With the 1947 advent of the Lightweight Empire Builder, the Great Northern Railway withdrew the heavyweight cars that comprised the former Empire Builder, sending these cars to the shops for reconditioning including black tarring of roofs and reconditioning of underbody components including painting of the underbodies and truck side frames in black. The type of cars involved in the consist increased providing both additional coach seating as well as additional sleeping accommodations in the form of a 10-1-2 sleeping car. Contrasted to its former service of the Heavyweight Empire Builder, the Oriental Limited operated with both an altered consist and substantially more stops en-route as it progressed from St. Paul to the West Coast. Leaving Chicago more than 10 hours after the Lightweight Empire Builder, the Oriental Limited followed a slightly different and substantially slower course to its West Coast arrival in Seattle. Factory painted and decorated, working diaphragms, full interiors and interior lighting.

2457.1S Great Northern Heavyweight Oriental Limited 8-car train. Baggage car in series 400-418 • Dormitory-Coach-Smoker Lounge car in series 646-667 (intermittent numbering) built by AC&F in 1913, steel sheathing applied in 1924 • 58-Seat Luxury Coach. GN first-class deluxe coach in series 938-949 built by Pullman Standard in 1937 • Tourist 16-section sleeping car, Pullman Plan 2412 in intermittent lot numbers from 4150-4217 • Pullman 36-guest dining car originally built 1924-1929, air conditioned in 1934 and subsequently referred to as Plan 4093 • First Class 6-Section, 6-Double Bedroom Sleeping car, Pullman Plan 4084B, lot 6373, rebuilt in 1939 from Plan 3958A • First class 8-section, 2-compartment, 1-drawing room sleeping car, Pullman Plan 3979A, lot 6261 • Great Northern Buffet-Lounge-Solarium-Observation car. Removed from service for the period 1942-1945 due to U.S. Government war rules. Plan 3990, lot 6249. Returned to service immediately at end of World War II.

2458.1S Great Northern Heavyweight Oriental Limited 3-Pack "A." 58-seat Luxury Coach. GN first-class deluxe coach in series 938-949 built by Pullman Standard in 1937 • Tourist 16-section sleeping car, Pullman Plan 2412 in intermittent lot numbers from 4150-4217 • First class 8-section, 2-compartment, 1-drawing room sleeping car, Pullman Plan 3979A, lot 6261.

2459.1S Great Northern Heavyweight Oriental Limited 3-pack "B." Great Northern Railway 12-section, 1-drawing room sleeping car, plan 3410A • Tourist 16-section sleeping car, Pullman Plan 2412 in intermittent lot numbers from 4150-4217 • First class 8-section, 2-compartment, 1-drawing room sleeping car, Pullman Plan 3979A, lot 6261.

2460.1S Great Northern Heavyweight Oriental Limited 3-Pack "C." 52-seat coaches in series 990-995 rebuilt from Plan 2416 parlor cars • First class coaches 967-979 remodeled from Barney and Smith cars originally delivered in 1914 • Heavyweight 10-1-2 sleeping car, Pullman Plan 3585A.