The Feather River Rail Society Board of Directors has accepted a donation proposal for TS 0565-H from its current owner. The 0565-H is a wood-bodied, outside braced MOW bunk car rebuilt by the Western Pacific Railroad from a 1916 built Pullman boxcar.

A recent inspection revealed the car to be in good shape, mainly missing just its trucks and brake gear. Plans are currently being formed for movement of the car to Portola for eventual restoration. The interior is in excellent condition and contains a bank of paperwork cubby holes, perhaps installed for its role as the Escalon freight office.

TS 0565-H was acquired from the Western Pacific in 1960. Its acquisition was a direct result of the spectacular fire in Escalon, California that destroyed a cut of WP MOW cars and the TS Escalon Depot. Needing an office in Escalon, the Tidewater purchased this MOW bunk car from the WP to function as an office. It is not known when this use ended, but the 0565-H reportedly spent much of the early 1970's roaming the TS, SN and WP south of Oroville in MOW service. Its structure points to a WP 15001 series Pullman boxcar for its ancestry, being one of the scores of MOW cars the WP built from these venerable cars. Its disposition date is also unknown, but it was confirmed to still exist in August 2003. A private owner in Sacramento verified that the bunk car on his property was indeed TS 0565-H.

This is the only item of Tidewater Southern MOW equipment known to survive. In addition, it may be one of the only intact survivors from the WP's once large roster of outside braced bunk cars.

The car MUST BE MOVED by early August or it will be demolished to make way for new construction. Current estimates for loading, tiedown and trucking are running around $3000. Unless specified otherwise by the donors, any funds collected over those needed for shipping will be retained for restoration of the car.

If you wish to help, please send donations to FRRS - Tidewater Bunk Car, P O Box 608, Portola, CA, 96122.

For more information of the TS 0565-H, visit the Tidewater Southern website. If you have questions, you can e-mail Eugene Vicknair at evicknair@studiored.com.

Feather River Rail Society
evicknair@studiored.com