Sleeping cars, or "sleepers," provide more comfortable accommodations for overnight travelers than coach seats. They range from having simple berths to fully enclosed rooms.

This one had 14 roomettes and 4 double bedrooms. It was built in 1948 for the St. Louis – San Francisco "Frisco" railroad and served on its "Texas Special" and "Meteor" trains. In 1966 it was purchased by NORD Corporation and reconfigured as a showroom and darkroom for its photo products.

NORD donated it to Railroad Enthusiasts, where it was used for the 150th anniversary of America's oldest railroad, the Baltimore & Ohio.

Then it was purchased by three individuals who reconfigured it with a lounge and kitchen. Surviving member Rudy Morgenfruh donated it to the Arizona Railway Museum in 2010, and it arrived in 2011.

The "Eugene Field" was built by Pullman-Standard as one of 14 cars in lot number 6769, plan 4153 for service on the "Texas Special," with 14 roomettes and 4 double bedrooms. It was delivered in April 1948. It is 82 feet 9 inches long over end sills. These cars were named for prominent individuals — this one for children's poet Eugene Field who wrote "Little Boy Blue"; "Wynken, Blynken, and Nod"; and "The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat."

In 1966 when NORD bought the car, they moved it to Minnesota and reconfigured it by removing the 14 roomettes and replacing them with two display rooms and a darkroom. They renamed the car "Silver Messenger,” and used it to travel around the country publicizing their products. But the IRS refused to accept this as a business expense, so NORD donated it to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit instead and claimed it as a charitable deduction.

They donated it to the New York Division of Railroad Enthusiasts for excursions in 1969. NY-RRE moved it to the Valley Railroad in Essex, Connecticut, for storage, renamed it back to "Eugene Field" and used it on many trips. It ran on the Chessie Steam Special in 1978 as dormitory car No. 101, and on the Chessie Safety Express in 1981 as dormitory car No. 102. (The Steam Special celebrated the 150th anniversary of the B&O Railroad, and the Safety Express raised awareness for Operation Lifesaver and grade crossing accidents.)

NY-RRE was unable to keep the car well maintained, so they put it up for sale for $4,000. Rudy Morgenfruh, along with friends Melvin Ott and Richard Murray, purchased the car around 1984 and began modifying it for personal use. They kept the four bedrooms, changed the display rooms to lounges, and changed the darkroom to a shower and kitchen. (Rudy, a Pullman aficionado, authored the 1987 book Silver at Your Service.) In 2000, they moved the car from Essex to a siding near the Lebanon station in New Jersey to save storage fees.

The three friends decided earlier that the surviving member would keep the car. Melvin Ott passed away in 1997 and Richard Murray in 2006, making Rudy the sole owner. In 2010 he donated it to the Arizona Railway Museum. Mike Margrave, VP-Legal at the ARM, queried Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific about moving it to Chandler. Norfolk Southern quoted $12,000 to move it to Kansas City, while Union Pacific agreed to move it from there to Chandler for free. When Mike notified Norfolk Southern about this free move, NS reduced their quote to $2,190. The car departed Lebanon on January 6, 2011, was picked up by the Union Pacific in Kansas City, and was delivered to the ARM on February 3, 2011.

	2/3/2011 - Photo of  car arriving at ARM.
	2/3/2011 - Photo of  car arriving at ARM.
	2/3/2011 - Photo of  car arriving at ARM.
	2/3/2011 - Photo of  car arriving at ARM.
	2/2/2011 - Photo of  car in Mesa Yard.
	2/2/2011 - Photo of  car in Mesa Yard.
	1/20/2011 - Photo of car in NS train 33J at Bluffs, IL.  Photo by Richard Blough.
	1/20/2011 - Photo of car in NS train 33J at Bluffs, IL.  Photo by Richard Blough.
	1/20/2011 - Around noon we see NS train 33J entering the Illinois River Valley approaching Bluffs, IL.  Second from the last car is AZMX 1456, which the crew said was going to Kansas City and the UP.  Photo by Richard Blough.
	2010 - Photo of car in Lebanon, NJ.
	2010 - Photo of car in Lebanon, NJ.

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