Hi to you all

Just got round to posting pictures of our exciting and very very rare discovery here in Cheyenne...now for the fundraising plans !!

Anyone wishing to assist and help us obtain a building for our car and this new one please contact me at any time.

pictures can be found at

http://mikepannell254.fotopic.net/c1602457.html

Mike, Thank's for sharing the photo's of your discoveries.I really like the photo's showing the old glass and fancy woodwork.These cars must have been quite ornate back in their day and the craftsmanship alone is something gone forever.The artifacts from car 525 such as the wood ventilator panel with the car number and the old Colorado & Southern glass is fascinating to me.Even though the glass is broken it is still a wonderful example of what once was.

I have a few questions.Were these Wagner cars owned by other RR's or did Wagner own them and lease them to the RR's for use between certain destinations? I know little of old passenger cars.Was the Wagner name painted on the outside of the car like Pullman was on some cars? One reason i'm asking this and this somewhat pertains to finding old RR items in RR cars and in depots,but since it pertains to Wagner i was wondering.When i brought home the brittle old paperwork from the Norwalk LS&MS depot before it was demolished i thought i had seen some Wagner paperwork.

I got it out this morning and there was 15-20 pcs. of paper that have Wagner Palace Car Co's Ticket Agent on them.On them is written the car names and number of seats or sections sold on peticular cars going to Chicago so i was wondering about the above questions asked.I've attached a photo of 2 of them from May & Aug. of 1895 Even though they are brittle and falling apart the information on them such as the car names it is a glimpse back in time of those Wagner cars that traveled to Chicago.

here is a thought. In the articles archives of this web site; there is a multipart series on a wooden passenger car that was in terrible condition and how one person rebuilt it.

You might want to take a look at the series.

another place that has done a lot of work on passenger car is the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel in Cranbrook, BC. They have a fleet of over 30 cars and some of them are wooden cars others are steel with wood interiors.

The Barney and Smith Car Company in Ohio was a major builder. There was a book on them about 10 years ago. You may want to buy a copy or Inter-Library Loan a copy.

Ted Miles

You sure have your work cut out for you. There doesn't look to be too much good wood left but the bones are there and in most instances, that is more then enough to rebuild it. A long trip indeed but one that will be well worth it in the end. Good luck on these projects.

Later!
Mr. Ed

Wagner was an operator of sleeping cars in the same manner that Pullman was. It would contract with railroads to supply sleeping car service on the railroad. Most of Wagner's business was New York Central, its subsidiaries, and lines in New England. NYC may have helped set up the company just to avoid dealing with Pullman. As I understand it, the railroads and the sleeping car companies shared revenue; but, the railroad guaranteed to absorb any losses in the operation and often paid the cost of new and up-to-date cars.

While Pullman expanded into the manufacturing of sleeping and all kinds of passenger and freight cars, Wagner was strictly an operator. It's cars were built by various car builders such as Barney & Smith.

In time, Pullman purchased its various competitors. The Wagner was the last major acquisition; it was obtained about 1900.