N&W PM coaches, train from 611 1956 wreck

lady611 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 04, 2013 4:28 pm **Posts:** 54

I have been tracing the disposition of the N&W PM class streamlined coaches as part of tracing what happened to the cars in the train that was with 611 in the wreck at Cedar, WV on January 23, 1956. So far I have located PM coach 1723, placed by the Tidewater Chapter NRHS in the Crewe Railroad Museum. This chapter also had a few other PM class coaches (#1720-1734) which I understand to have been sold. For your information, the known consist of 611's train the.night of the wreck:
611 and tender
BEj heavyweight baggage #123
M1 RPO #94
P-3 class coach #539
PM class coach #1727
PM class coach #1729
PM class coach #1734
Unknown PM class tavern-lounge (either #1720, 1721 or 1722)
Heavyweight DE class dining car, number unknown ( I suppose this since the car lacked tightlock.couplers)
Three Pullman sleeping cars, one or maybe all being the Budd-built N&W cars dealt with in a previous thread.
Any assistance in my research would be most welcome.
lois

ekrwy2 · **Joined:** Sat Jul 16, 2011 3:12 pm **Posts:** 121

539 went to the Watauga Chapter of the NRHS. Ontario Northland got a lot of the PM, the other P2 and a few of the P3 coaches. Check out http://passcarphotos.info/ This will help you out a lot.

etalcos · **Posted:** Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:17 pm

I would suspect that there would be an ICC report on the accident somewhere. Perhaps this detail would fill in the blanks regarding the unidentified cars?

ETA

lady611 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 04, 2013 4:28 pm **Posts:** 54

I have copies of the ICC report. It has little other than technical data regarding the unidentified cars.
lois

jmlaboda · Updated 8/9/17 with 8,402 new links

I do know that 1727 and 1729 went to ONT as their 832 and 834. 1734 was rebuilt to commuter coach 1008, while 539 was rebuilt to 1009 (does it retain its commuter seating???).

Extrasouth · **Joined:** Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:23 pm **Posts:** 7

P3 Coach 539 is owned and operated by the Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society and Museum. For more information about the car, please visit http://www.wataugavalleynrhs.org

It has been restored to nearly original condition with appropriate modernizations and is available for lease.

Gary Gray · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2013 8:06 pm

M1 RPO # 94 is still behind 611, on track one at VMT

lady611 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 04, 2013 4:28 pm **Posts:** 54

I thought the RPO at the VMT was 93, unless that was not its original number.
lois

lady611 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 04, 2013 4:28 pm **Posts:** 54

As a final note, I sent the Watauga Valley chapter a few photos of the wreck as well as some details about it to complete their history of 539. Hopefully they will be able to add this to the website.
However, I am aware that one of the DE class heavyweight diners (in blue paint) as well as a few mail storage cars as well as a later-era caboose are behind N&W M2 1134 at the Railroad Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth, VA.
lois

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

N&W book Williamsport terminal lists all the cars but not dispositions, but shows any modifications.

contact VMT about the mail car, but I don't think renumbering happenned.

lady611 · **Joined:** Tue Jun 04, 2013 4:28 pm **Posts:** 54

The book title should be N&W Railway Williamson Terminal 1953. I have two copies, and it is out of print.
lois

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

williamson..yeh, brainpop

I believe all the cars were returned to service, after this accident, N&W weaned out steam on passenger sevice 2 years later, all other J's scrapped but 611 being repaired-restored was in excellent condition, donated to Roanoke museum. An accident made it lucky vs nkp 767, where 765 took its role...

dinwitty · **Joined:** Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:18 pm **Posts:** 2226

from the pdf

http://www.nwhs.org/qna/SteelCarRoster.pdf

123 BEj Baggage/Exp T-42 Bethlehem Ship 12-1926 Sold Kaplan Scrap 9-18-68.

94 M1 RPO T-52 Bethlehem Steel 12-1937 Retired at Roanoke 6-25-68

539 P3 Coach T-89 Pullman 11-49 Converted 1982 at Roanoke Shops for
excursion service; no air conditioning; installed raise window sash. Donated to
Watauga Valley NRHS, Johnson City, TN 4-91.

1727 Pm Coach T-73 Pullman 10-1941 Sold to Ontario Northland Railway on
10-19-71.

1729 Pm Coach T-73 Pullman 10-1941 Sold to Ontario Northland Railway on
10-19-71.

1734 Pm Coach T-73 Pullman 10-1941 Changed to #1008 at Roanoke Shops on
2-25-70.

1008 Coach Pullman Changed from #1734 at Roanoke Shops 2-25-70. Leased to Conrail 7-28-79; returned from lease 10-26-79; whitelined and held for sale at Moberly, MO 4-3-81; donated to Gold Coast Railroad Museum, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
on 6-14-83.

those are the hard numbers you listed, the rest will take some hard searching, like news stories, I'll check the Trains search later

eehiv · **Joined:** Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:54 pm **Posts:** 1336

N&W PM No. 1727 (later ONR 832) is now at the Catskill Mountain Railroad, where it will be returned to service this fall:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=224260

EH

eehiv · **Joined:** Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:54 pm **Posts:** 1336

N&W PM Coach 1727 returns to service as CMRR 1727 on December 11th:

http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=227237

EH