As far as I can tell, these cars haven't come up in discussion yet.

The October issue of Cinders (Philly Chapter NRHS) had this on page 8:

Need a Passenger Car?

Two ex-B&O heavyweight passenger cars that were part of a former restaurant in Upper Dublin (just above the Fort Washington PA Turnpike exit) are available for free. Delivery NOT included. See:

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/zip ... 91376.html

I've not seen them myself. Are these candidates for restoration and operation or are they too far gone and missing too many parts to be anything more than display pieces?

I post this here so that anyone with interest finds them before a torch does.

I don't want to be a "Debbie Downer" again, but there are very good reasons, having mostly to do with structural integrity, the manner in which the B&O converted its heavyweights into "streamline profile" cars, and unusual/unique parts, that so many of these B&O cars over the decades have met with "sad" ends rather than long-term preservation.

The time for any would-be parts scavengers or saviors to swoop in to examine these cars or their parts is NOW. I'm too damned far away this time to drop everything and drive up to haggle with the scrappers on someone else's behalf. (But at least the weather's cooler this time.......)

Howard P., give our mutual associate a heads-up just in case.

The restaurant was the Coach Inn in Ft. Washington PA. I believe the cars were from B&O's Royal Blue fleet.

Here's a postcard from the restaurant in better days.

https://postcardsfrompennsylvania.tumbl ... washington

As you see the interiors have been completely changed; they do rest on their own trucks and can be hauled out for the appropriate $$$.

Phil Mulligan

The vintage postcard shows three cars where there are now only two on site. Does anyone has the back story?

Wesley

I believe the third car was a PRR Office Car which was scrapped a number of years ago. Sources vary as to which car it was so I won't comment on that.

Phil Mulligan

this information is from another site. I suspect that these cars will just go away someday, they are rough with holes cut in the sides,


PRR 90 was scrapped on site a number of years ago
info on B&O cars

"Diner is tail car from the 1938 Royal Blue set. THe
combine is one of the cars from the 1946 Cincinnatian.

I compared the photos that Brian sent and due to the window
arrangement I believe the car that he referred to as a diner is
really Z-1A 3301.
> Anything further?

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Baltimore_and_Ohio/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thomas W. Dixon's book 'Baltimore and Ohio's Cincinnatian' published in 2008 indicates that Combination Baggage/Lounge car #1308 Hyde Park was retired in 1964 and sold to the Coach Inn in Fort Washington, PA

The plain bearing wheelsets visible in one photo have plenty of tread thickness. Good wheelsets and brasses are definitely worth saving. I'm on the wrong side of the country to do anything about these cars, but hopefully someone will purchase them from the scrapper before cutting starts.

- Doug Debs

These cars have been there for a long time. I remember them being moved there around the time I graduated from high school — in 1965!

The original restaurant, the Coach Inn, was an upscale restaurant and the cars were the theme. The Royal Blue Obs Car (B&O 3301) was particularly significant as it was local: Fort Washington Station was on the Reading Company, and RDG handled Royal Blue Line trains between Park Junction (in Phila.) and Bound Brook. The nearest scheduled stop was Wayne Junction, about 10 rail miles from the restaurant.

Lately, the restaurant had become a Subway. RDG's junction with the B&O at Park Junction (near the Art Museum) was under a cover in what RDG had called the Subway. You can't make this up.

Phil Mulligan

Well I did stop over today and take what I consider a “last” look at these cars. They are in the process of gutting the cars, lots of broken windows! The scrapper is not far behind!!
The condition of the cars is very bad, lots of sill and post rot and no expense was spared using Bondo to patch both cars over the years. The Tail car is missing a 12 ft section; the combine has two missing 12ft sections.
The undersides of the cars are complete with lots of usable parts; all the trucks have good wheels, plain bearings nothing missing. The underside is worth scavenging for critical parts.
Last Service date on the tail car was 9-2x-63 fron stencil paint on a air tank.

The PRR Business Car at the Coach Inn was #90 "Delaware" which was dispatched in the waning days of the PRR by Mr. Bevan who acquired a replacement car from the B&O for his use. The B&O car went to Wilmington for a quick coat of Tuscan Red and Scotchlite keystones and a very expensive interior upgrade.

Later in its service life the Penn Central 90 was sold into private ownership and wound up as the "Philadelphia Star" now somewhere on the eastern shore of Maryland.

When the PRR 90 was scrapped we were able to purchase one complete 2F-P1 truck and it's mate that was already rendered into multiple pieces. If I recall correctly we also got the end rail and gates.

EBL

I have been sent photos through our Baltimore Chapter NRHS Facebook page that essentially show demolition and scrapping of this equipment under way:

Photos by Matt Stern, used with permission, with thanks:











Hey, anyone still need a B&O 19F six-wheel truck--or several, for all I know?

Unfortunate, but expected.

At least a couple of those cars still exist in Baltimore though.

When reconstructed for the Cincinnatian all the cars were roller bearing equipped as were the P-7d locomotives that were streamlined to haul the train.

Update:

GoFundMe for the B&O 3301:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/bo-3301-christmas-fundraiser

Wait, I think I know that name.......................