Car 553
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| 553 | |
|---|---|
 Car 553 leaving Ravinia station in Highland Park, Illinois on June 29, 2018, in its original C&NW paint scheme. | |
| Manufacturer | American Car and Foundry Company |
| Constructed | 1949 |
| Refurbished | 1961 |
| Specifications | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Car 553 was a privately owned railroad passenger car. It operated exclusively on Metra's Union Pacific North Line in Northeastern Illinois, and was the last membership-based commuter rail car operating in the United States.[1]
Private commuter car service originally began on the Chicago and North Western Railway in 1929 to serve wealthy commuters in the affluent North Shore suburbs of Chicago. The first private car was C&NW 6700 and was named "The Deerpath".[2][3]
Car 553 was originally built for the Chicago and North Western Railway in 1949 by the American Car and Foundry Company as car 7901.[4] It was originally used as a lounge and barbershop car on City of Los Angeles, a long distance train service between Chicago and Los Angeles.[5] In 1961, car 7901 was rebuilt for commuter service and renumbered 553.[4] On November 30, 1975, the car was acquired by Commuter Associates Inc. and continued to see service on the C&NW, operated by the commuter rail branch of the Regional Transportation Authority (which was reorganized into Metra in 1984).[1] In the 1990s, the first female members purchased seats on the car.[2] Car 553 still wore the brown and white color scheme of the pre-Metra Regional Transportation Authority's passenger equipment until late 2017 when it was restored to its original C&NW yellow and green colors and lettering.[1]
In late 2020, it was confirmed that Union Pacific had assumed ownership of the car. The car remains in storage at Council Bluffs, IA.
