There was an earlier message indicating that the Sunbeam may have been restored from just two photos. A car restorer usually has far more resources including those of the various railway encyclopedias, historical societies and archives. In the case of the IRM Pullman Library archive, we supplied to the curator at Hildene more than 20 drawings, most of them drawings used for constructing parts for the Ortega, lot 1415 and including floor plan 445F, built 1888, later to be rebuilt into the Sunbeam, Plan 1920A in 1903. I show lot 1415 was for three cars: Ortega, Venandito, and Castano but Ralph Barger's "A Century of Pullman Cars - Vol. II The Palace Cars" shows a more complex path. We also supplied the drawing list for Plan 1920A. Recently a researcher told us that the drawings proved quite useful, the first we heard of their use to restore the car. Hats off to the restoration people for staying true to prototype. Keep us in mind for your restoration or historical researches from the 1890's through 1950's: Osgood Bradley, Pullman, Standard Steel Car, Haskell & Barker (finally transferred to flat files).
Ted Anderson, Pullman Library, Illinois Railway Museum

This car is absolutely magnificent - a real jewel with a great name.

Congrats to all involved!



I would like to know more about this possibility.

I just read "FDR's Funeral Train". I am a bit rusty here, but the train that brought FDR back was already laying over in Atlanta from the trip down. They added the Conneaut to the train to carry the body back, but I am sure that Sunshine was not in the consist.

Wesley

You are right -- to my knowledge, there were no wood cars in FDR's funeral train consist (or his regular POTUS train consist either). I don't know where folks got the idea that the "Sunbeam" was in FDR's consist, but it doesn't make sense.

The "Conneaut" was part of the regular consist of FDR's trains on the Southern, and was used by secret service and other support personnel. The wide windows in the solarium and the rear windows gave secret service a pretty good view of the area around FDR's car ("Ferdinand Magellan") on the rear of the train.

After FDR died, he was placed in a casket, which wouldn't fit in the "Magellan", either through the door or through the window. The "Conneaut" had wide windows in the solarium through which the casket would fit, and that's why FDR's body was in that car instead of the "Magellan". This also explains why the "Conneaut" was on the rear of FDR's funeral train.

--Bill Schafer

Bill -

Do you happen to know if "Conneaut" still exists?

Les

So, what/where was the C&WC??

Charleston & Western Carolina Ry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston ... na_Railway

I recall that Conneaut was later used by Strates Shows. It was damaged in Wilkes Barre during Hurricane Agnes in 1972 and was scrapped.

Wesley

It is my understanding that there was another Pullman car called the Sunbeam...it was a steel heavyweight in the "Sun" series...such as the Sundawn. It is much, much more likely that the later Sunbeam was used in the FDR train and NOT the wooden Sunbeam we see here.

T7

There was another Pullman named SUNBEAM.

This is from Tom Madden's database on his The Pullman Project website:
SUNBEAM Plan 3975B built 20-Sep-27 Lot 6076 This car is noted as receiving air conditioning 7-Dec-34 It is noted as being painted into SAL Maroon & gray on 10/30/51. Sold to Erie Mining Co. 29-Jun-56.

From Wayner Publications' The Complete Roster of Heavyweight Pullman Cars:
Plan 3975B were 2 Compartment, 1 Drawing Room, Buffet and Lounge with Sun Room.
This was an 12 car order completed September-October, 1929.
8 cars (SUNBEAM to SUNSHINE) for the "Sunshine Special"
4 cars (TEXAS CITY to TEXAS ROUTE) for the "Texas Special"
Wayner lists the disposition of all the cars.

What happened to the interior shot showing the bunk arrangement? It was in the first set of shots but has now disappeared. I was wanting to forward them to some fellow carriage restorationists.
Cheers, Bob

Just doing some editing, Bob.

Holy Private Varnish Batman! That's amazing! What a magnificent restoration! (Nice job on the HDR photo too...)

In the second shot, there seems to be an awful lot of open space. Would there have been a dining table in the center of the car there originally?

Thanks, Stephen. I didn't think I was going mad!
Cheers, Bob