-2006-154">{{Harvnb|Sanders|2006|p=154}}</ref> Chicago–[[San Antonio, Texas]]–Los Angeles ''[[Texas Eagle|Eagle]]'',<ref>{{Harvnb|Sanders|2006|p=120}}</ref> and the Chicago–[[Seattle, Washington]]/[[Portland, Oregon]] ''[[Empire Builder]]''.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sanders|2006|p=171}}</ref> Dining cars displaced from the ''Southwest Limited'' filled in on the [[Ogden, Utah]]–Los Angeles ''[[Desert Wind]]''.<ref name="Sanders-2006-154" /> Tunnel clearances around [[New York City]] and elsewhere prevented their use on the [[Northeast Corridor]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Zimmermann|2004|p=30}}</ref>

The Superliner I order did not include any "step down" coaches, so Hi-Level coaches continued to fulfill this function on Superliner-equipped trains. In the 1980s, Amtrak rebuilt many of these coaches as [[dormitory-coach]]es, with half of the car given over to crew space.<ref name="Yenne-2005-139">{{Harvnb|Yenne|2005|p=139}}</ref> Amtrak retired all six single-level baggage-dormitory cars by 1981 in lieu of converting them to HEP.<ref name="Simon 2011 166"/> By 1990 the Amtrak fleet stood at 69 cars: 36 dormitory-coaches, 21 coaches, six diner-lounges rebuilt from dining cars, and the six lounge cars, which Amtrak marketed as "See-Level Lounges".<ref>{{Harvnb|Amtrak|1990|p=12}}</ref> The arrival of 195 Superliner{{nbs}}II cars from [[Bombardier Transportation]] in 1993–1995 permitted the retirement of most of the remaining Hi-Level cars.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sanders|2006|p=98}}</ref> The Chicago–[[Toronto]] ''[[International (Amtrak train)|International]]'' used a mix of Superliners and Hi-Levels from 1995 to 2000.<ref>{{Harvnb|Sanders|2006|p=208}}</ref> Hi-Levels remained in service on the [[Oklahoma City]]–[[Fort Worth]] ''[[Heartland Flyer]]'' into the 2000s.<ref name="Yenne-2005-139" /> The majority of the Hi-Level fleet was retired at the beginning of 2003.<ref>{{Harvnb|Simon|Warner|2011|p=190}}</ref> The private equity fund Corridor Capital owns most of the fleet, and has proposed employing them for various passenger projects within the United States, including a plan to revive the ''[[Coast Daylight]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.wsfa.com/story/32459382/developer-working-to-move-al-passenger-train-project-forward |title=Developer working to move AL passenger train project forward |date=July 16, 2016 |work=[[WSFA]] |access-date=March 15, 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Coast Daylight: A California Legend Reborn |url=https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.141/af8.94a.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Coast-Daylight-January-2015-Presentation-Updated-April-2018-Website-Version.pdf |website=myftpupload.com |access-date=28 December 2019}}</ref>

