This may be all that's left of the Palm Haven sleeper. John Mills rescued it off the car before it was scrapped by M Katch(now Langley scrap metal) at Topeka.

This is the name sign off Palm Haven. I believe it was rescued off the car before it was scrapped at M Katch (now Langley Scrap metal) in Topeka. I have it hanging in my backyard patio.

Some Updates:


This first update isn't an AT&SF car, but seeing as how it was mentioned in this thread, I decided to include it here:

The car in question, built in 1951 by Budd in Lot #9628-110 to Plan #9526 as PRR Class PP85 Congressional 29 seat parlor-5 seat DR #7137 William Penn, later renamed Anthony Wayne, has been sold to Great Lakes Rail Car as GTLX #800792, with the name William Penn. These "Congo" parlors had galley spaces added by PC in the late 1960's, and were sold to Amtrak in 1971; the #7137 was intended as #3637, which was not applied, to buffet lounge #3322 in 1974, converted in 1981 to HEP lounge #3127, named Saratoga Inn in 1996 for service on the Adirondack, stored in 2001 at Beech Grove, exact sale date unknown. Was this car acquired directly from Amtrak by Chooch & Warbucks, LLC, or was there another party who acquired it circa 2001 and later sold it to C&W? Thanks in advance!

Next Update:

As reported in a Trainorders thread, Iowa Pacific has acquired 5 El Capitan Hi-Levels: 3 chairs, 1 chair-dormitory-transition, and 1 diner. These are 5 of the 8 cars which are listed on Phil Dohmen's DOMEmain website as owned by John Radovich/John's Trains Incorporated in Dallas. The cars were photographed enroute to Alamosa, CO, with DLT reporting marks, which somebody theorized might be DLTX, for Dale L. Thornborough. The cars acquired by Iowa Pacific are:

AT&SF 68 seat chair-transition #544 (Budd, Lot #9679-320, 1964), sold in 1971 to Amtrak #9918, converted in 1981 at Topeka to HEP 36 seat chair-16 bunk dormitory-transition #39918, retired in 2003.

AT&SF 80 seat diner #654 (Budd, Lot #9668-166, 1956), sold in 1971 to Amtrak #9984, converted in 1985 at Topeka? to HEP #39984, retired in 2003.

AT&SF 72 seat chair #707 (Budd, Lot #9670-166, 1956), sold in 1971 to Amtrak #9947, converted in 1981 at Topeka to HEP #39947, retired in 2003.

AT&SF 72 seat chair #709 (Budd, Lot #9670-166, 1956), sold in 1971 to Amtrak #9949, converted in 1981 at Topeka to HEP #39949, retired in 2003.

AT&SF 72 seat chair #723 (Budd, Lot #9670-166, 1956), sold in 1971 to Amtrak #9963, converted in 1980 at Topeka to HEP #39963, retired in 2003.

Lastly, Another Iowa Pacific Update:

As I reported the other day in the Iowa Pacific roster thread, full dome #513 on the Mount Hood RR in Hood River, OR, has been repainted into a minimized version of Mount Hood's red, blue, and yellow pinstripe scheme for use on the dinner train. However, it appears that the planned name Columbia View was not applied. No word on if the name will be applied at a later date, or if the #509 will also be painted.

This information and the following photo were posted on Ed Ellis' Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/edellisrailroad/photos/a.739656286127836.1073741830.732238876869577/823339921092805/?type=1&theater

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/11059613_823339921092805_2213793583963574783_n.jpg?oh=32297d32e6a78f9c865fcd79bd9685d3&oe=560A7CBB



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Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

As noted by Topfuel over in the Iowa Pacific thread, Ed Ellis posted in the Trainorders thread that the 5 Hi-Levels being used by Iowa Pacific are on lease, and the reporting mark is actually DALT, for Dallas Terminal Railway. These cars have already been placed back into service, having been used on the Polar Express in Lubbock.

As reported in the CCN auction thread, the #3090 was moved to Delaware, OH, and is now for sale: http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38687

The following info is what we (ORHS) have on 3145 and 3155 (to the best of our knowledge):

3145 sold in 1970 to Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York and converted to 86 seat commuter coach #2429. Sold/donated in 1985 to Connecticut Valley Railroad Museum, then to Orrville Railroad Heritage Society later in 1985. Sold in 2006 to the Erie Station Grille in Tallmadge, OH.

