Via Facebook:

The 1938 PRR round-end observation that has long languished at the Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona, Pa. has departed the property on a trailer bound for the Western Md. Scenic RR's shops in Ridgeley, WV.

The car was reportedly sold by the Museum to Curry Rail, a nearby (Hollidaysburg, Pa.) freight car repair firm based in the former CR car shops there. Among other things, the company assisted in the cab fabrication for the PRR T1 Trust, so odds are there's a railfan or two involved.

No idea, however, why it's (supposedly) going to the WMSR shops instead of Hollidaysburg. Let the wanton, unfounded speculation begin.

The car in question is a Pullman-Standard 1 Bedroom - 2 Drawing Room - 1 Comp. - buffet lounge observation car. One of three cars built in 1938 to Pullman plan 4081 for the PRR "Fleet of Modernism," PRR car 8113 was built by P-S in May 1938 and was named Jacks Narrows. In March 1942, the car was renamed Wake Island with no change of number. The car was renamed, once again, in January 1949 to Samuel Vaughan Merrick and carried the number 8113. In April 1957, the car, and several others, came out of Pullman lease and was redesignated as a parlor car with a renumbering to 7153. A little earlier, in April 1952, the car was painted UP colors and ran on the City of Los Angeles for a couple of years. The car was off the PRR roster in 1962. In the 1970s the car was renamed Wake Island, owned by Bill Butterworth of Butterworth Tours in Moline, Ill. Under Butterworth ownership she carried the name THE REVELER and was used in charter service on Rock Island's Peoria and Quad Cities Rockets in the 1970s, as well as making appearances on University of Iowa football specials during that time. Two other cars in this series ended up in Mexico, and are believed to have been scrapped.

Sad-looking photos from 2008:

Deleted !

Also deleted.

Deleted !

Hope it's restored in Pennsy dress. As far as Altoona goes, they no doubt had to make a difficult decision regarding the ob, but it wasn't getting better where it was, and there's plenty to repair and maintain in that collection. I applaud their courage.

Deleted !

Still riding on those pre-war trucks. Wonder what shape she's in inside?

Though I have no say in the matter, it would be neat to have it painted in it’s original FOM scheme. As far as I know, it would be the only car to wear that great looking scheme in decades. It would also look right at home behind the T-1.

I had a look in the car a year and a half ago with the owner of Curry Rail and my recollection was that it was reasonably complete but in need of a lot of work.

- Alan Maples

I believe this is one of two remaining Round ended PRR observation cars left. This one being numbered 8113, the other, 8115 (aka Metropolitan View) is at the Railway Museum if Greater Cincinnati.

I believe Metropolitan View had been part of the Mac Lowry, Railways of America/Quaker Sqaure collection from the Akron, Ohio area. Had been in the area since about 1963, along with several other cars from the 1938 Broadway Ltd.

Definitely a topic drift, but in the Photos Alex posted at the top, it looks like a new roundhouse building is under construction. Is this the one that exists today, or is this something new?

That would be an older photo. When that photo was taken, the roundhouse has not yet been completed. It is now fully completed with the GG1, and 1361 (along with a few other pieces stored inside) I believe.

According to Wayner's Car Names, Numbers and Consists (Wayner, 1972) Jacks Narrows was built by Pullman-Standard in 1938, Lot 6549, Plan 4081, with 2 Drawing Rooms, 1 Double Bedroom, 1 Compartment, Buffet Observation, intended for the Spirit of St. Louis.

It was renamed Wake Island in March, 1942 in honor of the Marines and civilian contractors who defended the island (US Territory). At the end of 1945, Pullman sold it to PRR in the court-ordered breakup of the Pullman Company. PRR assigned the number 8113.

It was renamed again Samuel Vaughan Merrick in honor of the first President of the PRR, and in congruence with the other two 4081 cars of 1938 and the seven Plan 4134 2 DR, 1 DB, 1 C Buffet Obs flat-end cars of 1949 also named for PRR Presidents and intended for trains that weren't the Broadway Limited or Liberty Limited.

It was painted UP colors in 1952 for the City of Los Angeles. In April 1957, it had been withdrawn from Pullman lease and was renumbered 7153 as a Parlor Car. It was off the PRR roster by 1962.

Diagrams of the car are at http://prr.railfan.net/diagrams/PRRdiag ... &sz=sm&fr=

Click on POS211a

The lack of windows in the lounge area is part of Raymond Loewy's design for the 1938 trains.

Phil Mulligan

Note the unloading process: that is a regular wrecker for semi-trucks, which can be found within a 50 or so mile radius almost anywhere there is an interstate nearby, still $200 an hour starting when they leave their shop but you wouldn't be paying for it to move at a slow speed like a crane from miles away. It looks like there is only one there, so less than a thousand on both ends if they did the same to load it? I am surprised the trucker was willing to drive across rails with all those axles however.