Sun Lounge (railcar)

Sun Lounge
Hollywood Beach Sun Lounge railcar
The lounge area of the Hollywood Beach Sun Lounge.
Sun Lounge railcar interior
Postcard of a Sun Lounge interior in the 1960s.
In service1956-1981
ManufacturerPullman-Standard
Constructed1956
Entered service1956
Scrapped~1980 (Sun Beam/Palm Beach)
Number built3
Number preserved2
Number scrapped1
Diagram4202
Fleet numbers18–20 (SAL)
6500–6502 (SCL)
3230–3232 (Amtrak)
Capacity5 double bedrooms
OperatorsSeaboard Air Line Railroad
Seaboard Coast Line Railroad
Amtrak
Specifications
Car length85 feet (25.91 m)
Width10 feet 6 inches (3.20 m)
Height13 feet 6 inches (4.11 m)
Wheel diameter36 inches (0.91 m)
Weight135,100–135,700 pounds (61,300–61,600 kg)
HVAC10-ton Frigidaire Freon Electro-Mechanical AC, Steam heat
Braking system(s)Air
Coupling systemAAR
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The Sun Lounges were a fleet of three streamlined sleeper-lounge cars built by Pullman-Standard for the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) in 1956. The cars featured a distinctive glazed roof area meant to capture the ambience of a dome car in a lower profile, as tunnels on the East Coast of the United States prevented the use of dome cars there. The Seaboard employed all three Sun Lounges on its flagship Silver Meteor between New York City and Miami, Florida. The cars later saw service with the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL) and Amtrak. Two of the three survive in private ownership.