The last major Hi-Level assignment on Amtrak was the Los Angeles–Seattle ''[[Coast Starlight]]''. In the late 1990s Amtrak refurbished five of the six lounges for use as sleeping car passenger-only lounges, branded as the "Pacific Parlour Car".<ref>{{Harvnb|Yenne|2005|p=140}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Welsh|1999|p=56}}</ref> Amtrak offered separate food and beverage service in the upper level and installed a movie theater in the lower level.<ref>{{Harvnb|McCommons|2009|p=133}}</ref> The railway writer and historian Karl Zimmermann called them "the greatest treat for sleeping car passengers on Amtrak".<ref>{{Harvnb|Zimmermann|2016|p=51}}</ref> By the late 2010s Amtrak was manufacturing new parts for the Hi-Levels at [[Beech Grove Shops|Beech Grove]], or in some cases retrofitting the Hi-Levels to use Superliner parts.<ref>{{Harvnb|Johnston|2017|p=23}}</ref> Amtrak retired the cars after their last run on February 4, 2018, citing safety concerns and rising maintenance costs.<ref>{{Cite press release|title=Coast Starlight Parlour Car Removed|publisher=Amtrak|url=https://www.amtrak.com/alert/pacific-parlour-car-retired.html|access-date=February 11, 2018}}</ref> They were the last Hi-Levels in regular service, and among the few remaining [[Heritage Fleet]] cars.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/01/18-pacific-parlour-cars-done-for-amtrak-service |title=Amtrak permanently retiring Pacific Parlour Cars |last=Kenton |first=Malcolm |date=January 18, 2018 |website=[[Trains (magazine)|Trains News Wire]] |access-date=January 19, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119235223/http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/01/18-pacific-parlour-cars-done-for-amtrak-service |archive-date=January 19, 2018 }} {{subscription required}}</ref> The [[Steam Railroading Institute]], a heritage railroad based in [[Owosso, Michigan]], acquired several for use in excursion service.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/03/north-pole-express-offering-adults-only-cars-for-2019-trips.html |title=North Pole Express offering adults only cars for 2019 trips |last=Durr |first=Matt |date=March 18, 2019 |work=[[MLive.com]] |access-date=March 21, 2019 |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Design ==

The Hi-Levels stood {{convert|15+1/2|ft|m}} high, {{convert|2|ft|m}} taller than most conventional equipment. Seating occupied the entire upper level, with restrooms, baggage, and other non-revenue areas on the lower level. In most cars, [[Vestibuled train|vestibules]] connected the upper levels only.<ref>{{Harvnb|Griswold|1957|pp=137–138}}</ref> A central staircase linked the two levels.<ref name="Flick-1999-10">{{Harvnb|Flick|Kogan|1999|p=10}}</ref> Hi-Levels featured a row of windows across the upper level; on the prototype coaches, this row slanted inwards.<ref>{{Harvnb|Wayner|1973|loc=inset}}</ref> The two-level design offered several advantages over conventional single-level equipment. Budd and the Santa Fe expected the upper level, located {{convert|8|ft|7|in}} above the rails, to provide a smoother, quieter ride for passengers. With the lower level free of passengers, designers could provide larger restrooms and baggage areas. Finally, the lower level contained all the electrical equipment, away from the passengers, and with easy access for maintenance.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/clip/17352032/santa_fe_hilevel_cars/ |title=Hi-Level Car to Be Tested by Santa Fe |date=July 18, 1954 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |access-date=February 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180211154144/http://chicagotribune.newspapers.com/clip/17352032/santa_fe_hilevel_cars/ |archive-date=February 11, 2018 |page=40 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{free access}}</ref> Budd used [[stainless steel]] in the construction, with fluted sides.<ref>{{Harvnb|Farrington|1958|p=105}}</ref> The cars cost $275,000 apiece.<ref name="White">{{Harvnb|White|1985|pp=195–196}}</ref>

Budd built the Hi-Levels with [[steam generator (railroad)|steam heating]], the standard method for ensuring passenger comfort in the 1950s. For [[air conditioning]] and other electrical needs, it chose to employ independent diesel generators in each car. Coaches required a single {{convert|40|kW|adj=on}} generator; the massive dining car required two such generators to support the kitchen appliances. In the lounge car a larger {{convert|60|kW|adj=on}} generator was employed.<ref name="griswold-1957-139">{{Harvnb|Griswold|1957|p=139}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Morgan|2015|pp=92–94}}</ref> Beginning in the mid-1970s, Amtrak adopted [[head-end power]] (HEP) for new orders. HEP and steam are incompatible, so Amtrak had the Hi-Levels converted to HEP to permit their use with new cars. Santa Fe handled the conversion of the Hi-Levels in its [[Topeka, Kansas]], shops.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=August 1980 |title=Beech Grove HEP Conversion Program Results In Like-New Car For Passengers |url=http://history.amtrak.com/archives/i-amtrak-news-i-august-1980 |url-status=live |journal=Amtrak News |volume=7 |issue=7 |pages=8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118071619/http://history.amtrak.com/archives/i-amtrak-news-i-august-1980/ |archive-date=November 18, 2015}}</ref> Of the 73 Hi-Levels, all but three underwent the conversion.<ref>{{Harvnb|Simon|Warner|2011|pp=164–166}}</ref>

