On the subject of Skytops, check out the link below to the great restoration being done on the "Coffee Creek".

Boyd

"Coffee Creek"
bowens@rypn.org

> Don't forget PRR 4668 stored indoors on the
> Escanba & Lake Superior.

Not doubting your word, Kurt, but I have PRR 4668 last listed at the Illinois Railway Museum. Much stuff as they have, I'm reasonably sure they wouldn't "lose" a PRR doodlebug!

Meanwhile, I was comparing notes with other Michigan U.P. and Wisconsin fans regarding what was in the secret stashes at the E&LS Wells shops; the PRR 4668 *never* came up in discussion, and I fail to see how or when such a notable car could be "sneaked" up to the E&LS since the reports of it being at the IRM.

In other notes, sad to say another PRR doodlebug, converted to a self-propelled overhead wire repair car, survived at an Amtrak shop in Odenton, MD until scrapped in the mid-1990s; it was the subject of an abortive preservation attempt by someone whose name shows up on this board now and then. In retrospect, given the actual condition of the car and the other 2-3 PRR doodlebugs that survive, it might have been a mercy killing.


LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

> Not doubting your word, Kurt, but I have PRR
> 4668 last listed at the Illinois Railway
> Museum. Much stuff as they have, I'm
> reasonably sure they wouldn't
> "lose" a PRR doodlebug!

Drat, I know it was here somewhere! Nope, it's not behind the GG1....

Sorry, couldn't resist. The 4668 was at IRM for a few years, but left about 1978 IIRC. It belonged to a private trust and was never accessioned. It wasn't operational and needed work. Don't recall exactly where it went after it was sold.

I am 100% certain. I have seen a picture of the car inside a building on the E&LS with the Sharks and the chapel car that was shot last year. The car was stored at IRM until the late 70's, then moved.

> Not doubting your word, Kurt, but I have PRR
> 4668 last listed at the Illinois Railway
> Museum. Much stuff as they have, I'm
> reasonably sure they wouldn't
> "lose" a PRR doodlebug!

> Meanwhile, I was comparing notes with other
> Michigan U.P. and Wisconsin fans regarding
> what was in the secret stashes at the
> E&LS Wells shops; the PRR 4668 *never*
> came up in discussion, and I fail to see how
> or when such a notable car could be
> "sneaked" up to the E&LS since
> the reports of it being at the IRM.

> In other notes, sad to say another PRR
> doodlebug, converted to a self-propelled
> overhead wire repair car, survived at an
> Amtrak shop in Odenton, MD until scrapped in
> the mid-1990s; it was the subject of an
> abortive preservation attempt by someone
> whose name shows up on this board now and
> then. In retrospect, given the actual
> condition of the car and the other 2-3 PRR
> doodlebugs that survive, it might have been
> a mercy killing.

A reply to an earlier mesage about the Baldwin Sharks:

"The Baldwin "Sharks" are owned by John Kunzie. He has been bugged by so many railfans over the years about the unit that he will no longer entertain any discussions. They are kept locked and secured in an enginehouse on the Escanaba & Lake Superior in Michigan. He also has ex-PRR doodlebug No. 4668 and a wooden chapel car locked in the same building, as well as other pieces of equipment. He started amassing equipment back in the 80's to start his own tourist railroad but it never came to pass. Best guess is that the units will someday go to IRM, based on his past alleigances. Bob R."

> Is there and list of whats at Wells? I know
> the Baldwin Sharks and one of the Chapel
> Cars (although I'm not sure which one), but
> what else?

TJ,

The Chapel Car is the St. Paul, the only surviving Roman Catholic Chapel Car. I hope that one day it will go to the B&O Museum. The museum is just over a mile from the Basilica of the Assumption, the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States.

The St Paul was operated by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and ended its service to the church in Montana. It was in a museum there until the late 80's or early 90's. It's sister car the St. Peter, came under the control of the Diocese of Raleigh, whose bishop had the furnishings removed and the car scrapped in the 1950's.

kevin.r.gillespie@verizon.net

> Would this RS-1 #57 be the current EPRY RS-1
> #57, located in Quakertown, PA? (attached is
> a picture of #57 and #3153 on the EPRY photo
> freight a few years ago.)

> And CP, thanks for asking the right
> questions about the 614 on the chaski board.

> JimE

Yes, Jim... that's the same RS-1. IIRC, the guy who bought the two pieces leased the RS unit to them after he sent it to CR's Juniata Shop to get refitted with roller bearing trucks.

Thanks for the comments on my questions for Ross on the Chaski board. I got the answers I figured I'd get. :-)

My Questions and Comments for Ross
Fiv4HghStk@aol.com

> A reply to an earlier mesage about the
> Baldwin Sharks:

> "The Baldwin "Sharks" are
> owned by John Kunzie. He has been bugged by
> so many railfans over the years about the
> unit that he will no longer entertain any
> discussions. They are kept locked and
> secured in an enginehouse on the Escanaba
> & Lake Superior in Michigan. He also has
> ex-PRR doodlebug No. 4668 and a wooden
> chapel car locked in the same building, as
> well as other pieces of equipment. He
> started amassing equipment back in the 80's
> to start his own tourist railroad but it
> never came to pass. Best guess is that the
> units will someday go to IRM, based on his
> past alleigances. Bob R."

I think we could offer a home to the 4668. Our museum is located in a town that was on a PRR main line and Pennsy doodlebugs ran on many lines throughout this part of Indiana. Of course, I am sure that there are other museums who would love to have the 4668 at their locations too.

Les Beckman (Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum/North Judson, Indiana)

midlandblb@cs.com