After loosing my slides for about 6 months I finally put up a section of photographs of the "Inn at Market Street Square", a theme hotel and restaurant complex in Wilkes Barre PA. The place has fallen into disrepair in the last few years. Take a look at what happens when equipment falls into the wrong hands...

Index Page...Scroll down to "Market Street Square"

bing@epix.net

It's interesting that someone brings this up. When I was driving through northern Pennsylvania last summer, I stopped at Scranton to see Steamtown and the new trolley museum there. After that we headed west. At the exit off of the expressway near Danville, Pennsylvania, there is a Reading MU commuter car sitting about 100 feet from the Interstate! We stopped and talked to the owner, a very friendly individual who is working on building an historic village there. He has several old buildings, including houses, barns and other things. He also had this Reading MU car and a pair of boxcars, all fitted out as hotel rooms. He said that he had bought these from a defunct hotel in Wilkes-Barre, and that they were already heavily modified when he got them.

The MU car was divided into two sections, each one room. Much of the car was intact - the pantographs were gone, but the original trucks complete with pilots were intact, as were the brake stands and the row of electrical snap switches in the cab! The interior had been stripped out and replaced with furnishings of a sort not normally found at Motel 6: there was thick red carpet, a jacuzzi, gaudy gold-painted trim around the edge of the ceiling, and a big double bed with a mirror on the ceiling over it! The guy we talked to had several men working on trying to rip this stuff out. I inspected the car and found that the original Reading paint was still under the medium-green applied by the Market Street Square hotel! The car I saw was one of the cars that was never converted to a "Blueliner." It still had the number under the paint in RR Roman lettering: 805.

You never know where an MU car will turn up!

The cars are all old Reading MU cars (not Blueliners) that were replaced by SEPTA's Silverliner IV cars in the 1970's. The interiors were removed, the combines had their baggage doors blanked and motel rooms were installed, two to a car. The cars were lettered "Revel Railroad" and the place was popular for a while. A postcard I have shows "The Station" (the CNJ Wilkes-Barre station) and describes "World-Class staterooms in private rail cars, a 1950's diner, two restaurants, a top nightclub, a classic saloon, all replete with art and antiques.

BTW the 1950's diner has moved to Germantown Ave. in Philadelphia but that's another story.

> After loosing my slides for about 6 months I
> finally put up a section of photographs of
> the "Inn at Market Street Square",
> a theme hotel and restaurant complex in
> Wilkes Barre PA. The place has fallen into
> disrepair in the last few years. Take a look
> at what happens when equipment falls into
> the wrong hands...

> I agree with Dave. This is what happens when stuff gets in the wrong hands. That place had so much promise.

Its like Andy Warhol gone horribly wrong.

Can any of these cars be purchased? I would be most interested in the heavyweights.


shawsinoly@msn.com

Not being associated with the owners I cannon speak for them. However I know quite a number of these cars were listed in the DF Barnhart Monthly a few years ago. I haven't seen a current copy of their lists of equipment for sale, so I don't know if any of these cars are still listed. Some of the heavyweight cars are an integral part of the nightclub itself, therefore the owners would most likely be reluctant to sell those. However I think the open platform car I have a pic of is not actually part of the building. Again, this is only my opinion. The phone number for the place should be easily located through directory assistance. If you sent a letter to "Inn at Market Street Square" Wilkes Barre PA I'm sure it would get there as well. Hope this helps.

Scrantontrains
bing@epix.net

Hello all,

I recently came across this website with June 3, 2006 photos of equipment at "The Station" at Wilkes Barre.


http://nepa.railfan.net/rail/sr060306.htm

Does anybody here know the heritage of the passenger cars still on site, and how much their interiors have been modified since last use. Recent, close-up, photos would also be helpful.

Additionally, has anybody here closely inspected the FGE boxcars that are on site? At least one of them pictured on the aforementioned site seems relatively intact from its last railroad use.



Many thanks,
Tom Cornillie

One of the wooden passenger cars left is Maine Central in origin.

Rob

The picture of the box cars around a central building reminds me of a reataurant that used to be at Grant Ave and Roosevelt Blvd in NE Philadelphia a long time ago. I believe it was part of a chain.

Later!
Mr. Ed

Mr. Ed,
That may have been the old "Victoria Station" restaurant. On the inside it had a British rail theme. -- Ray

Yea! That was it! Always wanted to go in but by the time I got around to it, they were taking the place apart. Thanks!

Later!
Mr. Ed

I was just in Wilkes Barre a couple of days ago and saw the several cars, but did not dig for origins. There were a couple of wooden passenger cars, including one twelve wheeler, a few modern FGE roller bearing reefers or insulated boxcars and the Vulcan. There was also a '55 or '56 Cadillac on the roof of the place.

The Budd observation appeared to be, or have been, a beauty shop. I'm guessing it was ex- PRR? Didn't have time to look for the Vulcan Iron Works or the DL&W roundhouse across the river in Kingston.

I seem to recall it was a '57 Chevy.

Last time I was there was about 4 years ago. I see all of these old passenger cars sitting there and of course I had to investigate. So I drive in between them and there is this cop car sitting there. In a flash I figure if I back up he is going to think there is something wrong and come after me. I drive slowly through and he says nothing so I drive off. It was very cool.

I thought it was a new venture getting ready to open but several months ago I was talking to a visitor to our museum and he said that a long time ago he and his wife stayed there. Turns out it was a motel and restaurant. Anybody want any old passenger cars?

Later!
Mr. Ed

As much as I appreciate some information (be it vague or ancedotal) so far the information in the thread is not nearly of the depth or quantity necessary to be actionable. If anybody here knows a better venue to ask this information, it would be appreciated.

Tom Cornillie

Does anyone happen to know if these cars are still sitting in Wilkes-Barre? Is there any possibility of any of these being potential restoration candidates?