=== Coaches ===

[[File:PASSENGER "CHAIR" CAR ON THE SOUTHWEST LIMITED, AN AMTRAK TRAIN ENROUTE FROM LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, THROUGH... - NARA - 555974.jpg|thumb|right|Interior of a "step-down" coach on Amtrak's ''Southwest Limited'' in 1974|alt=Rows of seats in a coach filled with passengers]]

The 61 coaches could carry either 68 or 72 passengers, more than the 44 of comparable single-level long-distance coaches. This increased capacity permitted the Santa Fe to run the ''El Capitan'' with fewer cars, while increasing the total number of passengers carried.<ref>{{Harvnb|Griswold|1957|p=138}}</ref> The 68-seat coaches featured "step down" stairs at one end to permit access to standard-height equipment; that space was given over to four additional seats on the 72-seat coaches.<ref name="Wayner" /> The prototypes also featured step-down stairs, but carried one fewer passenger.<ref>{{harvnb|Wayner|1973|p=68}}</ref>

The passenger windows were {{convert|21|in|cm}} high. The [[seat pitch]] was {{convert|50|in|cm}}.<ref>{{Harvnb|Morgan|2015|p=90}}</ref> The Dwight Austin-manufactured "Traveleze" seats reclined, and included both [[head rest|head]] and leg rests.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=April 5, 1954 |title=Santa Fe Specifies the Dwight Austin Traveleze Seat |url=http://streamlinermemories.info/SF/AustinSeatsad.jpg |magazine=[[Railway Age]] |access-date=January 21, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909171724/http://streamlinermemories.info/SF/AustinSeatsad.jpg |archive-date=September 9, 2015 }}</ref> [[Hand luggage]] could be stored in racks above the coach seats, or in large storage racks on the lower level.<ref>{{Harvnb|Zimmermann|2016|p=54}}</ref> In the prototypes the upper level had no restrooms; in response to passenger feedback, Budd added a restroom to the upper level in the production models. The prototypes also included a "step up" from the aisle to the coach seats; in the production cars, the seats rested flush with the aisle. Each coach weighed {{convert|80|ST}}.<ref name="Flick-1999-10" />

=== Lounges ===

[[File:Sonoma Valley PPC.jpg|thumb|right|Amtrak's ''Sonoma Valley'' lounge in 2010|alt=Silver double height railway car with double row of windows]]

The lounge cars were similar to the full-length Big Dome lounges which had entered service with the Santa Fe in 1954. The most obvious difference was the absence of a forward-looking view on the Hi-Level cars.<ref name="Morgan-2015-92">{{Harvnb|Morgan|2015|p=92}}</ref> Each of the six lounges could seat 60 people on the upper level. The seating was a mixture of single seats and two- and four-top tables.<ref name="Wegman-2008-154" /> Nicknames for these cars included "Top of the Cap" and "Sky Lounges". A glass top across two-thirds of the car distinguished it from the rest of the Hi-Levels. The lower level featured the "[[Kachina]] Coffee Shop" and a lounge area with seating for 26. Passengers on the lower level could look out through large, {{convert|56|in|cm|adj=on}} windows. The lounge cars weighed {{convert|83|ST}}.<ref>{{Harvnb|Flick|Kogan|1999|pp=13–14}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Farrington|1958|p=102}}</ref> Under Santa Fe operation there were attendants on both levels, and a [[newsstand]] on the upper level.<ref name="Wegman-2008-154">{{Harvnb|Wegman|2008|p=154}}</ref>

