Norfolk Southern passenger cars rolling through Pittsburgh; why?

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Joined
Sep 19, 2014
Messages
628
Location
Washington, DC and Pittsburgh, PA
At about 10:25 a.m., I was walking along Penn Ave. near Pittsburgh's "Amshack" and saw at least four gorgeous, possibly reburbished, Norfolk Southern passenger cars, burgundy with gold lettering, rumble along overhead. They were heading for the railroad bridge over the Allegheny, maybe toward Ohio and eventually Chicago. I'm sorry that I couldn't whip out my camera in time. I didn't see the earlier part of the train, so I don't know if the consist (a word I learned thanks to Amtrak Unlimited's forum!) consisted wholly of these cars.

I'm very curious where they were going and why. No passenger rail is scheduled out of Pittsburgh at that time of day, and of course, Amtrak cars look nothing like the ones I spotted.

Any hypotheses? Thanks.
 
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I'm very curious where they were going and why. No passenger rail is scheduled out of Pittsburgh at that time of day, and of course, Amtrak cars look nothing like the ones I spotted.

Any hypotheses? Thanks.
Per Trainorders, it's a 14-car Norfolk Southern Office Car Special heading for Chicago. No idea why.
 
I'm surprised about that Wick Moreman won't be with that train probably. Supposedly he is riding one of our trains from Roanoke from the rumors I'm hearing.
 
I cannot answer for this particular case, but most of the larger freight railroads (and some smaller ones too), have retained or acquired several passenger cars of various types to be used:

To show railroad executives and investors their property

To entertain important customers (shippers)

To entertain important politician's

To carry employees on morale building special family days events

To carry various railfan groups, especially with vintage steam or other locomotives

It can be a great tool for the railroads public relations department
 
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