Rant post in announcements above, Please read.

Mike Tillger · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:42 am

Folks, in case you missed it please take the time to read the announcement titled Rant at the top of the forum.

Doug,
Thank you for expressing my feelings exactly. Moderators, Thank you for doing a thankless and never ending task.

Mike Tillger

robertjohndavis · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am **Posts:** 2499

What Mike said, x2

Thank you.

Rob

Rick Rowlands · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 3:43 pm

Well I am glad that I checked the forum last night and watched the Ross Rowlands videos before the thread was unceremoniously yanked.

Some of you who have been in the preservation business for years may know the story of the AFT and Golden Spike Express etc., but I never really understood all of that until watching the videos. I was way too young when it all happened to have witnessed it, so all I ever got to learn were bits and pieces. Now it all makes sense to me. I wonder what happened to all of those modified AFT cars, and if any of the cars or the original displays (sans historic artifacts of course) are still around. In 2016 will be 40 years since the AFT ran. Maybe Doyle should consider painting 4449 into its own "heritage scheme" for that anniversary.

Stephen Hussar · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 4:07 pm

I too am appreciative of our moderator's efforts...thank you all!!

Not intending to derail the thread, but the 4449 was repainted into her AFT scheme shortly after 9-11-01.

Stephen

Rick Rowlands · **Posted:** Sun Jul 08, 2012 5:23 pm

Thats right I forgot about that.

I don't mind derailing the thread. Would have been more appropriate to discuss it in the original...

Pegasuspinto · **Joined:** Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:43 am **Posts:** 783

http://www.freedomtrain.org/

has a lot of information on the roster from everything from the locomotives to the forklift. Time didn't seem to show any mercy to the freedom train cars and a casual count is that most were scrapped, but some are still around.

Robert

co614 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 09, 2012 7:28 pm

At the conclusion of the 21 month journey of the AFT we sold the display cars to the Canadian gov't. who used them for a trans-Canada train that I believe was called the Discovery Train. Its real purpose was to blunt the Quebec seperatist movement.

The 4 VIP cars on the rear went to a west coast buyer and I believe are still on the same tourist line??

I ended up swapping AFT 1 ( Rdg. 2101) for C&O 614, and the 4449 went home to its owner the City of Portland,Oregon.

The Canadians sold the cars to the UPRR who used them in MOW service for years and then scrapped them about 10 years ago.

Thanks for asking, Ross Rowland

Mr. Ed · **Posted:** Wed Jul 11, 2012 4:36 pm

I have always worked under the ideal of treating others as I would like to be treated. Sadly, the anonymity of this and other sites allows many to become beligerant toward others and in some instances specific individuals. We'll never know why these people do not act their age.

Later!
Mr. Ed

p51 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 11, 2012 4:56 pm

co614 wrote:

The 4 VIP cars on the rear went to a west coast buyer and I believe are still on the same tourist line??

Ross, while the rest are in British Columbia at two sites, #s 203 and 205 (the bar car and the press/obs car) are sitting mouldering away on a siding within sight of the Mt Rainier Scenic RR's station at Elbe, WA. I've seen them several times and got photos for Todd's AFT website there in the past:
http://www.freedomtrain.org/american-freedom-train-consist-203.htm and http://www.freedomtrain.org/american-freedom-train-consist-205.htm
So sad seeing this car when I last got some shots. If I had the money and means to save one RR car, it would be this one (and of course, return it to the red/white/blue scheme), but I'm told the current owners are just fine letting it rot in place: