ATSF Theatre Lounge Car #89 began its life as ATSF Diner #1397, built by Budd in 1940 for the El Capitan. It was converted to a Club Lounge Diner in 1952 for service on the San Diegan, where it ran until 1954. After that, it was reassigned to the Oil Flyer and the Tulsan. In its later years, the car operated on trains between Ash Fork and Phoenix. When Amtrak assumed most passenger operations, the car was placed into storage in Topeka.

In 1974–75 it received a major rebuild and emerged as Theater-Track Inspection Car #89. It became part of Santa Fe’s Executive Fleet and was used as a showpiece tail car on many corporate, sales, and promotional trips. It appeared on the Rose Parade Special, behind 3751 on system tours, hosted railfans during Topeka Railroad Days, and carried corporate executives whose business Santa Fe was pursuing. In the late 1980s, Santa Fe President Michael Haverty named the car "William Barstow Strong", in honor of Santa Fe’s visionary president from the 1880s.

After the 1995 merger with the Burlington Northern, the car was renumbered #32 for the BNSF Executive Fleet and has since worn four different paint schemes. Today it remains in service as the BNSF "William B. Strong".

In our first production run, we are building 6 different types of the car in multiple appearances over the course of it’s life. Each model boasts both road specific and era-specific details! Ensuring that your customers BNSF or AT&SF theater car is the perfect fit for their office car special!

Model Features:

Unique interior layouts based on the prototype and the specific era in which each car operated
Prototypically accurate trucks for both AT&SF and BNSF versions
Individually controlled lighting functions, including interior lights, track inspection lights, and red/green marker lights — all operated with touch control
Accurate carbody details such as protective panel door covers, window arrangements, and roof antenna configurations with GPS dome
Detailed underbody components, including accurate warning label placements where applicable
Era-specific lighting packages for each version
Numerous separately applied details, including handrails and antenna assemblies (where appropriate)
Couplers: Two operating Kadee® couplers
Track Compatibility: Code 70, 83, and 100 rail
Minimum Operating Radius: 18 inches

BNSF Track Inspection Car HO (2026)

9994 BNSF Track Inspection Car, BNSF #32 "William Barstow Strong", 2008-2013 Appearance w/ White Roof, HO

9995 BNSF Track Inspection Car, BNSF #32 "William B. Strong", 2013-2018 Appearance, HO

9993 BNSF Track Inspection Car, BNSF #32 "William B. Strong", 1996-2008 Appearance, HO

9996 BNSF Track Inspection Car, BNSF #32 "William B. Strong", 2018-Present Appearance, HO