Car 553

Car 553 was a privately owned railroad passenger car. It operated exclusively on Metra's Union Pacific North Line in Northeastern Illinois, and was the last membership-based commuter rail car operating in the United States.^[1]

Car 553 in Lake Bluff, Illinois on August 20, 2012 in its former paint scheme.

553
Car 553 leaving Ravinia station in Highland Park, Illinois on June 29, 2018, in its original C&NW paint scheme.
Manufacturer	American Car and Foundry Company
Constructed	1949
Refurbished	1961
Specifications
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

History

Private commuter car service originally began on the Chicago and North Western Railway in 1929 to serve wealthy commuters in the affluent North Shore suburbs of Chicago. The first private car was C&NW 6700 and was named "The Deerpath".^[2][3]

Car 553 was originally built for the Chicago and North Western Railway in 1949 by the American Car and Foundry Company as car 7901.^[4] It was originally used as a lounge and barbershop car on City of Los Angeles, a long distance train service between Chicago and Los Angeles.^[5] In 1961, car 7901 was rebuilt for commuter service and renumbered 553.^[4] On November 30, 1975, the car was acquired by Commuter Associates Inc. and continued to see service on the C&NW, operated by the commuter rail branch of the Regional Transportation Authority (which was reorganized into Metra in 1984).^[1] In the 1990s, the first female members purchased seats on the car.^[2] Car 553 still wore the brown and white color scheme of the pre-Metra Regional Transportation Authority's passenger equipment until late 2017 when it was restored to its original C&NW yellow and green colors and lettering.^[1]

In late 2020, it was confirmed that Union Pacific had assumed ownership of the car. The car remains in storage at Council Bluffs, IA.

Metra service

Prior to 2022, Car 553 operated twice daily on the Union Pacific North Line between Chicago and Kenosha, Wisconsin. The car operated as part of an agreement between club members and the Union Pacific Railroad (which operates Metra trains on the UP North Line).^[1] While in the past, membership had been restricted exclusively to wealthy "North Shore" families, membership was subsequently open to anyone.^[2] The membership price varied depending on the boarding station, but ranged from $550 to $850 per calendar quarter.^[1] The car arrived at Ogilvie Transportation Center around 8:00 am and departed for Kenosha shortly after 5:30 pm.^[4]

In 2022, the car was withdrawn from service and stored temporarily at the California Avenue yard. In July 2022, the car was relocated to the Elburn yard where it would be safer from vandalism. The reasons for withdrawing the car from service were not made public, but with drops in Metra ridership, it's believed that club member dues could no longer support the ongoing operating and maintenance expenses for the car.

As of April 2025, the car was stored in Council Bluffs, IA, home of Union Pacific's Heritage Fleet of passenger cars. It's unclear if the car is being stored pending repairs, future donation to a museum, or will be used as a parts source.