https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/loc ... rn-nevada/

A former Central Pacific car that carried dignitaries to the Golden Spike ceremony in 1869 is being restored at the Nevada State Railroad Museum for the 150th anniversary of the event.

(This was on the front page of the Las Vegas newspaper yesterday.....)

While I don't trust the newspaper to be accurate, it seems pretty clear from the article that NSRM plans to preserve the car--as opposed to "restoring" it. I imagine the "restoration" of a wooden car that age would result in the wholesale destruction of the artifact. It's probably one of the most important surviving cars in America. I certainly wouldn't want to be the guy who carried it bit by bit to the dumpster to make space for its replica.

Restoration would be the wrong word... the car is being stabilized and cleaned for public display. At 150 years old, while complete... the car was structurally failing... not from water or weather exposure, not from operating damage, but simply from age.

The car is currently in the shop in Carson City, having significant structural repairs made. A restoration/preservation report was prepared several years ago... It identified a quandary... The car's most significant moment was May 10, 1869 when it was Stanford's private car at Promontory for the Golden Spike ceremony... but it is not clear if there is enough information to return it to that phase of its existence. Furthermore, doing so would destroy original fabric.

It is not clear if the public will accept this weathered car as a national treasure, but good museum stewardship prevents us from simply rebuilding it "as we think it was"

Randy

Folks,
Since the museum has decided that it lacks the information to return this car to a very important day in railroad history; then I think a case should be made for building a model of the parlor car, to show the public.

If at some later date, so more information turns up, then it is easy to re-build a model.

I have stood in the V&T #17; it is an example of a nice 1880s passenger car and there are not so many of them around either!

Ted Miles, Nevada State Railroad Museum member

If they lack sufficient information to restore the car to a specific date then how would they build an accurate replica or model?

CCdW

And Ted, it is an 1860's car not 1880"s car.

But It was a V&T passenger coach in the 1880's

The car has a long history...
1) Built by the Central Pacific as a private or "Family" car in 1868, used by Stanford at the May 10th 1869 Golden Spike event. As built it had an accompanying provision car that contained the kitchen and some sleeping areas.
2) Used by CP as a private car, rebuilt to operate as a single car (kitchen installed)
3) Sold to Virginia and Truckee, used as a private car, No 25 (as such it made several trips cross country)
4) Converted by V&T to coach 17. Initially it was the "finest" and largest coach on the railroad
5) by the mid 1890's it was supplanted as the "finest" coach, initially as a back up car, then by the 1920's it was in picnic service
6) Sold to Hollywood... used in a number of movies
7) acquired by the Nevada State Railroad Museum

As built it had link and pin drawbars and hand brakes... over time it received miller hook couplers, then knuckle couplers... it received straight air then automatic air. As a coach the seats were replaced once... As it is currently configured, it is a secondary coach of the 1920's or 1930's... It is no longer the Central Pacific "Commisioner's Car"...

Randy

I've been lucky enough to see this car on a couple of occasions. The first time was during a tour of the museum's indoor storage areas, conducted by Mr. Huffman. After hearing the story behind it, I was amazed that this coach was the only piece of equipment to survive from that seminal moment in American History. For a railroad history buff, seeing it was a bit like viewing a religious relic. Were it not for the V&T's propensity to make their stuff last, we might have nothing at all from that day. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a photo of the car that day. The storage area was very dark and the quarters were pretty tight. In July of last year, I was fortunate to have a member of the museum staff escort me into the restoration shop for a quick photo of the car in much better conditions.

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/626245/

I applaud the museum's decision to leave the car as-is. While I thoroughly enjoy seeing the beautiful restorations that NSRM has done (Glenbrook, McKeen Motorcar, etc.), this is one case where I think "historic fabric" does matter. If we believe that this car has at least some of its original parts that were at Promontory Summit, it should be stabilized, preserved and displayed in its current state.

I would be interested to read any details that Chris or Randy might want to share with us about what their crew is doing to make the car stable and displayable. Clearly, the photos in the newspaper article indicate that there's a lot going on inside that car body.

