I recall many years ago, PRR Middle River ( one of the cars on the list ) being left in Hialeah Florida. Car was then scrapped, with the trucks being used under at the time New Orleans area New York Central diner 448 which was intended to be used with with rest of New Orleans Chapter NRHS Budd NYC cars...

Trucks were rebuilt for Amtrak operation, and are currently under New York Central diner 448 / Amtrak # 800448.


Dean Levin

SOU 808 "Sheffield" was renamed "Birmingham" by the Heart of Dixie Railroad Club and later scrapped.

L&N RPO 1120 was not wrecked in Woodstock, AL in 1951 and is still at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum along with sister car 1121. L&N later converted these cars to full-length baggage cars and renumbered them 1550 and 1551 respectively. 1120 was actually used in the Alabama Reunion Train in 1989. Both cars are now used for storage at the museum.

Thanks, Steve, for the additional technical information regarding the 452-458-45x-whatever quandary!

Thanks to both Topfuel and Dean, for the information about the scrapping of the "Middle River" and the use of the rebuilt trucks under Budd NYC diner #448!

Thanks, sou2404, for the information on the renaming and later scrapping of SOU #808, and for the clarifying information on L&N mail cars #1120 & #1121!

Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Hayneshopcat & ETA--

I found a picture of the "Fort Monmouth" on Jerry LaBoda's photo links, and also some pictures of the "Fort Benning". The photographer stated that the "Fort Benning" was set on fire by vandals! Can anyone confirm that the "Fort Benning" does indeed have fire damage, and how severe the damage is, or is it false information?

Here's the history of the "Fort Monmouth":

ACL baggage dormitory 22 seat coach #106 constructed in 1947 by Budd in Lot #96811. Rebuilt to baggage dormitory (14 bunks) #106 in 1962. To SCL #5018. To Amtrak in 1971 as #1518. Retired and sold in 10/1980 to Melco Labs as MELX #1518 and named "Fort Monmouth". To shopping center developer in Yakima, WA, and used as space for the "Track 29 Dining Company Limited Restaurant" and as an office for "Delaney Electric". Still in Yakima as of July 2013.

Pictures:

1. MELX #1518 in Hammond, IN: http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1968278 (Tom Golden photo)

2. MELX #692 in Birmingham, AL: http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3451014 (Bob Hasty photo)

Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

I can confirm for you without a doubt that there is some evidence of fire but the damage seems to be limited to just discoloration in a small area on the square end. We've found no evidence of cracking or weakening of the stainless which is common among Budd cars that have been on fire. We have been lead to believe that the car itself was not on fire but that it was a building the car was in or next to that caught fire. The damage was evidently not noticed by those that used the car at Track 29 as they never bothered to clean up the soot. I had heard once upon a time that it was a fire at the station in Seattle but I have not done the necessary digging to confirm that. At this point I don't think we have any damage that a scrub brush will not take care of.

I can also add that the Fort Monmouth does not have its original trucks. What's under it now are ex Santa Fe trucks with very little brake rigging or springing. The wheels are freight car wheels with freight car adapters. I believe that someone out west purchased the trucks and wheels from the Fort Monmouth as well as the couplers from both cars. When we bought the Benning it was missing both couplers. The trucks under the Benning are original. I suspect that the person that bought the trucks from the Fort Monmouth discovered that one end of the Benning is 6x11 and the other end is 5.5x10. That coupled with the Hyatt Roller bearings rather than the Amtrak APEE bearings made the trucks and wheels pretty undesirable. We put couplers in the car and converted the airbrakes to ABDX as the D-22's were gone as well. We did very little work to the trucks and the car behaved itself from Yakima to Oak Ridge. I helped set the car out on our interchange on Easter Sunday Morning just before sunrise.

Chris Williams

I'm sure I'll screw up the details as this is from memory. In 1984 while owned by Melco Labs, both cars were stored at Portland Union Station. Vagrants managed to catch the train shed on fire with the cars there. We speculate that Melco filed a claim with insurance who "totaled" the cars and sold them for salvage. From there they went to Track 29 in Yakima.

As far as physical damage, I would say that the activities of the car's previous private owners was much more detrimental than the fire. Here is a picture so you can judge for your self. More are available on the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum Facebook page.

