On most runs, the Ski Train also has two or three private cars on the end. These are leasable as a set, at last report for $8,500 per trip (plus food!). There are two Budd-built cars: one dome/sleeper (ex-Northern Pacific) and one lounge/diner (ex-Rock Island), plus an open-end observation car, formerly Rio Grande's business car "Wilson McCarthy". These are also in the Grande Gold-and-Silver. In the early Nineties they were given a stylized Southern Pacific speed-lettered herald and an SPL emblem by the vestibule doors, which lasted until 1999.

Note: After the 1999 winter season, all the individual car names were removed, and replaced with the words "The Ski Train" in a stylized Roman font. However, in December 1999 the names were put back on the cars, near the vestibules (not on the center nameboards). Additionally, the Rio Grande logo was put back on the private cars, and added to the bicycle car. One other change was to replace the Main Line herald (next to the vestibules) with the Ski Train logo on all cars. Visually, it's nearly identical except for the words at the top of the circle, and for its somewhat larger size.

Coaches:

	MOUNT BIERSTADT, car 2 (12/28/1997).
	MOUNT ELBERT, car 4.
	MOUNT EVANS, car 6 (1/02/1997).
	MOUNT MASSIVE, car 8 (12/28/1997).
	MOUNT PRINCETON, car 10.

Coach-Snack:

	LA PLATA PEAK, car 1 (12/28/1997).
	PIKES PEAK, car 3.
	PYRAMID PEAK, car 7 (2/18/1996).
	SHAVANO PEAK, car 11 (12/28/1997).

 

Cafe:

	NORTH PARK, car 5 (12/28/1997).
	WINTER PARK, car 9.

 

Club:

	COLORADO SPRINGS, car 12 (12/28/1997).
	GLENWOOD SPRINGS, car 13 (12/28/2000).
	IDAHO SPRINGS, car 14.

 

Private Cars:

	CALIFORNIA, Vista-dome sleeper.  Originally built for the Spokane, Portland and Seattle RR, it was acquired by Ansco circa 1987.  Here it's seen at Winter Park on 3/14/1993.
	CALIFORNIA, 8/07/2001, after repainting.  It is back in Rio Grande lettering, with Ski Train logos near the doors.
	UTAH, lounge/diner at Winter Park in August 1999.
	UTAH, opposite side.
	KANSAS, at Winter Park in August 1999.  Originally delivered to the Rio Grande in 1950 as a coach, it was rebuilt as business car 100, renamed in 1956 after deceased D&RGW president Wilson McCarthy, renamed KANSAS when Rio Grande purchased the Southern Pacific Railroad.
	KANSAS, opposite side.

 

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Typical Car Order

[0] Combine No. 1231	Bicycle Car (summer only)
[1] La Plata Peak	Coach
[2] Mount Bierstadt	Coach/Snack
[3] Pikes Peak	Coach
[4] Mount Elbert	Coach/Snack
[5] North Park	Cafe
[6] Mount Evans	Coach
[7] Pyramid Peak	Coach/Snack
[8] Mount Massive	Coach
[9] Winter Park	Cafe
[10] Mount Princeton	Coach
[11] Shavano Peak	Coach/Snack
[12] Colorado Springs	Club
[13] Glenwood Springs	Club
[14] Idaho Springs	Club
Cars one through four, plus six and seven, run vestibule-rearward. All others run vestibule-forward. Additionally, the private cars usually run as follows:
CALIFORNIA	Dome/Sleeper
UTAH	Diner/Lounge
KANSAS	Open-end Observation/Lounge

 

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The order above shows the usual lineup.  On special runs, charters, etc. (such as when being used as the University of Iowa football parking shuttle), cars may be omitted at need.  On the summer train, the dome CALIFORNIA is usually removed due to the addition of the bicycle car-- the tracks at Union Station cannot accommodate more than 17 cars.  On rare occasions, the winter train will run without any of the private cars at all.