Existing HVYWT Pullman Sunroom cars?

rwkpullman · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:39 pm **Posts:** 52

Hello.. I was wondering how many heavyweight Pullman sunroom cars are left? For example; the Palm series ; Plan 3975 built in 1929. Thank you Roger

Howard P. · **Posted:** Thu Feb 17, 2022 8:53 pm

By "sunroom", do you specifically mean "solarium observation, with high windows on the car side"?

Or simply any enclosed-end Pullman solarium observation car?

Howard P.

BNSFWarren no2 · **Joined:** Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:20 pm **Posts:** 11

Here is Erie Mining's Taconite Trail. Reportedly in Larkin's collection in Escanaba, Mich.

wilkinsd · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2022 12:53 pm

I believe there's one at the Rails West Museum in Council Bluffs of Burlington heritage.

rwkpullman · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:39 pm **Posts:** 52

Hello David Yes, you are correct. I believe that is the CBQ Omaha Club

rwkpullman · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:39 pm **Posts:** 52

Hello Howard Yes, Solarium or Sunroom is correct. I am wondering just how many are still in existence!

PrrOpCrew · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2022 1:47 pm

The Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona has the former PRR Heavyweight Pullman "Union League Club" in their collection, awaiting restoration some day.

More info: http://www.trainweb.org/altoona-ry-museum-club/U_League.htm

wilkinsd · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2022 2:49 pm

Kentucky Railway Museum has the 10 section Solarium Observation Car Mt. Broderick

Midwest Railway Preservation Society in Cleveland has Mt. Baxter of the same design.

Old Dominion Chapter NRHS has Pullman Dinwiddie County

Rail Giants Museum has NKP business car number 6, the former Carleton Club

Sister car Kitchi Gami Club is privately owned.

Heber Valley has a solarium car of Canadian extraction. I'm not sure if it's of CP or CNR heritage.

Schultz · **Joined:** Tue Apr 19, 2011 8:04 pm **Posts:** 6

Heber Valley has former Canadian Pacific solarium River Clare.

heatermason · **Joined:** Sat Jan 18, 2020 1:12 am **Posts:** 42

wilkinsd wrote:

I believe there's one at the Rails West Museum in Council Bluffs of Burlington heritage.

Believe this is the car you mention in poor shape in 2017. Chain link fence also prevented easy photos.

Timothy

wesp · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2022 5:31 pm

River Clare in earlier livery as Craigflower.

Kitchi Gammi Club is an enclosed former open platform car.

Dinwiddie County National Register Report

Wesley

rwkpullman · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:39 pm **Posts:** 52

Let me be more specific. Three tall windows in the end of the car. That room is bordered by an interior wall then more lounge seat on the other side of the wall. built to plan 3975

Jack Powell · **Joined:** Wed Jan 11, 2006 6:12 pm **Posts:** 113

"Kentucky Railway Museum has the 10 section Solarium Observation Car Mt. Broderick
Midwest Railway Preservation Society in Cleveland has Mt. Baxter of the same design.
Old Dominion Chapter NRHS has Pullman Dinwiddie County
Rail Giants Museum has NKP business car number 6, the former Carleton Club
Sister car Kitchi Gami Club is privately owned.
Heber Valley has a solarium car of Canadian extraction. I'm not sure if it's of CP or CNR heritage."

Not to call out Mr. Wilkins in particular, but most if not all of the cars he mentions are simply enclosed (as opposed to open) observation-lounge cars, with various sleeping accommodations. A solarium or sunroom car is characterized by the high windows (with transom sash) mentioned in Howard's post, and shown in Timothy's photos. Other typical "spotting features" of a solarium are the absence of a rear-end diaphragm (at least as-built), a short brass-railed gate across the end opening, and a pair of narrow double end doors that could be opened to create something of the feel of an open platform for travelers in the short solarium area, which was typically furnished with wicker chairs and separated by a bulkhead from the main lounge. "Sun-parlors", sunrooms, or solariums, similarly furnished, were trendy features of nicer homes of the 1920s, and Pullman appears to have simply been following that fashion.

There were also open-platform observation cars with high (non-transom) windows throughout the observation lounge, such as the NYC-assigned "Valley" series cars used on the 20th Century Limited. Some were later rebuilt with vestibules having deep windows in the end sheets and special deep-windowed vestibule doors, while retaining their former observation platform windows, all amounting to a see-through vestibule and some of the appearance a solarium car, but without any actual solarium seating area.

mcgrath618 · **Joined:** Mon Feb 15, 2021 6:54 pm **Posts:** 235

PrrOpCrew wrote:

The Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona has the former PRR Heavyweight Pullman "Union League Club" in their collection, awaiting restoration some day.

More info: http://www.trainweb.org/altoona-ry-museum-club/U_League.htm

I’m sure the real Union League could throw a few dollars their way. Hell, maybe they’d even want a private car themselves.

EJ Berry · **Posted:** Fri Feb 18, 2022 8:20 pm

The actual Union League Club in Philadelphia was founded in 1862 to help preserve the Union among the States. during the Civil War. Since then, it has been The Club in a city with many Clubs.

Yes, it has plenty of $$$ should its members want to preserve its namesake railcar. I'm sure PRR executives were among its founders

https://www.unionleague.org/about.php

Phil Mulligan