Not to split the thread regarding NYC drumheads.
Did Pennsy ever illuminate their keystone shaped drumheads from behind?
Does anyone have actual dimensions for such an observation car sign?

Ex:

IIRC there is a keystone shaped drumhead on the rear of the display train that 1223 heads at the RRMPA, if you are able to make the trip then you may be able to get measurements off of it or see if someone on staff is willing to get you measurements.

Very helpful suggestion, and I do appreciate it. Should I assume it's original, rather than a reproduction?

I suspect they were illuminated. Presumably with dc voltage.

https://ghostsofdc.org/image-zoom/?src=https://ghostsofdc.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2013/04/SHORPY_35557a2.jpg

An inquiry to the owners of the Francis L. Suter can probably get you dimensions:

http://www.privaterailcharters.com/Photos.html (scroll down)

Alan Maples

Good question - I'm hesitant to say either way.

The drumhead itself is labeled for "Pennsylvania Special" (whose name changed to the "Broadway Limited" in 1912). Not sure if they would have had an electric drumhead pre-1912. That being said, they could have used the frame from an original drumhead and re-did the front where the name is displayed.

The wooden coaches that the drumhead hangs were part of the PRR Historical collection whose roots date back to 1939 world fair. The coaches were on display at this fair along with 7002 and 1187. The PRR could have pulled a drumhead from circulation and added it to the collection for this display. The coaches went to Strasburg with 1223 in the early 60s so the drumhead would have either gone then or when the rest of the collection was moved to Strasburg in the 1969.

The alternative is that Strasburg made a repo drumhead for the 85th anniversary of the Broadway Limited in 1987.

I was able to find a 3/4 picture online of the drumhead

If Strasburg made it, I would be amazed if the dimensions were not accurate. It does look like a framed sheet of plywood rather than anything illuminated, and that would be within keeping for the era. In my original posting, you see Long Island's "Sunrise Special" which looks like a framed sheet of lacquered board. My hope is to construct a frame-box from aluminum, cut a piece of lucite and back paint the "Sunrise Special" logo. Back-lighting it with LEDs would keep it cool and give a nice effect. On the other hand, the original does not appear to have been illuminated in any way. The shot of the PRR's "The Senator" gives the impression of a bulb illumination someplace behind the marquee.
An additional piece to this story is the fact the LIRR assigned G5s #29 to the "Sunrise Special" with a tender exclusively painted that Friday evening train. A small twist of fate is that particular tender was preserved along with G5s #35, not at the Oyster Bay Rail Road Museum. No trace of the "S.S." paint has ever turned up under the tender's surface.

A PRR drumhead is part of the drumhead collection at the New York Society of Model Engineers (model railroad club) in Carlstadt, NJ.

Bradford Smith

It appears that these appeared en mass during the late forties and up into the end of company passenger service. If that was the case, a standard drawing for the casement would have likely existed. We Pennsy fans are absolute fanatics about our railroad, so somewhere, somebody, must have a drawn diagram. As far as numbers go; access, a tape measure, pencil and pad, are a beginning.
Thanks to everyone who has expressed an interest in this project. I'm certain I am not alone in such a quest.

Sounds like a cool project - please keep posting in this thread with your findings and progress!

I would love to see pictures of the finished product when you're all done!

I’m still cataloging a bunch of shop drawings out of Crestline. If something pops up, though an initial super quick pass through them indicates it won’t, I’ll post an image.

The drumhead on the rear of the 1900s era passenger train exhibited on track 1 at RRMPa is not original. It was fashioned in 1982 by the late Ken Murry, a local railfan who died in a tragic house fire in 2013. Knowing Ken's passion for getting details correct, I am certain he used a PRR tracing to fashion the reproduction. Either PRRT&HS Archives (Lewistown, Pa.) or the Pennsylvania State Archives might have tracings of drumheads in their holdings but it could be a formidable task to track one down. Perhaps past issues of the PRRT&HS Keystone journal may have published drawings of drumheads in past articles--might be worth a look.

K.R. Bell

Thank Kurt and Eric! What I've gotten thus far is a great deal of support from others who "want to know". One of the things about a project such as this is, it makes an unknown known. While I have posted the inquiry, and I do similar every now and again, there are probably hundreds of others with a similar interest. When we support each other, we learn and get smarter. If the gentleman who passed away in the house fire mentioned above, had the only copy of said diagram, wouldn't that have been a compounded loss?

I would like to report, the NRM of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has sent me images and a drawing of an actual keystone shaped box, built of aluminum. This is a hand drawn sketch, not a blueprint, but all significant measures are present.
I am presently recovering from hand surgery so it limits my ability to share and /or construct. Still, I want to report some solid success.

Research tells me the keystone shaped housing was used around the system on a variety of trains, and the painted glass train logo could be switched rather easily. If other designs for these observation car housings are offered, I'll be happy to share.

Summary of my research into the drumheads of Pennsylvania Railroad observation cars. This is not presented as hard historical fact, but it will serve me in attempting to reproduce one for my own collection. I hope it proves of use to other hobbyists as well.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pWzRHu ... sp=sharing

If you are not getting to view the notes, please try this link, otherwise just let me know.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pWzRHu ... sp=sharing