Two KCS 14-4 Pullmans(PS 1948) ended up in Mexico.

HARVEY COUCH was sold by a private owner in the US thru a broker to become SCD 708 RIO BALSAS. This car was supposedly scrapped at Huehuetoca in June of 2000.

WILLIAM BUCHANAN was sold to Railtours International to become RED CLOUD, based at Mexicali, later sold to a Richard Rouse(?)......last spotted in December of 2000 at Benjamin Hill as SPANISH EYES, basking in the sun.

Has anyone seen SPANISH EYES lately? Anyone have pictures of either car in Mexico?

In response to your question, I bought the Harvey Couch in June, 1980 or '81 from Lancelot Erickson then sold it to Anbel Corp which then sold it to SCD in Mexico. I rode the car from Wisconsin to the Anbel shop at Sayre, PA (ex-LVRR shop) where it was re-painted for SCD. The car ran over Soo Line to Chicago then N&W (ex-NKP) from Chicago to Buffalo and CR from Buffalo to Sayre. (Anbel allowed me to route the cars I rode so I picked the NKP routing just to ride that line).

The car had been painted in a horrible job by Autoliner to Amtrak colors and that paint was flaking badly when I bought it. Anbel water blasted the Amtrak paint off which revealed the original KCS paint as the blasting continued. When the car was ready for shipment, I escorted (rode) it to Laredo for delivery to SCD. I have severaal slides of the car from when I bought it to when I delivered it to Mexico.

I remember the car having a virtually perfect interior of original colors, fabrics and carpet,etc. and that it rode very well. None of that was changed so it went to Mexico with only the exterior color changed to SCD's dark green with orange hand rails, etc. All the lettering was applied by SCD after they took delivery. I'm sorry to hear that it was scrapped.

-Jim Herron