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 Post subject: Silver Chalet Fire Damage
PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2003 10:41 am 

On April 11, 2003 at 4:30am, there was a fire reported inside the Quadgraphics "Silver Chalet" OBS car while it was parked at their siding at Sussex, WI. It was reported that a seat cushion was left laying against a car heater, sparking the blaze. It has also been reported that this car had recently been returned from the repair shop for running gear repairs. No other cars or external property was damaged. Internal damages have been estimated at $130,000.
Quadgraphics plans to repair the car as soon as possible.
Photos of the car after the fire are at the link below:

Boyd

Silver Chalet Fire Damage Photos
bowens@rypn.org


  
 
 Post subject: Re: Silver Chalet Fire Damage
PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2003 11:05 am 

Looks like Silver Chalet got a hack job on its rear end somewhere along the way. Is that the original name of the car?

ryarger@rypn.org


  
 
 Post subject: Re: Silver Chalet Fire Damage
PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2003 11:08 am 

Yes. More photos and info here:

> Looks like Silver Chalet got a hack job on
> its rear end somewhere along the way. Is
> that the original name of the car?


http://www.trainweb.org/web_lurker/WP/
ryarger@rypn.org


  
 
 Post subject: Silver Crescent
PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2003 11:11 am 

A more inspiring story of Silver Crescent, damaged by Hurricane Andrew, now repaired and back at the Gold Coast RR Museum in Florida:


http://calzephyr.railfan.net/ghosts/screscent.html
ryarger@rypn.org


  
 
 Post subject: Re: Silver Chalet Orig. Name/Config *PIC*
PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2003 12:24 pm 

Silver Chalet is the original name of this ex-WP California Zephyr car which was conveyed to CB&Q in 1970 as a replacement for a car they owned which was burned while on WP property. Silver Chalet was built as a dome lounge dorm car with no vestibule, so its conversion to open-end observation was partly for practical reasons. The ex-CB&Q Silver Lounge (now Sierra Hotel) had a similar transformation in the late '80s, although its opservation platform is shorter and has a more square shape. In my opinion it's the better looking of the two.

> On April 11, 2003 at 4:30am, there was a
> fire reported inside the Quadgraphics
> "Silver Chalet" OBS car while it
> was parked at their siding at Sussex, WI. It
> was reported that a seat cushion was left
> laying against a car heater, sparking the
> blaze. It has also been reported that this
> car had recently been returned from the
> repair shop for running gear repairs. No
> other cars or external property was damaged.
> Internal damages have been estimated at
> $130,000.
> Quadgraphics plans to repair the car as soon
> as possible.
> Photos of the car after the fire are at the
> link below:

> Boyd


Image
davew833@yahoo.com


  
 
 Post subject: Re: Silver Chalet Fire Damage - Better Info
PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2003 8:18 am 

From the Sussex (WI) Sun Newspaper

Village of Sussex ­- Shortly after receiving the call at 4:30 a.m. Friday,
the Sussex Fire Department responded to a fire on a passenger train car on
the Canadian National Railroad tracks on Highway 74.

Five pieces of equipment and 32 firefighting personnel were on hand and had
the fire controlled within five minutes, according to Chief Corky Curtis,
but damage to the car is estimated at $130,000.

The car, owned by Quad/Graphics Inc., is a two-level domed passenger car.
The fire started, Curtis said, when some combustible material was placed
too close to a wall heater.

"When we arrived, there was smoke showing from the car," Curtis said. "The
fire was confined to a couple pieces of furniture and damaged a small area."

Curtis added that most of the estimated $130,000 was smoke damage. Three
other similar passenger cars owned by Quad were not damaged.

Upon arrival at the scene, a search of the car revealed that it was not
occupied.

"We had to treat it as if it were occupied," Curtis said. "After a search,
we found no one inside."

After extinguishing the fire, Curtis said, firefighters began ventilating
the car and investigating the cause of the fire. A Waukesha County
Sheriff's Department investigator also was called in to help with the
investigation. The scene was clear at 7:11 a.m.

The car, called the Silver Chalet, is one of four such rail cars
Quad/Graphics owns. They often served as temporary dwelling for employees
from outside of Sussex who receive training at the company's headquarters.
The cars also served as a means of travel for company events throughout the
state and the country, according to Quad/Graphics spokeswoman Claire Ho.

Despite the damage, the 55-year-old Silver Chalet will be restored, Ho
said. Originally part of Western Pacific Railroad's California Zephyr line,
the Silver Chalet carried passengers between Chicago and Oakland.

Quad purchased the Silver Chalet in 1987 and the late Quad/Graphics
President Harry V. Quadracci later bought the other three, called the
Silver Express, the Silver Lodge and the Silver Shore.

©Sussex Sun 2003


bowens@rypn.org


  
 
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