I worked with Conway Scenic RR and know quite a bit about this car. The windows are boarded up because the car had the unfortunate luck to have been spotted next to the coal pile, and was a favorite target of chunk throwing miscreants.
The car was origionally a coach and later was converted into a rolling classroom along with a separate sleeping cabin for the instructor. It's still in this configuration right down to the ashtrays for the students!
The origional trucks for this car were removed and swapped with the trucks from the 1898 Pullman parlor Getrude Emma (Libertas) which runs on their Valley trains.
A crime was committed here in my opinion because Gertrudes origional wood frame trucks were crushed under the weight of the 2001, and I heard a couple loud cracks when the crane set it down. The trucks cannot swivel and are shimmed with blocks under the frame. The car can only be moved in a straight line very slowly.
The Conway Scenic could restore the original trucks and place them back under Gertrude. They have an extra set,without wheels, setting over by the roundhouse that could be used as a pattern.I'd even volunteer to do it if they'd agree.
The body of the 2001 has the usual rust problems, but isn't terrible. CSRR was going to convert the car to a bunk car to replace the aged Boston, Concord and Montreal car being used now. They had someone look at it to scrap it, but they determined that the car was insulated with asbestos and the scrapper wouldn't touch it.
Thats why the 2001 is available so cheap.
I'm not so sure about the asbestos though. I've looked at it and it looks to me like horse hair. I've found that Pullman did use horse hair for insulation behind the walls, so someone who knows the difference needs to look at it.
2001 could be a very nice car if you can get the original trucks back under it, or another set of triple axel trucks to fit.
I wish I had the money to save it myself.
Brian Hebert
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