Right Track

Most old railroad cars never die, they just rust away in some forgotten corner of a switchyard. Fortunately, the man who eventually became the owner of New York Central Observation Car Number 66 knew a good thing when he saw it come up for sale a few years ago. He purchased the car, housed it on a Los Angeles siding and turned the job of refurbishing its interior over to designers Gary Bond and Barbara Lockhart, with the word that they had an unlimited budget to turn old Number 66 into a masculine show place on wheels that would be fit for entertaining business associates and their friends in a Grand Central style that even the late Lucius Beebe would have envied. About a year later, Lockhart and Bond's gilt-edged project was complete.

Inside the air-conditioned car, one passes twin bathrooms, a luxe kitchen equipped with every modern convenience, including four microwave ovens (the owner is an avid chef) and capacious freezing facilities, to enter the well-stocked custom-wet-bar area. Here, one can order a drink, then meander into the main lounge, where twin Italian-leather sofas are placed for convenient lounging. On opposite sides of the car are matching walnut tables that can be expanded to form one large dining table. The rounded tail end of Number 66 has been reserved for conferences; a walnut table/desk stands adjacent to a special phone hooked up to the owner's downtown office--and there's a tufted-leather antique chaise nearby for relaxing. All aboard!