[I seem to recall the problem they had with this at the WS is that it looked way too far "gone" for anyone to develop the desire to work on.]

Although there were intentions to work on the car, the number of WS volunteers who are willing and able to reconstruct it, while at the same time maintaining the cars already in service as well as other cars and locomotives that need to go into service, has always been very limited. It's best that it went from the WS to the STR because it could have sat in place for years to come before anyone could get to it.

Quite likely the cost of restoration vs. the small number of passengers it could carry (and the low revenue it would generate) led to the decision to excess it and focus resources on other equipment.

gotta have the dream.

They will have a rail car to ride around and hoist some tools and do some work, why not get some pay passengers to offset some costs.

South Shore had a rail car kinda similar to this, had a platform to work on overhead.

First of all, thanks to all of you for your responses about our Rail whatever you want to call it. A friend of mine, volunteer at Stewartstown and Ma and Pa Railroad Preservation Society, and I were the ones that found the car while on a visit to look at an A8 for the M&P. I had been looking for a Doodlebug for either railroad to possibly lease and share between the two of them. Finding this car just seemed to fit our budget. I think this car will hopefully help put Stewartstown back on the map. A ride across this line provides the most beautiful scenery and is incomparable with it's curves and hills. Every time I ride it I can visualize a 440 chugging up the hills and being able to see the loco from the coaches because of the many curves.
Ok back to the Railbus, our trackage is in need of many ties to be usable across the entire route of almost 8 miles to the end at New Freedom. The bus is light enough that we can run it across the entire route and meet up with the new Steam Into History group which some of us also volunteer for. We currently have two Fairmont A8s that we are planning trips coming this summer on a limited basis possibly across the entire route.
I will close with one question, why are there no hitches on the Railbus while Erie had it, if it was intended for rail work? Every time we go out to do track work we pull at least two cars. Thank you again.

I do think that was a track inspection vehicle for the Erie "big wigs" not really a work car. I remember seeing a photo someplace of that being used on the Erie and all the gents exiting and around the car were in dress suits and hats.

So there may not have been a need for a hitch front or back since it wasn't used as a work car. However I would think they would have had one on there anyway just to be able to tow it in case of breakdown.

I will see if I can find that photo...

some good welds and bolts you'll have some way to pull something, a little enginuity make something work.

Dinwitty:

The car has hitches on both ends now. Based upon the pictures we've found or been given, it looks like they were added after 1974, and by the McHugh's when it went to New Hope.

We also have some evidence of Amtrak stickers having been applied to the car, so maybe the McHugh's leased it out to Amtrak as well?

The little railbus has definitely had an interesting history....

Mike

It's FAR more likely that some humor-minded person around McHugh or the NH&I got access to a couple Amtrak stickers and applied them as a joke.

Otherwise, am I to believe that the gray Mazda 626 I saw around Conrail's Elkhart, Indiana yard in the late 1980s with large "LACKAWANNA RAILROAD" emblems on its doors was really a DL&W company car?

if it had to run out on Amtrak track or representation, those stickers would have to be applied, a marker for the riders to know it was their ride.

When the South Shore got their new cars, the names and numbers were covered with the providing moving railroad, then removed upon delivery.

DIdn't McHugh work on or operate the railroad to Atlantic City for a while prior to Amtrak / NJT rebuilding it?

From J.C. McHugh: #300 was leased by Amtrak from the McHugh's for a period of over 5 years and used on the N.E.C. between Washington & Boston.

Here is a picture of ex-Erie inspection car 800. This was taken at Port Morris, NJ where a June 4, 1961 fan trip stopped. This scan comes from a half-frame 35MM slide taken by the late Robert Duthie.

The McHughes operated what amounted to a gravel delivery service from the quarries along the NH&I to the Atlantic City area with the New Jersey end of the operation known as Shore Fast Line, headquartered in Hammonton. While I do not believe that it is a direct corporate descendent this is what has morphed into today's Southern Railroad of New Jersey.

I suspect from the door configuration that this car was built with lateral seating and was probably intended for transporting small groups such as the division engineer and his assistants or a survey party. (Bethlehem Steel had a similar size Kalamazoo Car with longitudinal benches and sliding doors which was clearly meant for maintenance crews)
With a closed body and lateral seats 'Railbus' seems appropriate. These things were marketed through World War II for passenger service as well as MOW.

Now will somebody please enlighten me what the red frame around the green speeder is for?

GME

McHugh also rented their equipment, including the 4 track cars (speeders, etc.), high rail trucks and cranes, track machinery, and the 2 mowing machines to contractors who worked for Amtrak, thus another way to get near a supply of Amtrak decals without having Amtrak's name on the lease agreement.

@TrainLawyer-

The frame around the A8 let the railcar be lifted by crane, and the put wherever you wanted to put it. Other tracks, a trailer, boat, etc.

Or so I've been told...

Anyone have knowledge of the workings of the car? I am trying to figure out what the cup wire brushes at all four wheels are for. They look like some kind of a rail sweep but they have a linkage connected to an air cylinder. Sure would be nice if we could find someone with a working knowledge of the car and or a log book for it.

Thank you,
Jim