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Wednesday, August 5, 2015

4449 Heads East for Train Festival 2009: Goombay Sunrise

…Continued from Private Cars leave Portland on October 21, 2009.

IMG_9798 Observation Car GBRX #800224 Goombay Sunrise at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on October 21, 2009
Goombay Sunrise in Portland, Oregon on October 21, 2009

Amtrak #170 also had GBRX #800224 Goombay Sunrise with it when it took Caritas, Colonial Crafts, Silver Lariat, Silver Rapids and Silver Solarium around the loop at Lake Yard and coupled them onto the Coast Starlight, but it wasn't coupled to the train and stayed with #170 as it went beck to Track 1.

IMG_9800 Observation Car GBRX #800224 Goombay Sunrise at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on October 21, 2009
Goombay Sunrise in Portland, Oregon on October 21, 2009

This car was originally built by Pullman-Standard in 1950 as Chesapeake & Ohio #2500 Blue Ridge Club. It is one of eight such blunt-end observation cars built for Chesapeake & Ohio. It originally had 5 double bedrooms, a buffet and a 26-seat observation lounge.

IMG_9808 Observation Car GBRX #800224 Goombay Sunrise at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on October 21, 2009
Goombay Sunrise in Portland, Oregon on October 21, 2009

In late 1961 the car was rebuilt into a dormitory-diner configuration with three crew bedrooms, a kitchen and a 28 seat dining room and renumbered to #1923. It later became Amtrak #8200.

IMG_9809 Observation Car GBRX #800224 Goombay Sunrise at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on October 21, 2009
Goombay Sunrise in Portland, Oregon on October 21, 2009

The GBRX reporting mark belongs to Greenbrier, the parent company of Portland railcar builder Gunderson, so Portland may be this car's home base, considering it didn't leave with any of the other private passenger cars, despite being moved around and turned on the loop more than once.

IMG_9852 Observation Car GBRX #800224 Goombay Sunrise at Union Station in Portland, Oregon on October 21, 2009
Goombay Sunrise in Portland, Oregon on October 21, 2009

I don't know the significance of the name Goombay Sunrise, but Goombay is the name of a drum and a musical style in the Bahamas, and a small bay on the island of St. Lucia, so perhaps that is in some way related.

Continue to Private Cars in Portland on October 21, 2009

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