CHENA CAR # : 509

1952	Ordered by the AT&SF from the Budd Company.
1954	Delivered between January and March to the AT&SF.
	Original car had 57 forward facing seats and 18 lounge seats in the dome and a 28 seat lounge , bar and traveling nurse's station on the lower level. Car was used for service on AT&SF's El Capitan, Chicagoan, and Kansas Cityan.
1956	Car was reassigned to the Chief when the El Capitan was reequipped with new "high level" cars.
1968	Chief was discontinued and the car was assigned to the Texas Chief before being reassigned to the San Francisco Chief.
1971	AT&SF to cease passenger service with the start of Amtrak. AT&SF and Amtrak have difficulty reaching agreement on value of the Santa Fe fleet of cars. Privately operated Auto-Train acquires car to operate Lorton, VA. to Sanford, FL. Converted to a 51 seat coach on the dome level retaining its 28 seat lounge and bar on the lower level. Nurses' room converted to restrooms.
1981	Acquired by Don Gage of Jamestown, N.Y. at the Auto-Train bankruptcy auction. Moved to NYS&W Little Ferry , N.J. yard for storage.
1983-84	Acquired by Delaware Otsego System (NYS&W) to replace full dome #555 which was destroyed by fire. Received minor fire damage in the same fire as the cars were coupled together.
1985	May, Westours inspects car in Little Ferry, N.J. Makes offer to buy it and the six other cars owned by NYS&W. Turned down. Railroad wants to rebuild them and run them in excursion service some day. Indications are that railroad is under going a major expansion to handle "double stack" trains for Sealand. Westours stays in contact as the feeling is the railroad will need to sell the cars to fund its expansion.
	December, NYS&W calls and wants to sell all seven cars before the end of the year. Car(s) acquired by Westours.
1986	Car moved to Morrison-Knudsen, Railroad Division in Boise, Idaho to use as a parts car to complete the first six cars selected for rebuild. Left in storage in Boise.
1988	September, car was moved to Tillamook, Oregon for continued use as a parts car in the rebuilding of Cars #507 and # 553. Stored in Tillamook.
1993	Rebuilding of car started in Tillamook, Oregon.
1994	Rebuilding completed. Rebuild Cost is $781,000 not including the cost of the car shell. Car shipped to Anchorage on May 19.
	June 3, first Anchorage-Denali-Fairbanks revenue trip.