=== Dining cars ===

Six dining cars were built. Each dining car seated 80, all on the upper level, compared to 36 in a single-level diner, enabling each car to do the work of two single-level dining cars. The lower level housed the kitchen, including ovens, hot plates, a refrigerator, and a dishwasher. [[Dumbwaiter]]s carried food to the upper level.<ref name="griswold-1957-139" /> A diesel generator supplied power to the appliances.<ref name="griswold-1957-240">{{Harvnb|Griswold|1957|p=240}}</ref> The dining cars, the largest single-unit dining cars ever built, weighed {{convert|97|ST}} and rode on six-wheel [[Bogie|trucks]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Flick|Kogan|1999|pp=12–13}}</ref> As Superliner dining cars arrived in the 1980s, Amtrak rebuilt these cars as diner-lounges, incorporating booths and lounge seating.<ref>{{Harvnb|Ingles|1984|p=18}}</ref>

=== Sleeping car proposal ===

Santa Fe considered equipping the ''Super Chief'' with Hi-Level sleeping cars, and Budd drafted a design for such a car in 1957. In this design there was an aisle on the lower level only, and set against one side instead of centerline. The lower level also contained six single bedrooms and a toilet. The upper level would have eight two-person "Vista Bedrooms" which spanned the width of the car. Access to these rooms would be from four sets of stairs from the lower level aside. Each Vista Bedroom would contain an individual toilet and two beds: one stacked above the bed in the single bedroom beneath, and one lengthwise over the aisle.<ref name="Dubin-1974-489">{{Harvnb|Dubin|1974|p=489}}</ref> Nothing came of this proposal. Pullman-Standard adopted a more traditional design for Amtrak's Superliner{{nbs}}I in the 1970s: five bedrooms and ten [[roomette]]s on the upper level, two bedrooms and four roomettes on the lower level.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amtrakvacations.com/content/uploads/2016/01/superliner-sleeper.jpg |title=superliner sleeper |website=Amtrak Vacations |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906124454/https://www.amtrakvacations.com/content/uploads/2016/01/superliner-sleeper.jpg |archive-date=September 6, 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=February 11, 2018}}</ref>

=== Summary ===

[[File:Pioneer at The Dalles, August 1994.jpg|thumb|right|A "step down" or transition coach on the ''[[Pioneer (train)|Pioneer]]'' in 1994. The [[Gangway connection|vestibule]] is on the lower level.|alt=Silver double height railway car]]

Including the two prototypes, Budd built 73 Hi-Level cars:<ref name="Wayner" />
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Type !! Quantity !! Original road numbers
|-
| 67-seat prototype coach || 2 || 526–527
|-
| 68-seat "step down" coach || 22 || 528–549
|-
| 72-seat coach || 37 || 700–736
|-
| Lounge || 6 || 575–580
|-
| Diner || 6 || 650–655
|}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|colwidth=20em}}

