The Caritas is America's premier art-deco private railway car. Built in 1948 by the Pullman Company for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad ("Frisco"-now part of the BN) as a 4 bedroom, 14-roomette sleeper, she operated on such famous trains as the Texas Special.

Sold to the Canadian National in 1964, her name was changed from Pierre LaClede (the founder of St. Louis) to Churchill Falls. High Iron bought her in 1983 and completely rebuilt the car into its current configuration while incorporating the latest technical and safety features including full air-conditioning, and self-contained power generation - permitting operation on freight trains and parking on isolated sidings.

The Caritas sleeps eight guests in three double bedrooms that maintain the original configuration. A master room has a double bed and its own shower. All rooms have their own lavatory and sink. A second shower serves the three double bedrooms. Two of the double rooms can be operated in-suite, providing an exclusive, private meeting or dining area for four.

Two dining tables seat four each for dining in the traditional manner of fine china, stemware, silverware and snowy napery. The galley is fully equipped to prepare meals to the tastes of the guests. The wine cellar is small yet provides a surprisingly wide range of vintages. A chef and attendant cater to the needs of all passengers.

A fully-equipped audio-visual system providing audio to all rooms can play cassette tapes and videos. A video monitor is located at the end of the car in the dining area. External speakers can be added to the platform for campaign train speeches. The platform is deep and provides considerable protection from wind and rain. As many as twenty people can be accommodated standing and six seated in folding chairs.

Caritas is unique. Plush and sleek, like the great railway cars of the famous trains of the 1940's and 50's, but as up-to-date as the Concorde. The lounge with its oversize windows seats ten. See the countryside go by through the large picture windows, or enjoy the company of friends in art-deco elegance on a trip of a lifetime. Consider the Caritas a "cruise ship on wheels" that can travel - or park - for a day or a month--wherever the tracks go in North America.

BUSINESS USES

With its bedroom walls folded back, Caritas provides an exhibition area equipped with ac power, water and compressed air, plus audio/visual equipment in the lounge. The car is an ideal place to display products, conduct seminars and sales meetings, or present proposals while traveling or parked in a convenient downtown station or on an industrial siding. It's an exquisite, mobile hotel suite with its own room service providing complete control of an undistractable audience for uninterrupted presentations. No need to pack and unpack staff or displays.

POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS

Even when whistle-stop campaigns were expected and ordinary, they attracted considerable attention and brought out voters. In the last 10 years campaign trains have made something of a comeback because they permit the candidate to visit the voters and not rely on the increasingly ineffective 30-second sound bites of television. We have participated in, and operated, campaign specials lasting a day up to a week. A campaign train allows the candidate to face the public rested and relaxed as it does away with the frenetic rushing from plane to car to hotel to arena, always exposed, always too close and often late. Meals at regular hours, sleep and privacy make for a candidate who is fresh, alert and on her/his toes.

PERSONAL USE

The trip of a lifetime. Sipping a martini ensconced in a soft lounge chair in your own private living room watching the country go by, sharing the moment with your friends. Better yet, sitting on the rear platform in the shadows of nabobs of yesteryear who traveled in their own private cars. Entertain in style or savor the intimacy of a private dinner in the traditional style, off fine china, silverware and linen napery with gourmet meals, fine wines and liquors--real service. Using the Caritas as a hotel en route means never carrying a bag, hailing a taxi or checking in.

How about the World Series, the Kentucky Derby, the Super Bowl, class reunion, anniversary, Mardi Gras, a hunting or fishing trip to otherwise inaccessible locations?

The Caritas may be chartered and special trains can be run. Rates are highly variable, being quite route dependent. A budgetary rule of thumb, for traveling on Amtrak trains (where we are generally at the end of the train) is roughly $6/mile, or $4,500-$6,000/day on the road and $1000/day parked. This includes all charges: transportation, crew and on-board meals. In general the Caritas can be set out at most major stations and some smaller ones. On day trips we limit participation to 16; on overnight journeys we can sleep eight.

It generally takes a minimum of six weeks to arrange a move of the Caritas with Amtrak. And, on certain very popular trains such as the California Zephyr, much longer lead time is recommended to assure being the last car on the train. Amtrak gives the first car requesting a specific train, the right to select its position.

We recommend that round-trips be scheduled, if possible. The savings of a one-way deadhead move versus an occupied car are minimal. Our staff can answer most questions regarding scheduling.

Trips on VIA (Canada) and on the Mexican National railways are possible. The Caritas has made more trips to Mexico (including Guatemala) and Canada than any other private car, making us knowledgeable on private car travel in these countries.

SPECIAL TRAINS

High Iron operates special trains for a wide variety of groups. Specials have several advantages: they operate on the customer's schedule; equipment is tailored to the charter's requirements; large groups can be accommodated; routes not served by scheduled passengers trains may be covered. Specials are very expensive and require a longer lead time--six months minimum.

Caritas has been featured in the following publications:

• J. David Ingles "Exploring the Northwoods" TRAINS Oct., 1990, pp.24-26.
• J. David Ingles "From Fraanie, But Why?" (The Montana Centennial Explorers) TRAINS Oct., 1989, pp. 3-6.
• Bobbie Leigh "The Pleasure of Private Railcar Travel" DIVERSION, Mar., 1990, pp. 90 ff.
• Otto P. Dobnick "Varnish Returns to the Copper Country" PASSENGER TRAIN JOURNAL, Sept., 1990, pp. 44-45.
• J. David Ingles "By Train to the Northwest Territories" TRAINS, Dec., 1987, pp. 52-60.
• Doug Koontz "Jim Martin's Campaign Train" RAILFAN AND RAILROAD, April, 1989, pp 44-47.
• J. David Ingles "Private Cars in a Public World" TRAINS, Feb., 1996, pp. 62-69.

Interested in a steam adventure? Contact Rio Grande Scenic Railroad

For corporate information, contact Iowa Pacific Holdings

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