Art -

Thanks for the numbers of the Rock Island's ex-C&NW cars. Then the 2500's were numbered 2500-2614.

Les

Steam Associates was based in Rhode Island (I'm pretty sure). They owned/controlled a number of items, including the two NHRR "Rodger Williams" RDC cab/nose cars that are now privately-owned and nicely restored in Danbury, CT. SA had at least one B&A "humpback", and the nameplate shown in the photo would indicate that's on of the cars. SA had some involvement with the short-lived Otter Valley Railroad near Rutland, VT in the late 70s. SA owned (and may still own) the Central Vermont wood arch-window coach that is listed for sale by numerous equipt. brokers. Allen Bliek was one of the SA principals-- does that name sound familiar to anyone out there?

Howard P.
who wishes he'd written more of this down years ago...

A search under "Otter Valley Railroad" turns up:

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... 20Railroad Another Osgood Bradley?

First, let's use the right name for the company-- "Osgood Bradley", no hyphen. That was the name of the coachbuilder who founded the company in the 1830s. "Pullman-Standard" was a result of a merger (of Pullman Car & Mfg and Standard Steel Car), thus the hyphen.

Second, while I'm pretty sure the SA B&A car was in Vermont during the Otter Valley days, the D&H also had one, probably left over from their ownership of some of the cars in the 60s for commuter trains around Albany. The D&H car was in excursion train service during the Sterzing era, wearing the yellow-blue-gray colors. So, is the car in a field (some field-- that's the Colonie Shop yard...) the remnant of the D&H car? Or another SA car that would up in Colonie with the Mohawk & Hudson stuff?

Almost every locomotive still out there has been traced and tracked and followed. Passenger cars seem to get little of that pedigree-tracking (and freight cars even less than that).

Howard P.
Building 29, Colonie Shop
(the coach shop)

Weather was ok today so I went up to the cars and took a few photos inside, I will try to post them
Tim c

we have five at IRM, four of them in service.
http://www.irm.org/gallery/CRIP2582
others also in the photo gallery

Might they be the cars once used by the Logansport and Eel River?

I believe that all of the ex-Rock Island commuter cars at the L&ER ended up at the Indiana Railway Museum's operation out of French Lick, Indiana. I am not sure however, just how many cars went there, or what their CRI&P numbers originally were.

Les

Nice pictures. It's interesting to see Broken Window Theory at work in the two cars with non-rattan seats. The car with yellow seats is vandalized, while the nicer looking car with red seats and more original trim was left untouched.

I might be wrong, but looking at the photo with the rattan seats, it would almost appear to be a former NYS&W coach. In the early 1960's the NYS&W purchased several cars, supposedly former B&A, and used them to replace Budd stainless steel coaches. Around 1963 or so, the state of New Jersey funded a mini-rehab of several of the cars. They received some minor mechanical repairs, paint, and interior work that included the removal of the luggage racks and the installation of standard coat hooks on the walls. The current phot sort of indicates the same thing but perhaps other railroads followed the same practice? I've seen photos of one NYS&W coach that also had vinyl seats added but I'm not certain what the other cars had for seats. IIRC the NYS&W had 6 coaches. Passenger service ended in 1966.

A very interesting set of coaches none the less. I'd bet some railroads could really use those open-window cars.

Rob

C&NW cars had more windows than their D&H/B&A/NYC/NYS&W counterparts but were otherwise very similar in outward appearance. There were two more windows per side on the C&NW cars.

What is the current status / final disposition of these cars?

Steam Associates...first time I recall seeing them brought up here (I know, old thread). They acquired at least 9 cars from Amtrak in the early 80's, and I'm still looking for the further/final dispositions for 5 of those 9.

AMTK #4585, 44 seat chair, ex-UP #5545, nee-14S sleeper Alpine Grove, AC&F, Lot #3816, Pullman Plan #9017, 1954, rebuilt to chair 1965, retired 1981, sold 1982 to Steam Associates, later to Pittsburgh Transportation Museum Society (PTMS/PTMX) #4585 (#800477), stored in Olean, NY.

AMTK #4589, 44 seat chair, ex-UP #5549, nee-14S sleeper Alpine Park, AC&F, Lot #3816, Pullman Plan #9017, 1954, rebuilt to chair 1965, retired and sold 1981 to Steam Associates, no further info.

AMTK #4406, 44 seat chair, ex-Bill Kratville/Autoliner Corp. (ALC) #440, exx-#5400, nee-UP #5406, P-S, Lot #6844, Plan #7617, 1950, 1974 to AMTK, retired 1981 and sold 1983 to Steam Associates, later resold to Lamoille Valley RR (LVRC) #1982, later resold to Jon Clark, later resold to Ringling Bros. (RBBX) #42004.

AMTK #3333, 52 seat club lounge observation, ex-SCL #5833, nee-ACL #254, Budd, Lot #96810, 1941, originally 57 seats, retired 1981 and sold 1983 to Steam Associates, later resold to Gold Coast RR Museum.

AMTK #8019, 48 seat diner, ex-SCL #5919, nee-SAL #6114, Budd, Lot #9624-009, 1947, retired 1981 and sold 1983 to Steam Associates, later resold to Denver Railcar (DRCX) #6114 Silver Lady (#800747), later resold to Inland Lakes RY/Florida Rail Adventures (ILRV/EOLX) #6114 (still named), to Iowa Pacific (SLRG) #6114 (still named), assigned to Saratoga & North Creek.

AMTK #3960, 50 seat snack bar-coach, ex-PC #3220, nee-NYC 64 seat coach #3105, P-S, Lot #6721, Plan #7484, 1946, snack bar added by PC 1969, 1971 to AMTK, retired 1981 and sold 1983 to Steam Associates, no further info.

AMTK #3963, 50 seat snack bar-coach, ex-PC #3202, nee-NYC 64 seat coach #3074, P-S, Lot #6721, Plan #7484, 1946, snack bar added by PC 1968, 1973 to AMTK, retired 1981 and sold 1983 to Steam Associates, no further info.

AMTK #5602, 56 seat coach, ex-SCL #5602, nee-ACL #202, Budd, Lot #96802, 1939, originally 60 seats, seating reduced 1966, retired and sold 1981 to Steam Associates, later resold to LA&L/WNY&P, no further info.

AMTK #8024 Tampa, 48 seat diner, ex-SCL #5925 Tampa, nee-ACL Tampa, Budd, Lot #9624-003 (originally Lot #96812), 1947, wrecked (derailed), 1/16/1977, #57 Floridan, New Castle, AL, sold 1983 to Steam Associates, no further info.

Anyone with roster info for their fleet or where everything went, feel free to fill us in if so inclined.

All 3 cars were cut up about 2011 or 2012, don't remember the date.
It was a year or 2 before the Fayette Cetral was shut down.
The Alco S2 we used is still there and for sale by current owner, but I don't think it is going to survive

Tim C

Tim, can you pass along contact info for the owner of the S2? Is it Bill Hayes?

Thanks

Chris