Colorado Railcar demo lounge LC-2

Ft. Lupton, CO. Photo by Jody Moore

Notes: The LC-2 is one of two cars outfitted for photo use and may be intended for the Golden Eagle luxury rail service. (A third car, SC-2, is without an interior but is also possibly to run on the Golden Eagle.) The car can trace its roots back to the Marlboro Unlimited train, which was scuttled during construction. Reportedly, all of the cars intended for that service were sold for scrap, with several repurchased by Colorado Railcar owner Tom Rader.

Space in the LC-2 is used in a most unique manner. In its present configuration, the LC-2 has a small reception area on either end of the car, with a dance floor on the lower level. Upstairs, the car has been fitted with a small lounge section, dining area, and a balcony overlooking the dance floor.

Also, there is a sample dining room on one end with eight booths and a total seating of 22. (I can't think of a better way to dine..) As mentioned in the writeup for the SC-1, the LC-2 helps provide a vision of the untapped potential for ultradome use. The concept of something besides row after row of coach seating is quite refreshing. It would be nice to see this car or a similar car in revenue service some day. (It's worth mentioning that Alaska Railroad's single level dome/observation car Aurora is the only other car configured in a similar manner.)

There are a number of cars at Colorado Railcar's shop that haven't seen revenue service, and the LC-2 is one of them. For all intents and purposes, the LC-2 is nothing more than a tantalizing shell. The car has no trucks, couplers, or underfloor appliances, and has been stripped of most every mechanically usable part. It is used only for demonstration purposes. Still, the car is quite persuasive in that capacity.

Click here to see a complete tour of the LC-2 and SC-2 taken during a recent visit to Colorado Railcar in Nov., 2003.

Ft. Lupton, CO. Photo by Jody Moore

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