As promised, here are links to diagrams of the cars we have been talking about:

This is car 49, as built by Barney & Smith in 1911:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5124/5209544877_6b52802ba0_b.jpg

This is car 52 as built by AC&F in 1921:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5209544897_ec80e94d76_b.jpg

And this is car 54 after rebuilding from a buffett-baggage car in 1927, note the shower in the vestibule clearly labled:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5246/5209544901_a7e98a745c_b.jpg




Well, I wouldn't say they didn't have Pullman built business cars; car 50 (originally 999) was built by Pullman in 1892, and car 51 was converted in 1909 from a Pullman tourist sleeper built in 1898. Both were converted to work cars in the 40's and scrapped in the 60's. But, the Soo did seem to have an extremely close relationship with the Barney & Smith firm between 1902 and 1914, and almost all the passenger cars purchased during that period came from that firm, including all the original steel equipment. After that firm became financially shaky, the next passenger car orders went to AC&F, Brian has cited the lot numbers in another message, and then the Soo finally started buying from Pullman again during the late 20's. I think it was simply a matter of price.

Anyway, after the CP arranged for the Soo to lease the WC in 1909, the Soo was a Pullman client. While the Soo, controlled by the CP since 1888, originally followed their example by purchasing and operating their own sleeping car service, the WC had a different history (too long to go into here) and came to the Soo owning no sleeping cars of their own; contracting all routes to Pullman. The Soo's management seemed content to allow this to continue, and eventually the major routes on the Soo proper were contracted to Pullman, also; this eventually led to the joint operation of the Mountaineer service with CP being the one and only route that CP contracted directly with Pullman. The situation is a bit more complex than the railfan press have made it out to be, and it changed over time.

...so are the 49,52 and 54 the only remaining steel or steel sided wood bodied Soo business cars that remain today ?

Thanks

Dean Levin

There would be four, if you count the 1958 built MINNEAPOLIS, which was never assigned a number on the Soo. This Cor-ten car went to the Great Northern as their A2, and thence to BN and BNSF. Along the way it acquired both the name COLUMBIA RIVER and fluted stainless siding. I believe it is still in service.

Oh, and it has no shower in the vestibule, as it has no vestibule, but did have a shower room in the body of the car as built.

I don't know about the last business car that was extant in 1961; this was car 48 which was also a wood body on a steel underframe. Here is the info I have on it:

754 TWIN CITIES 4 Comp.-1 DR.-Buffet-Observation Barney & Smith 1909 Rebuilt with steel underframe by Pullman 6/26 and steel sheathing applied; Conv. to Office Car 48 (1st), 9/40; Sold 6/65

It was sold rather than converted to work service or scrapped, but I don't know to whom. This car was the least remodeled from its passenger service floor plan; it was essentially unchanged. The sister car 755 WINNIPEG became a camp car, and was sold in very poor condition to the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel in Cranbrook, BC, where it was scrapped and the underframe used to support the body of the slightly older observation car CURZON.

If anyone has more information on the final disposition of car 48, I'd like to know.

On edit: I've uploaded a diagram sheet for the 48 here:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5168/5214774937_e43d4861b4_b.jpg

Hi Stag
Just to clarify, The wood used in the Obs rm, two bed rms and Din rm. is 1/4 sawn cherry wood trimed in rosewood. the balance of the car is 1/4 sawn oak or paint grade wood
Dave Wolven
Caretaker for Soo #54 for the past 15 years