Can we get a listing of current diner restorations underway or even contemplated?

At OERM, we have a UP diner that was modified for MOW service and anticipate putting a diner in our train service for fundraising and other events. Anyone else working or wishing on a diner project?

The Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society has passed the halfway point on restoring ex-Erie heavyweight diner 741 to full operating service to recreate dinner in the diner on the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad out of Scranton, PA. After the end of passenger service on the EL in 1970, the 741 served in wreck train service from 1971 until about 1987 on EL and then Conrail.


We also own ex-Lackawanna Budd built Phoebe Snow diner 470, but we will not restore it until 741 is restored and in service.

You can learn more about our project at http://www.eldcps.org

The Pacific Locomotive Association (Niles Canyon Railroad) is pretty far along on their restoration of an SP (Oregon & California RR #10040) heavyweight diner from 1926. I think most of the remaining work is in the kitchen and the car's trucks. The exterior painting is nearly finished, and the interior areas of the car look terrific.

In Southern California, ASRA(?) was working on a UPRR heavyweight diner at Traveltown in Los Angeles. I have not heard anything about their progress on this project in a number of years.

At IRM one of the Nebraska Zephyr trainset cars is a diner and has served in catered 'dinner train' service. The Louisville and Nashville GALT HOUSE is virtually complete, except for some 'wrecked' parts on one end, suffered in the return of the car form the Wisconsin Southern paint shop. And the Electroliner set from the North Shore has a dining car and I worked two days, years ago, grilling 'Electroburgers' for some of our trips.

Interesting that two of the three candidates for answering this question (at IRM) belong to articulated trainsets.

Other projects which might qualify include the Pullman DOVER STRAIT which has a small galley, and that part of the restoration is complete. And ex ACL BIRMINGHAM has seen a lot of work, and has run in trains at IRM (following mechanical work) although not yet restored in full as a diner.

Bob Kutella

Bob -

Is this the diner that was once located next to the old Pennsy depot (now torn down unfortunately) in Lansing, Illinois? If so, that has a rather interesting table arrangement that I have not seen on any other dining car.

Les

Here's a couple of cars I'm familiar with, but they are already done, not in progress. I've crewed on the Moultrie, and helped some in the early 90's on the restoration of Gadsby's Tavern. The Roanoke Chapter NRHS contibuted both labor and money towards the Gadsby's Tavern restoration.

http://www.wataugavalleynrhs.org/index. ... e=moultrie

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=179505

The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum has maintained and operated a heavyweight Southern Railway dining car for many years. In 2004 it received heavy repairs, including side sheet work, floor patching, doors, new diaphragms, and a new generator. About a year ago it was outfitted with a new oven.

Alan Maples

ARMM in Altoona has PRR 4468. When Iwas at PSU-Altoona I used to volunteer on that car with its slow restoration. The car is watertight and the kitchen is intact. Management at that time told me they have an original PRR dining car rug that has never been walked on, all of the original tables from that car, and a good portion of the original chairs in storage.

One of the last things I did was to begin sanding the interior walls to prep them for paint. Since then the exterior of the car has been painted, but I have no knowledge as to whether the interior has had anything done to it.

The car is on isolated track in the museum yard, but the last I heard, the idea was to complete interior work and use her to cater museum events.

ARMM in Altoona has PRR 4468. When Iwas at PSU-Altoona I used to volunteer on that car with its slow restoration. The car is watertight and the kitchen is intact. Management at that time told me they have an original PRR dining car rug that has never been walked on, all of the original tables from that car, and a good portion of the original chairs in storage.

One of the last things I did was to begin sanding the interior walls to prep them for paint. Since then the exterior of the car has been painted, but I have no knowledge as to whether the interior has had anything done to it.

The car is on isolated track in the museum yard, but the last I heard, the idea was to complete interior work and use her to cater museum events.

Yes Les, that is the one. It was used there as an ice cream parlor at one time, and unfortunately they cut an opening in one side. It was not structural and has been patched for now with a plug painted silver.

Bob Kutella

TVRM Dining Car No. 3158 has never technically been restored-no need to as she was delivered to the museum in 1968, straight out of dining car service. As noted, the kitchen has been modernized and the car has received routine repairs. From my conversations with older TVRM members, it is pretty well determined that the 3158 was in continual service from 1924 to 1968 with the Southern and 1970 to present with TVRM. It is my understanding that the car did not run in 1969 due to labor issues on the Southern and their refusal to handle any dining cars during the resolution of that matter.

Back some years ago, the trucks were removed for bolster inspection and repairs. Ongoing matters have included the water tanks and other relatively minor matters. I've never dined on the ACL Moultrie, but had the pleasure of viewing her while she was in our shops for wheel work. She's very nice for a stainless steel car.

Les:
That style of table arrangement was promoted by Pullman-Standard in the 1940's and 1950's. It was first used on the GM Train of Tomorrow dome dining car (main floor section). Other cars that used it were:
4 - B&M-MEC (2 each) cafe-lounge cars,
2 - B&O dining cars for the Columbian,
4 - 6 bedroom-lounge cars for the New Haven,
2 - dining cars built for the C&O and sold to the D&RGW before delivery,
and, of course, the 10 ACL cars.

There may have been others, but these are the ones that come to mind at the moment.

Art - Thanks for the clarification. Now the question is, are any of these other 22 cars still around and in their original dining table configuration?

Les

On the Niles Canyon Railroad, In addition to the SP heavy weight dinner nearing completion, (a really spectacular restoration, including the California poppies on the ceiling panels) there is also a 3 unit articulated SP dinner on the property, transfered from the Golden Gate Railroad Museum collection.

California State Railroad Museum has a SP corrugated stainless steel (painted daylight) possibly from the Sunset which they use for occasional special event dinner trains.

Les,

There used to be a "Survivors" list at the ACLSALHS web site, but I believe it has disappeared. This is from memory:

The ACL diners remaining that still have the tables include the afore-mentioned MOULTRIE, BIRMINGHAM, TARBORO and FITZGERALD. Well, I presume the BIRMINGHAM still has the original tables. I have not seen an interior photo of it.

The FITZGERALD is in Warm Springs, GA and is incomplete mechanically. It was also used at one time as an ice cream parlor, but no hole was cut in the side. It sits with a former Southern/ex CofG modernized HW coach (gutted). A deck was built adjacent to the side of the car and ledger boards screwed to the side so a canopy could be built extending over the deck. Entrance was through the vestibule of the coach. Story I heard is that parts were sold off of FITZGERALD to TVRM. Anyone that can confirm that?

The TARBORO is in rather poor condition. When I last saw it, it was privately owned and in storage in Granite City, IL. The stainless siding was described to me as needing cables all the way around to keep it on if the car was to be moved...not a good sign. Many (MANY!!!) birds had been roosting in the car and a good thump on the side resulted in a shower of rust particles cascading down. That was in 2003-2004, so it could have been scrapped by now.

I believe there was a discussion thread on these back when IRM got the BIRMINGHAM. Some of these tables (or at least they looked like the same style of table) were offered on RailSwap (I think) last year (2007), but I don't see them there now.