Don't know if it's exactly what you're looking for, but Turtle Creek Railway out of Lebanon, Ohio has a nice open flat car type of passenger car they use on their excursion train. I do have one picture of it that I would gladly e-mail to you. I'd post it here but working this computer is my husband's forte, not mine but I'm sure he could help me send it to you or anyone else who might be interested.

Just Train Crazy,

-Angie

Ladypardus@cs.com

> Mark;

> The people down at the Heber have a couple
> of open passenger cars; I can find out some
> more, but it might be best to contact them
> directly. (If I said that these were made
> from frames of boxcars, I might be
> correct... they are certainly fairly recent)

More correctly John, they were all built on former flatcars. John Rimmasch has scheduled the building of at least one more "open air" car this spring in preparation for the visit of "Thomas".

We also use the "open air" cars as our primary ADA access for the trains--using a modified forklift to raise the disabled individual to the level of a gate on the side of the car. In the winter time, ADA access is through the baggage car door on the concession car (this involves pulling out some counter/cabinets--a bit of a hassle!).

sc 'doc' lewis


Heber Valley Railroad
utweyesguy@aol.com

The Buckingham Branch Railroad in Virginia built a couple of open cars out of old pulpwood flats. They used cattle gates for sides and named the cars "Moo 1" and "Moo 2". They work pretty well.

Open cars built from freight cars do tend to be rough riders.

AMaples@aol.com

Western Maryland used to run a special down the GC&E Sub out of Elkins WV each Fall as part of the Mountain State Forest Festival. The branch couldn't take regular passenger cars, so they used a dozen or so cabooses, and two camp cars for food, and they included three drop-end gons with the ends removed and bridges between them to serve as open air cars.

The Electric City Trolley Museum Association

> More correctly John, they were all built on
> former flatcars.

Oops, got corrected today...

One of Heber Valley's open air cars was a former box car.

The next open air will be built on the US Army flat that carried the torch from Soldier Hollow to Heber during the Torch Run prior to the 2002 Games.

Mark (and anyone else), John Rimmasch has offered help. Contact him at HVRR (1-435-654-5601 xt 105). HVRR can provide some drawings, he'd be glad to offer advise and recommendations, and if you're interested, is even willing to (for a fee) build your open air cars.

just passin' on the information...

-doc-

Heber Valley Railroad
utweyesguy@aol.com

>One word of caution. In the United States vintage
PASSENGER cars are exempt by statute from the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Homebuilt open cars are not exempt and so must comply with all ADA requirements. Freight cars and locomotives also are not exempt no matter what vintage. I have yet to see a caboose door or platform that is wide enough for a wheelchair.

It's only a question of time until some disabled persons activist group causes problems for a museum that operates cars that are not ADA compliant.

fkrock@pacbell.net