3155 sold in 1970 to Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York and converted to 86 seat commuter coach #2438 for operation on the Westchester - Harlem commuter line. MTA donated the car in 1985 to the Connecticut Valley Railroad Museum. Later that same year, the 2438 was sold for scrap. Purchased by ORHS in 1986, renumbered RPCX 103. The car was converted to 68 seats and satellite food service. Involved in the July 2014 Bellevue derailment. Sold August 2015 for use at the Florida Railroad Museum.

Eric Schlentner

CVRM purchased these two cars and two other stainless steel coaches from the scrapper who bought the large (125+ cars) lot of surplus/fire-damaged Metro-North cars, and moved them to Cedar Hill Yard in New Haven, Conn. in 1985, for scrapping. The cars were not donated to CVRM.

CVRM sold the four cars to Bill Furhring (sp?) at about that same time. I believe he sold/transferred them to the Orrville group.

I saw the four cars in the batch of junkers, and thought they were too good to die in the pitiful remains of the once-largest freight yard in New England, so I contacted Bill.

Howard P.

Our notes on the histories of 3145 and 3155 prior to the acquisition of these cars by ORHS are admittedly a tad murky. This occurred well before my time there. We do have documentation that 3145 was purchased directly from CVRM. Of course, that doesn't mean it wasn't at the scrap yard already. It could have been a quick flip. 3145 and 3155 were mostly tubed out before we got them. The plan for 3145 was to remove anything else remaining inside and convert it to a high capacity coach but a crack was found in the frame and the car sat in limbo while repairs/costs were contemplated and other projects superseded. Thus, the sale to the restaurant.

Eric S.

The stainless steel coaches CVRM bought from the scrapper were all at Cedar Hill, where the scrapper had leased part of the old NH yard for cutting up the MNCR/MTA coaches and MU cars, along with Amtrak RS-3s later that year and in early 1986.

CVRM did not physically take possession of the four coaches, but "flipped" them to Bill.

CVRM did not receive any of those cars as a donation from MTA/MNCR/CDOT/scrapper. CVRM bought 'em and sold 'em, cash money (checks accepted with valid ID, LOL).

Howard P.

I did a little bit of digging in some of the old, dusty records. The #2429/3145 was purchased directly from CVRM with at least two other cars - #2473 and #2427. #2438/3155 may have also been a part of that deal making the four cars you mentioned. That fits with the flip scenario. The waybills for #2429, 2427 and 2473 show that they were picked up by Conrail in New Haven in Sept, '85 for delivery. So that fits with them being in New Haven. I haven't found the waybill for 2438/3155 yet. The #2427 and #2473 were parted out and scrapped in Orrville due to badly cracked frames that weren't economically feasible to repair.

I saw some incorrect status markers for some coaches through 3072 to 3101. Here is a full roster of what is currently at the Indiana Transportation Museum, which holds the majority of those who were marked "condition unknown."

1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3072 Budd Coach Stainless - 84 Operational*
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3078 Budd Coach Stainless - 82 Operational*
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3080 Budd Coach Stainless - 84 Stored
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3081 Budd Coach Stainless - 84 Operational*
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3082 Budd Coach Stainless - 84 Stored
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3083 Budd Coach Stainless - 84 Stored
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3092 Budd Coach Stainless - 84 Operational*
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3093 Budd Coach Stainless - 82 Operational*
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3094 Budd Coach Stainless - 84 Stored
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3095 Budd Coach Stainless Stored
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3096 Budd Coach Stainless - 84 Operational*
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3097 Budd Coach Stainless - 78 – Gift Shop Overhaul
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3098 Budd Coach Stainless - 84 Stored
1937 Santa Fe (ITM) 3099 Budd Coach Stainless - 80 – Gift Shop Operational*

Thanks, itm426, for the info! Do you know the identity of the 15th nee-Santa Fe car which ITM acquired, but which was damaged by fire (and presumably scrapped)? Thanks in advance!

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Have a Merry Christmas!

Memory wants to say it was 3087 or 3088. It was scrapped, but whatever was salvageable was recovered; items such as trucks and some underbody stuff was saved. Final cut-up was in 99 or around there.

Thanks, itm426, for the info! It would have been the #3088, as the #3087 was acquired by the Wyoming & Colorado and named Laramie, and is now owned by the Verde Canyon RR.

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Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Have a Merry Christmas!

It is fascinating to see how many have been preserved, with just a few going to the scrapper or wrecked. Preservationists are surely benefiting from the all-stainless construction that has fought off major deterioration.