Today I received word from a friend on the Delmarva Peninsula that the Diplomat, a Pullman car on display at the Eastern Shore Railway Museum in Parksley, VA, has been sold and is being trucked out on Tuesday, January 28. Reportedly it's going to Bradford, PA, and will take two days to get there. At this point I don't know who bought it but I'll keep my eyes and ears open.

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UPDATE: That FB comment then got removed. Consider everything (including the original post) rumor until someone sees a car on the roll.

Thanks! I had initially figured the destination was the Colebrookdale Railroad, which has acquired a number of similar cars, and couldn't figure out why it might go to Bradford, except perhaps for some work to be done.

NOTE:

NEXT Tuesday.

Thanks! One of the museum's volunteers told me about the move on Monday evening and asked if I could make it out there the next day. I'm glad I was booked up already and couldn't make it. It would have been a long drive for nothing.

Next Tuesday, however, is a possibility.

Hey: YOUR post said "Tuesday the 28th".

My mistake. I meant to type the 21st but glanced at the wrong week on the calendar as I typed up my initial comment. In any case, I've not heard or read any more about it, other than what my contact told me, and sometimes his dates have been off. We'll see what actually happens and when.

So fly a drone over to Parksley and see if it's still there. >;-D

(Note: Scarily enough, there might come a day when someone could pay a trivial amount to point a satellite camera in just such a fashion and get the image delivered online or by cell phone....... Don't believe me? Imagine telling someone in the1950s about today's smart phones and GPS......)

I was told by a Colebrookdale employee yesterday that the Diplomat is expected to arrive today.

Here's a local news story about its departure from Parksley:

Historic rail car to leave Parksley
https://shoredailynews.com/headlines/hi ... -parksley/

"Bates said that they would hate to have it scrapped like some of the cars and locomotives were at Cape Charles."

Yep, though I only vaguely remember the Cape Charles equipment.

Colbrookdale has restored heavyweights in much worse condition for sure, although somewhat fancifully. I have been wondering what they will do with the Lion Gardner, the last remaining NYC heavyweight diner, but it is in very rough shape so it may be pushed to the back of the queue again now.

I have been contacted back-channel by a source I trust a lot more than most, for he may or may not be involved in the movement:

I have been reliably informed that the movement has been pushed back to the end of March or beginning of April.

According to Wayner, DIPLOMAT was built 4/1927 in Pullman Lot 6065 to Plan 3957B with 25 Parlor Chairs, 1 Drawing Room and Observation Platform, went to the Wabash in 1945 (leased to Pullman) and was renamed CITY OF DANVILLE in 1955. It was withdrawn from Pullman lease in 1956.

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPictur ... id=4457482

Phil Mulligan

After the move did not come off as planned, my source on the peninsula informed me that the car was heavier than had been guessed, plus the route chosen would not accommodate a car of that length, so they had to completely revise the original plan. I hope it works out better for them the next time around.