Surviving GN Lightweight Cars

Rainier Rails · **Posted:** Fri Dec 11, 2015 7:40 am

green_elite_cab wrote:

I am trying to do research on these cars, but I've hit a snag. I cannot seem to identify which cars were painted which GN or BN paint scheme upon their delivery to NJ DOT (NJT).

I noticed that some of the listing say that the BN number was "not applied", though I have found photos of these cars in full BN paint with the GN numbers (specifically, a photo of GN 1139 at the CNJ shops prior to patching/rebuilding).

Looking at my notes, the following cars were painted in Cascade Green with BN numbers applied when sold to CNJ-NJDOT:

GN #1005/BN #4405 (NJDOT #112/NJT #5330), originally UP #5478.

GN #1118/BN #6008 (NJDOT #133/NJT #5328).

GN #1216/BN #4817 (NJDOT #110/NJT #5317).

GN/CB&Q #1219/BN #4820 (NJDOT #111/NJT #5311), transferred from GN to CB&Q in 1953.

GN #1225/BN #4826 (NJDOT #107/NJT #5314).

GN #1229/BN #4830 (NJDOT #118/NJT #5320).

As for the car mentioned as painted in Cascade Green but with the GN number of #1139, if applied it would have been BN #6011.

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Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Rainier Rails · **Posted:** Tue Feb 02, 2016 6:47 am

On Friday, March 14th, 2014, 8th Post on Page #2, Rainier Rails wrote:

Part Three: Coaches

Section C: 1937 Empire Builder P-S Coaches & 1955 Empire Builder Budd Dome Coaches:

Budd, 1955, Lot #9646-155:

Sixteen Cars, 1955, 46 seat leg rest chair-24 seat dome, Empire Builder:

GN #1331 to BN #4611 (not applied) and sold in 1971 to Amtrak #9471. Outshopped in 6/1976 in Amtrak Phase I. Converted in 1/1984 to Head End Power (HEP) #9410. Sold in 4/1995 to BKS Limited as BKSX #9410 for the Montana Rockies Daylight. MRD was acquired in 1998 by Oregon Rail Corporation/AOE and rebranded Montana Rockies Rail Tours/American Spirit, and #9410 was part of the sale of MRRT to Rail Quest America (RQAX) in 2001. Acquired in 2004 by Philip Sheridan-IFE Leasing as MRLX #9410. Leased from 2005 to 2007 to Alaska RR, then from 2009 to 2012 to CVSR as the Emerson (1st).

On Saturday, May 30th, 2015, 3rd Post on Page #3, Rainier Rails wrote:

The #9410 has been leased to TVRM for use on the Hiwassee River trips, along with former CP #15401/VIA #15501 dome sleeper lounge observation RPCX #15401 Algonquin Park. The #9410 has been renamed from Emerson (1st) to Jackson Square.

After having seen use on TVRM and NS steam trips, with Wabash colors applied (likely a vinyl application), the #9410 is now under lease to Iowa Pacific, still as MRLX #9410 Jackson Square, in Chocolate & Orange (again, likely vinyl). Used the consist of the Polar Express on the recently-acquired Grenada RY (ex-IC/CN Grenada Sub), as seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5TAdb86EiQ

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Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Rainier Rails · **Posted:** Wed Apr 24, 2019 4:07 am

Rainier Rails wrote:

AC&F, 1950-51, Lot #3444:

Six Cars, 1950-51, 60 seats, Mid-Century Empire Builder*:

*#1210-#1214 were assigned to the Builder, whereas #1209 served as a protection car, assigned to both the Mid-Century Empire Builder and the 1951 Western Star.

GN coaches #1209-#1210, #1212-#1214 diagram: http://fobnr.org/bncarlist/passenger/gn1209.jpg (FOBNR photo) (click once to enlarge)

GN #1212 to BN #6015 (not applied) and sold in 1971 to Andy's Diner and used at the Tukwila, WA, location with Mid-Century Empire Builder lounge observations #1291 St. Nicholas Mountain and #1294 Trempealeau Mountain, and CB&Q Texas Zephyr snack bar coaches #342 Silver Top and #344 Silver Spur. After the Tukwila location closed, the #1212 was sold at auction. Current status and location unknown.

weekendrailroader wrote:

Also, one BN passenger car, which I believe is former Great Northern, which also came from that Andy's Diner is used off and on as vendor space at Country Village in Bothell, WA.

Rainier Rails wrote:

As for the car in Bothell, I didn't know about that one and I'm curious to find out more. I had wondered about the other ex-Andy's cars, as I knew my info was incomplete.

Rainier Rails wrote:

Okay, finally got around to doing some digging for the ID of that mystery BN car in Bothell that had previously been part of the Tukwila location of Andy's Diner. The car in question was built by Budd in 1937 in Lot #981 as FW&D 52 seat coach (chair) #403 "Silver Top". One of four such cars (#400-#403) assigned to Denver-Dallas service. All four were transferred to the new Texas Zephyr in 1940, with the #403 reconfigured to a coach-dinette at that time. Coaches #400-#402 were renumbered to CB&Q #4658-#4660 in 1969. Concurrently, coach-dinette #403 was again reconfigured to a snack bar coach and renumbered to CB&Q #342.

weekendrailroader wrote:

That's not the car I was referring to in my previous postings. I was referring to the smoothside passenger car (labeled as a GN coach and painted in BN colors) which is located on the south side of Country Village, somewhat hidden behind a couple other buildings.

Rainier Rails wrote:

Ah-ha!

