Recent photos of the Everett Railroad have shown that it has a combine from the Bessemer and Lake Erie.

Back in the 1980's, they had a really nice train set for sale, combine and a couple of coaches, don't recall exactly how many or the specific type of each. What I do recall was that it would make a really nice matched consist. We ended up not buying them, I think the price and cost of shipping was more than was in the budget.

Who purchased them and where did they end up? Does the Everett have more than just the combine? Are they now scattered or did they stay a set?

The B&LE combine 23 now in use by the Everett RR was originally built for B&LE c.1925 to NYC plans, even to the point of having "NYC" cast in the journal pedestals. It later served as diner A200 to accompany the B&LE business cars. In 1964 A200 was donated to Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. There it served as the museum store for a number of years until new buildings were erected. When the car no longer was relevant to PTM it was donated to the Washington-Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency. The TPA planned to display it on a siding next to their ex-B&O station in Washington. That plan ran afoul of the CSX refusal to move the car in order to get it from PTM to the station, which required a move through Pittsburgh interchanges. Meanwhile some work had been done on the car by Pennsylvania Transformer Technology Co. of Canonsburg on behalf of the TPA. The car then went through a succession of owners--while all the time remaining at the transformer plant--much to their dismay. In the end the Everett rescued the car and has returned it to its original state. Long story with a happy ending.

Not only is it a wonderful operating restoration and solidly done, but it has operating steam heat.... not sure how many there are of those out there.

OK, so then it's not part of the set I was looking it. The ones I saw were in Greenville, PA in about 1982-1985 or so??? They were still owned by the B&LE, but they were looking to get rid of them. They had a baggage car or combine and a couple of coaches. I don't recall a diner, but I only saw them once and don't recall exact details.

There were either 3 or 4 cars for sale, just perfect for recreating a local passenger train.

Anyone know what happened to those cars?

By chance, would you be think about the PAtrain (PL&E) coaches sold to CDOT in 1989(?).
They were refurbished prior to final sale.

Another of those cars, B&LE #25 combines has been restored at the Illinois Railway museum. A recent Latest News on their web site has some cosmetic work going on with the car.

I too had wondered about the car at PTM. The IRM people went there to get information about the car to restore their #25.

Ted Miles, IRM Member

I remember visiting the Greenville shops to inspect the cars being offered for sale, and seeing the combine, along with a couple of other cars. There was also a pre-war ex-Milwaulkee Road pre-war diner, with those unique horizontal ribs on the side sheets. There was also had an open parlor-type car with movable chairs, and an observation platform. The observation car struck me as looking like it may have started out life on the PRR, primarily due to it's trucks. I may have some photographs, somewhere in the many slide boxes. I'll try to look and post them if I find them. I also remember the kitchen was equipped with a full set of ex-Milwaukee road "Traveler" pattern china.

G.F.Payne
B'more, MD

No, definitely not. I rode those as a kid (and the B&O RDC's before them) and would not have confused the two. These older cars, heavyweights, with a very classic look. It was on the B&LE at Greenville, not the P&LE.

I don't recall those two, but it's been a long time. Maybe they were sold by then though, since our line was a former MILW line, so the MILW seems like it would have stood out.

I seem to recall that at the time I visited they had a real push to sell the cars, and had a couple of other folks looking at them as well (or maybe that was salesmanship trying to get us to move quickly). I've always wondered where they ended up.

Some comments:

The B&LE combine at IRM is number 25, not 35. (From their website)

When PTM personnel visit Greenville in 1964 to look over former combine 23, then A200, there were two B&LE business cars in the roundhouse. One had been on B&LE most or all of its life. The other had recently arrived from EJ&E and was obviously of MILW origin, given the carbody style. That car was said to replace A200 on B&LE. Sorry I don't have more details, but it's been a long time and my interest in those cars was casual. Perhaps these are the cars being disposed in the 1980s?