Anyone know the story of this car in Carthage, IN? It looks like an Erie modernized coach. Is someone working on it or does it have an uncertain fate?

This may belong to the Carthage Knightstown and Shirley RR.

http://cksrailroad.homestead.com/

Wesley

eldiner -

I just ran across a video on YouTube of one of the last runs on the CK&S, and which showed a car in the background parked on a siding in Carthage, Indiana. This may be the car you referenced but your photo no longer pops up here on RyPN. When I saw the video, I too wondered if this car might be ex-Erie. There is nothing about it on the CK&S website, and since they have closed the operation down, there probably won't be. So, is this an ex-Erie car? Anyone have any info? Thanks.

Les

If this question relates to the green heavyweight coach that appears among the images at the CK&S web site, I have your answer.

This car is a former NYC suburban MU coach, which operated on an under-running third rail and is recognizable by the "barrel door" that, when operated mid-train, covered the controls at (the car's) right-hand side.

These coaches were in the 42-4300 series, the last of which were retired about 1970.

Paul -

Thanks for your note, but that is NOT the car in question. In the video I mentioned, the NYC suburban MU coach was parked in back of the ex-Erie (or whatever it is) car.

Les

The car Les is referring to is a six axle modernized heavyweight.

I have a photo from last year but "the board attachment quota has been reached".

Alan Maples

Does that mean we have to go back and delete pictures we've put up on the site to get it back to be able to accept more pictures?

The one photo I can find of the car reported to be a former Erie coach does resemble those cars built by ERIE, though the photo is of very poor quality. The window in the vestibule door is a good indicator of its heritage... UP, the only other road I can think of off hand that modernized heavyweight coaches with sealed windows and the tapered roof ends, had their windows set higher. (IC had a few coaches that retained the original windows while having the tapered roof end.)

http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/d5/5a/27/d55a270e45ad5ae8dcc473145421ca14.jpg

Wonder if maybe this was the coach that use to be used on the Cuyahoga Valley Line, formerly operated by the Midwest Railway Preservation Society, or one of the two ex-ERIE coaches that use to be on the Detroit & Mackinac?

When I was at the CKS last spring, the car in your photo above did have a faint "Cuyahoga Valley Scenic" lettering visible. (barely) From the appearance of where it sat, it hadn't moved in a long while, or even been touched.

This is great to know... now if only some good shots of the car could be found...

There are a lot of options available for photo hosting, with many of them free. My personal preference is RR Picture Archives with Flickr likely being my second favorite (which really should be my first if truly large images are being uploaded given that the larger image can be viewed in its full glory... or gory depending on the condition of the item).

Jerry, don't forget the RF&P cars.... I don't for an instant think this is anything other than an Erie car, the RF&P cars having tightlocks not "E"s.

One question though -- most of these old Erie coaches look like they were really nice stuff once upon a time, but seem to have fallen on hard times. Is there a restored or well preserved example somewhere?

ETA

"Jerry, don't forget the RF&P cars.... I don't for an instant think this is anything other than an Erie car, the RF&P cars having tightlocks not 'E's."

Thanks for reminding me of these... they were a bit more extensive than most, with large lounges on both ends and one vestibule eliminated. I am glad that several examples remain with us... I just wonder how many of the ERIE cars are still around???

Sorry, was not thinking of taking photos when I saw it, I was attempting to keep a bunch of energetic Boy Scouts who wanted to earn the railroading merit badge from getting in the way of the crew trying to make a run-around move. Saw the car for a few moments among the "collection" of cars stored in Carthage; all but a few were unusable, and even the cars in the train badly needed a coat of paint; looked worse than the back lot at "XYZ RR museum". Both myself and one of the Boy Scout merit badge counselors agreed that the railroad looked to be on borrowed time without a major change, and soon. The merit badge counselor (who said he worked for a shortline company) also was not very convinced that the FRA would have approved of the operation's track or equipment: at all!

I'll see if the Boy Scout merit badge counselor can send me a photo; if he took any, and I'm thinking he may have.

I was able to find out that the car in question is former Erie modernized coach #1016 (same number on the EL).

The best (and only AFAIK) example of an operable Erie modernized coach is on the Ashtabula, Carson & Jefferson Scenic Railroad.

diningcar tim -

Thanks for that information. At least we now know that the car is Erie/EL #1016.


Les