== References ==

* {{cite book |last=Abbey |first=Wallace W. |editor-last=McGonigal |editor-first=Robert S. |title=Great Trains West |publisher=[[Kalmbach Publishing]] | location=Waukesha, Wisconsin |date=2016 |pages=60–65 |chapter=Short hop on El Capitan |isbn=978-1-62700-435-0}}
* {{Cite book |url=http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/Amtrak/NRPC%20Amtrak's%20Passenger%20Trains%208-1990.pdf |title=Amtrak's Passenger Trains |date=August 1990 |author=Amtrak }}
* {{cite book|last=Dorin|first=Patrick C.|title=The Super Chief and the El Capitan|year=2005|publisher=TLC Publishing|location=Forest, Virginia|isbn=978-0-9766201-9-8}}
* {{cite book | last=Dubin | first=Arthur D. | title=More classic trains | date=1974 | publisher=[[Kalmbach Publishing|Kalmbach Books]] | location=Milwaukee, Wisconsin | oclc=643578087}}
* {{cite book | last=Farrington | first=S. Kip Jr. | author-link=S. Kip Farrington | title=Railroads of the Hour | url=https://archive.org/details/railroadsofhour0000farr | url-access=registration | year=1958 | publisher=[[Coward-McCann]] | oclc=1226241}}
* {{cite journal | last1=Flick | first1=Michael W. | last2=Kogan | first2=Dennis | title=Santa Fe's Hi-Level Passenger Cars | journal=Warbonnet | volume=5 | issue=3 | date=1999 | issn=0273-7426}}
* {{Frailey-Twilight}}
* {{cite journal | journal=[[Popular Science]] | title=Riding the Santa Fe's Split-Level Train | first=Wesley S. | last=Griswold |date=January 1957 | pages=136–139; 240–241 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iiEDAAAAMBAJ | issn=0161-7370}}
* {{cite journal | journal=[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]] | title=Arrivals & Departures | last=Ingles | first=J. David | volume=44 | issue=12 | date=October 1984 | pages=18 | issn=0041-0934}}
* {{cite journal | journal=[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]] | title=There's Beech Grove | last=Johnston | first=Bob | volume=77 | issue=8 | pages=22–23 | date=August 2017 | issn=0041-0934}}
* {{cite book |last=McCommons | first=James | title=Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service | publisher=[[Chelsea Green Publishing]] | location=White River Junction, Vermont | date=2009 | isbn=978-1-60358-064-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Morgan |first=David P. |editor-last=McGonigal |editor-first=Robert S. |title=More trains of the 1950s |publisher=[[Kalmbach Publishing]] | location=Waukesha, Wisconsin |date=2015 |pages=86–94 |chapter=Two-Story Streamliners |isbn=978-1-62700-322-3}}
* {{Reed-Streamline era}}
* {{Sanders-Heartland}}
* {{Schafer-Classic}}
* {{Scribbins-400-2008}}
* {{Amtrak By the Numbers}}
* {{Solomon-Amtrak}}
* {{cite book | title=Reprieve for the Iron Horse: The AMTRAK Experiment – Its Predecessors and Prospects | publisher=Claitor's Publishing Division | last=Thoms | first=William E. | year=1973 | location=Baton Rouge, Louisiana | oclc=1094744}}
* {{Wayner - Car names, numbers, consists}}
* {{Wayner-Spotter-2nd}}
* {{Wegman-Illustrated}}
* {{cite journal | last=Welsh | first=Joe | title=Showtime on the Coast Starlight | journal=[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]] | volume=58 | issue=2 | pages=50–60 | date=February 1999 | issn=0041-0934}}
* {{White-Passenger-1985}}
* {{Yenne-Chiefs}}
* {{cite book | last=Zimmermann | first=Karl | title=All Aboard! Passenger Trains Around the World | date=2004 | publisher=Boyds Mills Press | location=Honesdale, Pennsylvania | isbn=978-1-59078-325-2}}
* {{cite journal | last=Zimmermann | first=Karl | title=Riding High: Santa Fe's Big Move of 1956 | journal=Classic Trains | date=Winter 2016 | volume=17 | issue=4 | pages=50–57 | issn=1527-0718}}

== External links ==

{{commons|Hi-Level passenger cars}}
* [http://ctr.trains.com/galleries/magazine-galleries/santa-fe-hi-level-car-plans Santa Fe Hi-Level car plans and elevations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129004955/http://ctr.trains.com/galleries/magazine-galleries/santa-fe-hi-level-car-plans |date=2018-01-29 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160305123035/http://ccrail.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Hi-Level-Fleet-Fact-Sheet.pdf Hi-Level fact sheet from Corridor Capital]

{{ATSF named trains}}
{{Amtrak rollingstock}}
{{Budd Company}}
{{featured article}}
[[Category:Amtrak rolling stock]]
[[Category:Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]]
[[Category:Rail passenger cars of the United States]]
[[Category:Budd Company]]
[[Category:Double-decker rail vehicles]]
[[Category:Train-related introductions in 1954]]