In 1949, the New York Central Railroad was in the midst of a massive renewal of its passenger car fleet. Older steel cars were rapidly giving way to lightweight, stainless steel streamliners. The Swift Stream was part of an eleven-car order from the Budd Company. All eleven cars included the word “stream” in their car name, and all eleven were identical: 6 double bedrooms, a buffet (kitchen), and a 22-seat lounge. The cars are known collectively as the stream-series sleeper/lounges. The Swift Stream is the only one of the eleven still operating with its original name and New York Central livery.

The Swift Stream served the New York Central for almost two decades following the car's 1949 construction. The stream-series cars were assigned to several different NYC trains, including the New England States, the Ohio State Limited, the Southwestern Limited, and others. The Swift Stream outlasted the New York Central itself, going to the Penn Central in 1968, and then to Amtrak in 1971. Amtrak eventually sold the car to a private owner, and in the mid 1990's the car was thoroughly modernized and updated for private and charter use. The current owner purchased the car in 2006 and made additional improvements in 2008 and 2009. Today, the Swift Stream meets all modern safety and operating standards. It is fully certified for use on Amtrak trains up to 110 mph.