Well dang, Maybe they could rescue and restore that SP car from the other discussion? http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42850

Robert

I don't agree with that. The Santa Fe signature channel side sills were just that, a channel section with both flanges facing outward. This car is lacking the bottom flange, which is obviously turned inward.

I'm of the opinion that it is a wood car sheathed with steel, and either retrofitted with a steel underframe or dating to that brief period around 1910 when new wood bodied cars were being built on structural steel underframes. The treatment of the steel plate along the bottom edge of the letterboard over the steps really looks like a wood car, and the end railing pre-dates the heavy posts flanking the buffer that became common after WWI. Because of this I'd say it's either an official car or private car, for no other reason that few if any wood framed cars remained in service into the fifties.

This could possibly be ex-Southern Pacific RR 2901, built as an observation car and later owned by the Central Coast Railway Club in the early 1950s and used in excursion service until later acquired by the Sierra Railroad. A number of details on the rear end and window layout seem to line up.

James, I think you've nailed it.

The former SP 2901 is a wooden car built by Pullman Oct 1910 that received steel frame and sheathing in 1928 at Sacramento General Shops.

The image below is scanned from Southern Pacific Passenger Cars: Volume 5: Lounge, Dome & Parlor Cars published by SPH&TS 2012. Image on page 43; coverage about the car pages 40-46.

I think we have a match.





Railing around the platform, recessed end wall for the rear platform, rivet patterns, ventilator arrangements, smaller details like a conduit visible on the roof--all seem to match. It even seems the striped canvas chairs are visible in both shots (barely so in the movie still shot). The only other thing that would go to really, really confirm this would be a right hand shot of the entire SP car (which carries Central Pacific reporting marks) to confirm the window arrangement on that side with the very poor images in the 8mm film.

Darn, we still don't have really good images of the right side, but the car is still around, and apparently has been given some intensive restoration work.

http://s412909226.onlinehome.us/KPRMS/n ... r_2901.htm

http://s412909226.onlinehome.us/KPRMS/n ... trips.html

http://s412909226.onlinehome.us/KPRMS/n ... r_2901.htm

I also have a hunch the car isn't for sale.

There is one other possibility, and that is there was at least one other car on the roster, at least one identical sister. What hints at that is the history of the car, as provided by the Central Coast Chapter of the NRHS, doesn't mention her appearance in the movie at all.

http://s412909226.onlinehome.us/KPRMS/nrhs/nrhs.htm

Looks like there was at least one sister--but while she may have been born identical (the letterboard treatment, as commented above by Dennis Storzek, is that of a steel sheathed wooden car), but the rebuilding was not identical.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jacksnell707/5298399179

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=85177

Source:

http://passcarphotos.rypn.org/Indices/SP2.htm

I found another photo with a better side view in my collection which I’ll try to pot.

Here is the scan of the full image of SP/CP 2901 in the book.

SP/SP 2091 was retired 1/1956 and sold (or donated) to Central Coast Railway Club 7/12/1956. Later to Sierra and then to Railtown State Park.

Here are some views of the 2902 from the same book.

The SP/CP 2902 is an interesting car. It was originally owned by the UP; one of an order of 18 obs-lounge cars built in 1924. It was wrecked on the SP in 1928. SP bought the car and rebuilt it. Retired November 1956; sold to Pacific Coast Chapter, R&LHS June 1957; then to CSRM. Some of the sister cars on the UP were rebuilt into solarium obs cars and then into mid-train, modernized (streamlined) lounges.

On a 1950 railfan special.

Detail showing rivets:

Gentlemen,

This was an impressive pice of detective work on your parts, thank you!

It is a consolation to see that the car made it to historic preservation.

- Wm Osborn

piece not pice....

I found a 2016 photo here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lrmyers/30230776940 Would it be safe to suppose the State of California will maintain the car in a state of good preservation? It is starting to look bad, in this image.

- Wm Osborn

I was on an evening, doubled-head steam charter train (by PLA?) during the early 1970s with this car (SP 2901) on the tail end. I recall at night being on the rear platform of this wonderful, wood-interior car and looking up at the moon and thinking: here we're riding a steam powered train while there are astronauts on the moon!