Word reached me tonight, and was confirmed through several other sources, that the passenger train operated by the North Shore Railroad empire--which included the Nittany & Bald Eagle and Lycoming Valley operations--will be removed to secure storage in an industrial park along one of the lines, and that at least two planned public excursions using this trainset (out of Bellefonte on the trackage usually/formerly operated by the RDCs of the Bellefonte Historical Railroad) have been canceled due to the sudden "unavailability" of this trainset.

According to at least three reports, the official who personally owned the passenger cars has left or been discharged from the company.

The passenger cars in question included a PRR P70 and B60, at least two Lackawanna MU's, a gutted heavyweight set up as a diner, a power car whose heritage was never clear to me, and a "business car;" in spite of the PRR paint I believe only the P70 (a refugee from the Tex-Mex RR and Adirondack Lake Placid Olympic operation) and B60 were ex-PRR. There was also a restored PRR N8 caboose, as well as a Reading wide-vision caboose that was just recently moved by road to his property. I believe--but can't be certain--that the passenger cars also include all the rolling stock of the former West Shore RR operation out of Lewisburg/Mifflinburg. One media report online cited the individual in question as owning a total of 14 passenger cars; counting everything I know of and have seen, that still leaves several cars I haven't seen or figured out.

As of yet, I have no reason to believe that any of these cars are actually "on the market," but just in case someone needs some decent, well-maintained rolling stock.....

[EDIT: A source closer to the equipment reports that, as of yesterday, the passenger stock HAD NOT been sent to the industrial park yet, but was sitting in its normal location deep within NS/North Shore's "joint" Northumberland Yard.....]

Updated by others contacting me:

Best photo found yet of the line-up:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 650&nseq=2

The three coaches are ex-DL&W MU's; the sleeper is supposedly ex-PRR and currently named "Spirit of Sunbury"; the baggage car depicted is former NYC.
Not shown on this particular train: the ex-WTSE P-70, the ex-WTSE Jersey Central "diner," a former Conrail track inspection car, and a former (UP/C&NW??) power car.

In dead storage elsewhere on the "empire": a gutted PRR P-70 and a BM-85 mail-baggage car, and supposedly two further Lackawanna MU's acquired long ago on spec by the same restaurant owner that has two of them built into Front Street Station, the ex-PRR depot at Northumberland.

Discussion continues in my inbox as to who exactly owns the former EL business car, named "Phoebe Snow" and confirmed as in indoor storage in central Pennsylvania. It was seen on a few NSHR/etc "inspection trains" over the last few years, still in EL colors. And, yes, the ELDCPS knows about it.

...that sucks for the 10 planned christmas trains run by the Lycoming County Visitors Bureau on Dec 11,12 and 13th.

I believe that the lightweight car shown in the photo is actually a pre-war ex-NYC sleeper lounge, but I have never been able to determine exactly which car it is.