ETA

LOL........I was just sitting here debating which photo to post. ETA hits the nail on the head about the previous private owners doing much more damage than the fire did. I'd just about go out and set the thing back on fire myself for a few minutes if I could magically undo some of the crap that was done to this car in the late 1960's. We have a long road ahead to turn the Fort Benning back into a Tavern Lounge Observation. The best news of the day is that the car is now in the hands of folks who won't treat it like an office or a french whore house. Even with all that has been done to it, the car looks mighty fine coupled to the Fort McPherson which is where it is now. Now.........about that winning lottery ticket.

Thanks, ETA and Hayneshopcat, for the responses! Thanks also for posting the picture of the "Fort Benning"! It'll be fun to see the restoration take place over the next however-many several years!

Thanks, Tim Andrews, for the update on the ownership history of two of the SOU-owned 10-6 sleepers!

Excerpt from Tim's SOU sleeper list located back on Page 1 of this thread:



Tim provided an update over on the "Al Nippert and New Georgia: What Did They Own?" thread:



Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

"I'm sure I'll screw up the details as this is from memory. In 1984 while owned by Melco Labs, both cars were stored at Portland Union Station. Vagrants managed to catch the train shed on fire with the cars there. We speculate that Melco filed a claim with insurance who "totaled" the cars and sold them for salvage. From there they went to Track 29 in Yakima.

As far as physical damage, I would say that the activities of the car's previous private owners was much more detrimental than the fire. Here is a picture so you can judge for your self."



I would say this is pretty accurate except that if I remember correctly, the fire to the Fort Monmouth occurred at Seattle Union Station (not King Street), where the car was stored along with a former MILW biz car.

Yes, this car was butchered pretty badly by the Carowinds Amusement park guy, but at least it wasn't quite as bad as the hatchet job done on the former FEC St. Lucie Sound, another classic Budd 1947-era taven lounge observation car.

SOU #2010 "Rapidan River" (assigned to the Crescent). To private owner as "Rapidan River". Amtrak registration #800263. Current whereabouts unknown.

To Amtrak 2854 in 1979. Sold to Rich Kostura; Les Kasten; Bill Barrmore; Jim Carpi; Bill Wallace - Bananafish Tours for Mexico tour service. Car moved to Mexico. Company no longer in operation but car most likely still sitting in Mexicali.

"SOU #2007 "Otter River" to Amtrak in 1979 as #2815. To Anbel Corporation for Mexico. Anyone have info? (I don't have a copy of "The Cars That Went to Mexico"--I'll see if MEXLIST has anything)"

To Mexico as SCD 744 "Cuidad Obregon".

"SOU #2009 "Potomac River" to Amtrak in 1979 as #2816. To Anbel Corporation for Mexico. To NdeM as #745. (I'll check MEXLIST for info on #2009 as well.)"

To Mexico as SCD 745 "Nogales".

CNOTP 3401 "French Broad River" to Amtrak 1979 as #2862. Landlocked at Railway Exposition Co. museum in Covington, KY.

11. L&N #3400 "Mobile River" to Amtrak in 1971 as #2810. Retired at unknown date and stored at Beech Grove. Retirement date 6/2005! Sold or scrapped?

As noted previously, this car was long gone from Amtrak by 2005. Probably retired circa 1979. To Mexico as SCD 723 "Nigeria", most likely via Anbel Corp.

1. FEC "Brazil" sold to CN 12/1966* as #2133 "Ecum Secum River" to VIA Rail #2133 to private owner as "Ecum Secum River". Amtrak registration #800008. Anyone know the current location?

Sold to Montana Travel for parts; to Les Kasten - scrapped 1994.


2. FEC "Chile" sold to CN 12/1966* as #2134 "Nashweak River" to VIA Rail #2134**.

Sold to Larry Smith. Current wherabouts unclear.


4. FEC "Venezuela" sold to CN 12/1966* as #2132 "Moose River" to VIA Rail #2132**.

Sold to Bangor and Aroostook #105. For sale July 2002. May still be on BAR property.

14. PRR #8352 "Bush River"
15. PRR #8355 "Patapsco River"
16. PRR #8357 "Schuylkill River"
17. PRR #8358 "Susquehanna River"

These cars are all usually listed as having been retired and scrapped by PC circa 1971.

18. PRR #8356 "Raritan River". Wrecked 1968 - scrapped.