The Pacific Locomotive Association has an ex-Alameda Belt Line flatcar that was used on the ferry slip in Alameda. It was reported as being built using the underframe from an ATSF reefer that was built in the 1900-1910 time period. The car has arch bar trucks and I think it still has a K-brake (I'm at work and can't confim this-I'm writing this from memory). It is a truss rod car but has a steel center sill and has steel cross members. The wood decking is rotted to the point that it can be said to be gone but the stake post brackets are still there. The steel frame is still in good shape and could be restored as a flat car or be used as a frame for the restoration of a reefer.

This car has been deemed surplus to our collection and we are looking for a new home for it. Unfortunately there is very little chance that we would ever restore it since the PLA has so many other projects waiting to be done and it would have very limited use in our operations. Since we are storing the GGRM equipment while they look for a new home we are overly full and need trackspace. So looking over the collection to see what we can deaccess this car is number one on the list. Hopefully one of you out there knows of a good home for it.

We had two more sister cars that were used as open passenger cars on our Castro Point Railway and Niles Canyon Railway operations. These two cars were sold to the Roaring Camp Big Trees Railroad in Felton, CA.

The PLA will donate this car to any museum or historical group that is willing to remove it from our property. The only stipulation is that it be moved in a reasonably short time. We have new equipment coming in and need the track space. We transported a similar car by chaining the trucks to the frame and lifting it, trucks and all onto a standard 40' flat bed truck. I believe that it can be shipped with no oversize load restrictions. Since most of the deck is gone it isn't nearly as heavy as a complete flatcar.

Being preservationists we want to see it saved but if we have no takers we will probably cut it up for scrap.

Any of you connected to a museum or historical group or can get the word out to someone who is that can save this car, have them e-mail me at joemann2@verizon.net or joe.mann@novellus.com.

I have posted pictures of this car on the Yahoo "ATSF" Group website in a folder with the same name as the subject line above.

Thank you,

It's been over 2 months since I posted the message below about trying to find a new home for this flatcar. I have not had any interest shown by anyone to take it off of the PLA's hands and preserve it. Time is running out. If we don't find a home soon it will be parted out. I had hoped that someone with a desire to rebuild it as an early Santa Fe reefer would take it but instead I have neard nothing from anyone. Once again it's free to a good home, just come and get it, so if anyone wants to preserve it please contact me at joemann2@verizon.net.

Thanks,

Joe Mann
Collections Committee Chairman
Pacific Locomotive Assn.


[quote="JMann"]The Pacific Locomotive Association has an ex-Alameda Belt Line flatcar that was used on the ferry slip in Alameda. It was reported as being built using the underframe from an ATSF reefer that was built in the 1900-1910 time period. The car has arch bar trucks and I think it still has a K-brake (I'm at work and can't confim this-I'm writing this from memory). It is a truss rod car but has a steel center sill and has steel cross members. The wood decking is rotted to the point that it can be said to be gone but the stake post brackets are still there. The steel frame is still in good shape and could be restored as a flat car or be used as a frame for the restoration of a reefer.

This car has been deemed surplus to our collection and we are looking for a new home for it. Unfortunately there is very little chance that we would ever restore it since the PLA has so many other projects waiting to be done and it would have very limited use in our operations. Since we are storing the GGRM equipment while they look for a new home we are overly full and need trackspace. So looking over the collection to see what we can deaccess this car is number one on the list. Hopefully one of you out there knows of a good home for it.

We had two more sister cars that were used as open passenger cars on our Castro Point Railway and Niles Canyon Railway operations. These two cars were sold to the Roaring Camp Big Trees Railroad in Felton, CA.

The PLA will donate this car to any museum or historical group that is willing to remove it from our property. The only stipulation is that it be moved in a reasonably short time. We have new equipment coming in and need the track space. We transported a similar car by chaining the trucks to the frame and lifting it, trucks and all onto a standard 40' flat bed truck. I believe that it can be shipped with no oversize load restrictions. Since most of the deck is gone it isn't nearly as heavy as a complete flatcar.

Being preservationists we want to see it saved but if we have no takers we will probably cut it up for scrap.

Any of you connected to a museum or historical group or can get the word out to someone who is that can save this car, have them e-mail me at joemann2@verizon.net or joe.mann@novellus.com.

I have posted pictures of this car on the Yahoo "ATSF" Group website in a folder with the same name as the subject line above.

Thank you,[/img]