/Kevin Madore

But it isn't that private car any more. Returning it would be building a replica with a few original parts. Alterations that happened during its operating years are all part of its history.

Tip of the hat to the work being done on the CP/VT #17 {?}. Wow what a unique/old car to have been saved. With the original style roof too!Thanks for the pic Kevin.

Not a wood coach person but the car sure has a few similarities as the East Jordan & Southern #2 which has a modified roof. Think it was rebuilt in 1889. I think the #2 is from the 1864 time frame. Windows and siding look very similar style. It too needed some serious reconstruction to save the car even for static display but will retain what we had to start with and that is about all you can do without "making a replica" out of it it. Here is pictures during its use and storage.

http://www.midcontinent.org/equipment-r ... outhern-2/

There has been a tremendous amount of work done to stabilize this car and its exterior is really going back together quickly. Interior won't be seriously started until exterior is completed from my understanding. There has been some "exploratory" work done on small sections interior. Regards, John.

Can you point out some places, where if you touch it with your finger you can say, "this is original to 1869"?

The majority of the car frame, body frame, the interior side walls, the ceiling cloth in the salon, side vents, roof structure and possibly the turne metal roof are original. The salon walls are made from former partitions. The platform hardware, truss rods and queen posts are original. I haven't counted nail holes, but the siding may be original...

That that is not original to 1869, but that is original to the car in later service includes the present trucks, couplers and air-brakes. The current car furniture was installed in this car c. 1920... Even the modifications are now nearly 100 years old...

I note that we continue to look for information that would allow an accurate restoration to its 1869 configuration...

In the mean time we will conserve the artifact, and present it as a very old car.

Randy

There are three things that make this car particularly interesting: First is the fact that it was at Promontory. (For the record, a Wasson coach being delivered from Massachusetts to the CPRR and at Promontory Summit on 10 May 1869 also still exists, though not in its original form, and not a car--on trucks--for many years. It is a wine shop in Calistoga, California). But, as interesting as this car's experience at Promontory happens to be, that really doesn't tell us anything about that event.

The second interesting thing is that the car exhibits the 1868 state-of-the-carbuilders'-art in its design. Its framework predates compression arches, inverted truss rods, and brace straining rods. It clearstory is probably only the third built on a CPRR car. This is pretty cool, and NSRM has opened up one side of the car so the viewer can see all this.

The third thing of interest is all the evidence of modifications, repairs, and patches done over the years to keep this car in service. Needless to say, ALL of that would be lost in a restoration.

Can one point to particular things and say they are original? Yes, and to countless things that date subsequent to its construction. The car is like a patchwork quilt, and many of the changes are indeed datable. (The siding dates to 1912, but the roof sheathing is original.) On the other hand, many changes are not datable. The fact is, very few people took pictures of cars. (The pictures that are known--1868, 1869, 1870, c1890,c1904, 1912, 1938--are of something else--the car just happened to be in the way.) But, by preserving the car, the clues relating to those changes are preserved for some future historian to piece together.

The key to stabilizing this car is a steel truss run down the middle of the car. This is one of those trusses you see holding up the roof of those big box stores. There is a factory that makes them in Nevada and NSRM restoration supervisor de Witt got one of those donated--and delivered--for the project. The car never had sill-to-sill needle beams, so de Will made steel ones (no confusing them with original material) and they are drawn up to that truss. (The car had a life-time accumulated sag of about one foot!) The load is still on the bolsters (which have failed) and the trucks. Once "planted" on standees, that problem will be relieved--and in time the truss might be removed to open the interior to more effective viewing. The interior paneling does appear to be original California laurel.

If someone wants to make a large scale model of this car as it was in 1868, contact NSRM. I bet Huffman would be happy to talk to you. The biggest unknown in its original appearance is the underside of the roof. There are no known interior photos before 1938, but evidence remains of the locations of the partitions.

The tie used for the four last ceremonial spikes was California Laurel.

The ceremonial tie was provided by a wealthy California tie contractor who supplied many ties to the CP. It survived until it burned in the San Francisco fire of April 18. 1906.