Does anyone know anything about this mystery car listed on E-bay and posted over on SRRails? Auction ended Saturday with 0 bids on a starting bid of $100,000. Not sure if the link will work for long.http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 7&rd=1Text of auction:1898 PULLMAN PRIVATE OBSERVATION CAR, JUST OUT FIFTY SOME YEARS OF INDOOR STORAGE, THE CAR IS IN UNBELIEVABLE ORIGINAL CONDITION RIGHT DOWN TO THE SMALLEST DETAIL, ALL OAK INTERIOR, ALLEN PAPER WHEELS, ORIGINAL TRUCKS, ALL IN WORKING ORDER,FICTION BEARINGS, ORIGINAL COUPLERS AND RUNNING GEAR, ALL WOOD CONSTRUCTION, APPEARS NEVER TO HAVE BEEN DAMAGED, CHANGED AND OR UPDATED SINCE NEW, THE CAR HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR AND SHOWS VERY LITTLE WEAR, DOES HAVE ELECTRIC LIGHTS, THE CAR IS LAID OUT AS FOLLOWS, OBSERVATION ROOM- SIX CHAIRS-TWO SOFAS-AND TWO PULLMAN STANDARDS, NEXT, BATHROOM WITH TOILET AND SINK, FOLLOWED BY THE STATEROOM WITH SINK AND TOILET AND CREW QUARTERS WITH SINK AND TOILET COMBO, AND NEXT IS THE GALLEY AND THEN THE DINING ROOM WITH TABLE AND SEVEN CHAIRS AND FOLD DOWN SIDE TABLE, ALL THE ORIGINAL FURNITURE IS IN THE CAR, AND ALL THE GLASS APPEARS TO BE ORIGINAL AND ALL THE WINDOWS OPEN AND CLOSE LIKE NEW,THE CAR IS VERY SOLID AND HAS NO DECAY OR ROT ANYWHERE, THE CAR IS REALLY A TIME CAPSULE, UNBELIEVEABLE TO SEE A RAILROAD CAR OR ANY OTHER ITEM THIS OLD IN THIS KIND OF CONDITION, THERE IS VERY LITTLE RAILROAD/OWNER HISTORY ON THE CAR, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS HOW ORIGINAL AND COMPLETE THE CAR IS, and all transportation costs are included in the sale price to any location within the lower 48 states,IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS DO ASK Only interior shots were provided, no exterior.

From the photos, amazing!! Too bad not a single exterior shot. 1898 probably equals a trussrod design for a wood body. And why absolutely no info on the owner or origin? Does something smell fishy here? I wonder if e bay is the proper medium to try to sell such a thing? Seems like it would be under the radar for a lot of folks.And transportation included??? What does that mean for a car undoubtedly with friction bearings and paper wheels? De-truck it and go piggyback on two TTX cars?? I cannot see moving a car of any length over the road hauled by a semi and the car riding on dollies. Think Loveland Pass since a load like this might be banned from the tunnels!Oh well, missed that one.Bob Kutella

Um, are we sure this isn't one of the Henry Ford Museum deaccessioned cars?TJG

A comparison of the dining room photo from the eBay ad with the photo on page 311 of Mansions on Rails confirms to me it is the Munising Railway double ender, Boyne City Rwy, Cap Pinkerton (D&M Rwy) Ford Museum, then wherever.Steve Zuiderveen

I can offer a bit more information, having corresponded with the seller.He knows little of the car history, but believes it was owned by someone with ties to the California Central Valley or San Francisco as a private car, but not built for a railroad.The car does carry a number, 99 and has a small turtle painted on the letterboard on one end. That was added by a later owner. It has no other lettering on the exterior.He also believes it was Pullman lot 2360.It is stored indoors, but I am not certain where or how long it has been in the current location.

From everything that I have heard here I am 100% certain that this is the car that was deaccessioned from the Henry Ford Museum and sold through the broker DF Barnhardt about a year ago. Everthing that the auction lists is true about the car's amazing condition and the fact that it has paper wheels. The extremely breif Barnhardt listing said the car was built for a mining company near the town of Munising, MI in the Upper Peninsula. Additionally, the turtle was a symbol used by the Detroit and Mackinac (D&M) on their passenger trains - and the car was purchased and restored and donated to the Henry Ford along with several other pieces of equipment in the mid 1970's - all of which were lettered for the D&M.

Here are some images of the exterior of the car in question as provided by the seller:http://home.comcast.net/~wp94/99_1.jpghttp://home.comcast.net/~wp94/99_3.j ... 94/99t.jpg

I have to agree with Tom --- that's DEFINITELY the car. To my knowledge, this is the last piece of Munising Railway stock left ---- Oh, to have a poll barn and a winning lottery ticket.....TJG

Not quite. Munising coach #64 (then LS&I #64, then M&HM #64) is at North Freedom, but it's in pretty rough condition. Putting it under cover would be nice, to be sure.