This would be GN 60 seat coach #1212, which is listed by Randall as being sold to Andy's Diner. The retirement date listed is 1971, but the year of sale to Andy's is not. As evidenced by the linked photo below, the #1212 was initially leased to Amtrak, but was not acquired. After the lease was terminated (at an unknown date), BN sold the #1212 to Andy's.

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1892708 (Ryan Kertis Collection)

As posted elsewhere, Country Village in Bothell is slated for redevelopment. The nee-FW&D chair was moved several years ago, but the #1212 is still on-site.

Classifieds listing: http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=43173

Mystery Cars thread: http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=37213

Thread from 2016: http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39728

_________________
Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

d500 · **Joined:** Sun Dec 27, 2015 5:29 pm **Posts:** 7

Does anyone know the status of the St. Nicholas Mountain and Going To The Sun Mountain observation lounge cars?

Rainier Rails · **Posted:** Wed Apr 24, 2019 10:17 pm

d500 wrote:

Does anyone know the status of the St. Nicholas Mountain and Going To The Sun Mountain observation lounge cars?

The Going-to-the-Sun Mountain is no longer part of the collection of the museum inside Kansas City Union Station, but was moved west to storage in a siding at La Posada, Winslow, AZ (but apparently not associated with the current ownership of the Harvey House there).

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,4479464

As for the St. Nicholas Mountain, as far as I know it is still owned by Ben Ringnalda and located at the WMSR.

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sun Jul 12, 2020 8:33 pm

Going-To-The-Sun Mountain apparently showed up today on the interchange track of the Midwest Railway Preservation Society in Brooklyn, Ohio, in the company of a green caboose and what looks like a MoPac observation car:

https://www.facebook.com/MidwestRailway ... =3&theater

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:09 pm

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

Going-To-The-Sun Mountain apparently showed up today on the interchange track of the Midwest Railway Preservation Society in Brooklyn, Ohio, in the company of a green caboose and what looks like a MoPac observation car:

I don't think that is a MoPac observation car. The car has the oversize observation room windows of Going to the Sun Mountain. Can this be a sister car?

VinylRailfan · **Posted:** Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:33 pm

Brian Norden wrote:

I don't think that is a MoPac observation car. The car has the oversize observation room windows of Going to the Sun Mountain. Can this be a sister car?

The other car is sister car GN 1291 "St. Nicholas Mountain".

Rainier Rails · **Posted:** Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:36 pm

Yes, that's another of the Mountain-series. You're seeing the original paint scheme, just that the Omaha Orange has faded almost completely to white. I am going to make an educated guess and say that that's the St. Nicholas Mountain that has been undergoing slow work on the WMSR, owned by Ben Ringnalda.

Unless I missed something, the other 3 (Appekunny, Cathedral, Trempealeau) haven't moved.

I should also note here while I'm at it, Appekunny isn't down on the California Northern anymore, but is now on the Portland & Western based out of their ex-SP yard in Albany, OR. Still in the white-and-green ARCZ/CANR paint scheme from the RailAmerica days, unless it has made it into a paint shop since I last saw it from the Starlight in 2018.

[EDIT: I see Vinyl posted right before I did, confirming my hypothesis.]

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2865

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

Going-To-The-Sun Mountain apparently showed up today on the interchange track of the Midwest Railway Preservation Society in Brooklyn, Ohio, in the company of a green caboose and what looks like a MoPac observation car:

https://www.facebook.com/MidwestRailway ... =3&theater

There was a thread on the green caboose a while back, it is ex-GN, I'll see if I can find the thread and add to it.

snm1291 · **Joined:** Fri Apr 05, 2019 9:40 am **Posts:** 3

Quote:

Yes, that's another of the Mountain-series. You're seeing the original paint scheme, just that the Omaha Orange has faded almost completely to white. I am going to make an educated guess and say that that's the St. Nicholas Mountain that has been undergoing slow work on the WMSR, owned by Ben Ringnalda.

It is indeed St. Nicholas Mountain. GN 1291. I decided to move the car together with GN 1292 "Going-to-the-Sun Mountain" and GN caboose X-7 to Cleveland where they will be stored and worked on.

The orange on St. Nicholas Mountain is actually not faded to white. It IS white, painted like that by Andy's Tukwila Restaurant when it was in use there. We actually discovered small patches of original orange and green where the painters in Tukwila couldn't get to.

Ben

rrpreservation · **Joined:** Fri Jun 03, 2011 7:40 pm **Posts:** 45

Good Evening!!

The Museum of Railway Workers purchased GN 1203 from the Colorado Railcar estate in 2009. Radar purchased it from Denver Railcar. Denver Railcar purchased it from Amtrak.

Rainier Rails · **Posted:** Fri Dec 02, 2022 9:04 pm

Few updates:

Ranch car #1242 Hidden Lake was acquired by the Niles Canyon RY in 2019: http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=46651

Full dome #1391 Ocean View was sold at auction by Amtrak in 2019 to Passenger Railcar Services Corp. (PAXX) and is now in regular service on the Western Maryland Scenic in the WM "Circus" scheme.

Dome chair #1323 was donated last month to the Lake Superior RR Museum: http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47029

filmteknik · **Posted:** Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:53 pm

Ocean View was seen today in CN’s ex-IC Markham Yard south of Chicago. No idea where it is going.

Topfuel · **Joined:** Sun Aug 29, 2004 4:49 pm **Posts:** 529

"Ocean View was seen today in CN’s ex-IC Markham Yard south of Chicago. No idea where it is going."

The ex-Ocean View has been sold to a "Class I RR". Maybe the CN? We'll see.