The Strasburg Rail RoadÂ’s self propelled Lancaster Oxford & Southern car emerged from the railroadÂ’s car shop yesterday freshly painted, and ready for service.

The car was rebuilt by the LO&S in 1915 from a coach to replace the failing narrow gaugeÂ’s steam powered passenger train. Over the years, its trucks were converted to standard gauge, and it passed through the hands of several owners until arriving at Strasburg.

The car is used at Strasburg in the off season when traffic doesnÂ’t warrant running a steam train, just like the old days.


Strasburg Rail Road

kelly@strasburgrailroad.com

> The Strasburg Rail RoadÂ’s self propelled
> Lancaster Oxford & Southern car emerged
> from the railroadÂ’s car shop yesterday
> freshly painted, and ready for service.

> The car was rebuilt by the LO&S in 1915
> from a coach to replace the failing narrow
> gaugeÂ’s steam powered passenger train. Over
> the years, its trucks were converted to
> standard gauge, and it passed through the
> hands of several owners until arriving at
> Strasburg.

> The car is used at Strasburg in the off
> season when traffic doesnÂ’t warrant running
> a steam train, just like the old days.

The survival of this car is amazing. Many railroads (both class 1 and short lines) rebuilt wooden passenger equipment into self propelled cars (using gasoline engines) in an effort to control costs. Eventually various builders saw the market and started turning out STEEL bodied "doodlebugs." The wooden passenger conversions usually were junked, or at best, converted back to regular passenger cars. That the LO&S car is still in existance is only somewhat short of a miracle! The question is, are any other wooden self propelled cars still in existance? And also, what type of propulsion does the LO&S car currently have? (I assume the original power plant is long gone.)

midlandblb@cs.com

> what type of propulsion does the LO&S
> car currently have? (I assume the original
> power plant is long gone.)

If my memory serves me correct, it's now a "Mopar Motorcar"... powered by a Dodge 440 V-8.

I believe the original prime mover was a marine type engine (I seem to recall the name of Buffalo as to the engine make).

BTW: LO&S #10 has a mechanical drive (to the front truck only) vs. being a gas-electric

Regards,
Jim Robinson

A thing of beauty. What a wonderful restoration job; gives me that much more of a reason to get to Strasburg!

TJG

> The Strasburg Rail RoadÂ’s self propelled
> Lancaster Oxford & Southern car emerged
> from the railroadÂ’s car shop yesterday
> freshly painted, and ready for service.

> The car was rebuilt by the LO&S in 1915
> from a coach to replace the failing narrow
> gaugeÂ’s steam powered passenger train. Over
> the years, its trucks were converted to
> standard gauge, and it passed through the
> hands of several owners until arriving at
> Strasburg.

> The car is used at Strasburg in the off
> season when traffic doesnÂ’t warrant running
> a steam train, just like the old days.


Port Huron Museum

tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

Looks stunning! For those that don't know, I was told by the Strasburg people a few weeks back when I visited that all their equipment is hand-painted (no spray). The new paint job on the former Paradise business car is also amazing. You'd never suspect it was anything other than sprayed.

Is there anyone at the Railroad willing to share some of your secrets and techniques for hand painting, especially on the metal cars? Thanks!

Boy, did that car get around! I have post cards of it at the Wolfeboro RR in NH, in Massachusetts, and now back in Pennsylvania.

The only other gas mechanicals that I know of that don't use traction motors are the ex Johnstown Traction Co car now at Kingston , NY with a home built gas engine system from the Stone Mountain Scenic RR.

And the Railroad Museum of Califirnia has a gas car with the original 1910s engine. It is the Nevada Copper Belt #21 built by Hall-Scott Motor Car CO in 1911. Both these cars have steel bodies.


ted_miles@nps.gov