OK, OK, a couple of years ago. The former LV "Black Diamond" Queen Anne was jacked up and put on a flat car for Dixie. I thought ....sure the car will surface again. Well it hasn't, at least to me. Can anyone tell me who, and where this car is now? It was painted Wabash blue and said "WABASH" on the sides. A heavyweight fiction truck car. With Ice AC. The name was "City of Peru"

I remember it was for sale on Ozark Mountain Railcar years ago. A parlor car that was complete inside and out. I would of bought it if I had the $$ and a place to restore it, always wounder where it went also.

The City of Peru is now owned by the New Orleans Public Belt and has been rebuilt into a business car.

Mr. Mincy ( and the group )

You are right in that the NOPB owns the City of Peru, however it was intended to be rebuilt into their third business car, however the project was stopped about 60 percent of the way through the restoration due to a number of different circumstances. The car was modified into a mid train car by the Wabash ( and or Pulman for the Wabash ), and as it sits today, it was intended to be rebuilt as a mid train car ( not an open platform car ). It should be noted that the Belt Railroad owns the City of Lafayette ( now the City of New Orleans ) and the City of Wabash ( which is now the Louisiana ), both which are deep open platform cars. I believe 2 additional Wabash parlor cars survive... one at the Montecello RR Museum ( which may by the City of Danville ) .. and another one I believe perhaps on the Eastern Shore of Maryland area ... which I can't recall the name... Also the City if Lafayette .. was the Helena Modesjka ( spelling might be off ) .. later the City of Lafayette, to just Lafayette during the N&W times, and then to the Clinchfield as the White Oak ( I believe ) then I believe to the Seabord to become Blue Ridge, then to the City of Fernandina Beach Florida as the Feraindina, before going to New Orleans to become a bunk car at LASTA ( SP 745 group ) and finally being bought by the Belt RR...

I will try to include a picture of the City of Peru after arriving in New Orleans.

( also on the same subject is the Queen Mary, in Wayne NJ.. which I believe was originally a Wabash car before being sold to the PRR.. and if my memory serves me right.. might have started its life as a LV car.. )

Dean Levin

Thank you for your excellant report...Platform Car. Please keep us up on what happens to this car.

Dean,

Don't forget that as Seaboard System's "BLUE RIDGE" the City of Lafayette was used with frequency by the New Georgia Railroad, before being sold to the city of Fernandina Beach, FL. I never have been 100% clear as to whether the New Georgia Railroad ever actually acquired the car from Seaboard/CSX, but I don't think so. At least, I do not recall it being one of the cars available at the auction of the New Georgia equipment that took place in 1995 (I think). I hardly recognized it when I saw it in NO sitting near SP 745 back in 2002. My understanding at that time was that Greg Dodd had purchased the car from the City of Fernandina Beach and moved it to NO, and that he was going to allow it to be used by the 745 group.

Do you still have the list of cars sold at that auction?

I have info on most of the cars that were sold. Is there one in particular you wanted to know about?

For those that are interested, I enclose a February 1955 picture along with a current picture taken the other day, of the City of Wabash ( originally Pullman "Embassy" ), taken in New Orleans. Note the car now rides on OSH trucks ( from a Southern business car ) This car ran in Amtrak ( private car ) service back in the 1980's as the "Chief Keokuck", and was previously owned by the Keokuck Junction Railway. Interesting 54 year comparison between the two photographs.

Monticello Railway Museum has the City of Decatur, previously the LV "Clara Morris". Back at the time Pullman was doing their betterment project on these cars to add air conditioning and other improvements, Clara Morris and Helena Mojeska were shipped to Pullman for upgrades, and when done went to the Wabash. Likewise, two Wabash parlor cars went to Pullman for upgrades and ended up on LV. At least on the Wabash side, there were reports of the railroads (WAB and LV) being somewhat miffed at the switch, as the interior layouts of the respective cars were not the same, and passengers were not happy with the changes.

I have been on the NOPB car, and have to say the rebuilder did a magnificent job on the car. The interior, (with only a few relatively minor changes) was returned to it's "as built" appearance, including all the artwork, brass fans, light fixtures and the like. Truly beautiful work.

Kent McClure
MRM

No one car. Just love to see the list. I enjoy following the cars. Every year as you know there's less and less.