A little big for a narrow gauge car?

RCD · **Posted:** Thu Dec 27, 2018 8:25 pm

A restaurant in Nantucket called The Club car has what looks like a railroad car attached to the side. This site https://www.nantucketpreservation.org/n ... oads-3159/ clames the car was once part of the 3 foot gauge railroad that was on the island. However it looks a little to wide to be a narrow gauge car.

Finderskeepers · **Posted:** Thu Dec 27, 2018 8:53 pm

Just doing a quick search, I came up with this image. Certainly seems possible...if you think something is too wide to be narrow gauge, you've never seen a K-37 on D&RGW, or rotary plow #2 that the RGS used to use.

elecuyer · **Posted:** Thu Dec 27, 2018 10:28 pm

There once was a train on Nantucket
With tracks three feet wide; who'd of thunk it!
But a hurricane came and blew off the train,
So now to move freight, they must truck it.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2871

Here is a photo of a Nantucket Central Railroad Company engine and car, the engine is 1910 Alco and was sent to the Allied Expeditionary Force, Bordeaux, France in 1917 when the line was closed already. BTW the restaurant apparently did a remodel in 2017 and removed the car, wonder what happened to it:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserRev ... setts.html

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

Hmmm... I wonder what happened to the 3’ gauge equipment once it got to France? Regauged to meter gauge?

The 2’ gauge lines along the Western Front are starting to get a full historic examination. It would be interesting to see what US equipment ran on the wider gauge lines.

Rob - who is becoming a bit obsessed with the WDLR

PS: judging by recent photos the car in question is still part of the restaurant.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2871

robertjohndavis wrote:

PS: judging by recent photos the car in question is still part of the restaurant.

Ah, could be that the "The club car is GONE" wasn't meant literally, the way we would interpret it. "Who cares that they used to serve lobster and steaks and now serve fast food hamburgers, where is the passenger car?"

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Fri Dec 28, 2018 12:03 am

It looks like the car body is still there.

Google Maps street view showing the carbody has an image date of September 2008. This helps identify the location. The aerial view showing the roof line of the car carries a date of 2018.

This appears to be the same aerial image used by Google Earth. The Google Earth aerial imagery of Nantucket displays a date of 10-5-2018.

Nova55 · **Joined:** Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:09 pm **Posts:** 597

Finderskeepers wrote:

Just doing a quick search, I came up with this image. Certainly seems possible...if you think something is too wide to be narrow gauge, you've never seen a K-37 on D&RGW, or rotary plow #2 that the RGS used to use.

The rotary plows always looked big because they are in fact standard gauge cars. There never was a narrow gauge specific rotary. They even used standard gauge trucks with special narrow gauge wheelsets.

Ed Kapuscinski · **Posted:** Fri Dec 28, 2018 10:39 am

PMC wrote:

robertjohndavis wrote:

PS: judging by recent photos the car in question is still part of the restaurant.

Ah, could be that the "The club car is GONE" wasn't meant literally, the way we would interpret it. "Who cares that they used to serve lobster and steaks and now serve fast food hamburgers, where is the passenger car?"

Oh no! I liked the Club Car! I remember sobering up there after the wine festival and being pleasantly surprised to find a train car on the island.

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Fri Dec 28, 2018 12:48 pm

Ed Kapuscinski wrote:

Oh no! I liked the Club Car! I remember sobering up there after the wine festival and being pleasantly surprised to find a train car on the island.

Looking at the yelp reviews:
"The Club Car is temporarily closed. Scheduled to reopen on April 25, 2019."

Sounds like a seasonal closure. Also Yelp postings indicate that ownership changed in early 2017 and changes were made which includes interior and maybe menu.

o anderson · **Posted:** Fri Dec 28, 2018 1:39 pm

This portion of a Yelp review kinda tells you what is going on:

Quote:

Forget it. They ruined it. Not that it didn't need a bit of a redo... but it's a different animal than what it was for 50 years. No elegance, no class... some euro Asian " small plates" ( so tired) train car itself has been messed up too....whatever- I'll pass in the future. Ps: atrocious new decor looks like a Palm Springs luncheonette.... turquoise is just NOT. A Nantucket. I'm sorry the management has responded with the arrogance I was surprised to read. Firstly they make complete false claims as to the decor I remarked on. Their restaurant WHEN I WAS THERE most certainly did have a shade of blue as pillows or cushions.. I really don't remember, just the shock of the off putting new design.

Looking at older photos, at least some varnished wood in the interior was present. It is possible the interior was simply painted, sheathed over, or completely stripped when the new glossy blue look was instituted. It appears the original windows are still present on one side.

https://www.meaghanmurray.com/blog/nantucket-travel-guide/

Kevin.Nairn · **Joined:** Fri Feb 23, 2018 10:10 am **Posts:** 6

The club car was still there a week ago when I walked by it on the way to the boat after visiting my dad. There used to be a piano in the far end from the entrance, many celebrities can be spotted in here during the summer. Actor Kevin Spacey was know to frequent the bar.

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Fri Dec 28, 2018 10:36 pm

I vote for a match to FindersKeepers photo.

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Mon Jan 07, 2019 5:39 am

So apparently the Club Car bar is reported to be where Kevin Spacey harassed someone! I just saw it in a BBC news item.