I am working on an article on the last three Canadian Pacific Railway mountain observation cars. These cars were converted from old steel coaches from the 1400 series in the 1950's to fill a need on the "Mountaineer" passenger train. All other observation cars had been retired with the introduction of the new stainlees steel Budd equipped "Canadian". After the "Mountaineer" was cancelled the cars were used in excursion service until bought by the West Coast Railway Association. Two cars were sold, one to Goerge Hart and one to Orange Empire. Both these cars ended up on the Sierra.
The question is: What is the story on how both of these cars came to end up at Sierra? Does anyone out there have any photos, or know who has photos, of the cars in service in the USA. I know that one of the cars was on Ross Rowland's train to Promontory as it shows up partly in a photo in L&RP. I am also aware that one of the cars was owned by Ross Rowland at one time, but how it got to Sierra is a mystery. I do recall seeing an old photo in Trains of one of the cars in excursion service in California
Kyle Wyatt at CSRM has been a big help and has provided photos(digital) of both cars on the Sierra. Kurt Bell has also helped out with info. Any leads on other photo sources would be helpful.

http://www.wcra.org
gandmferguson@shaw.ca

Interesting you should bring this subject up! I'm well aware that CPR used such cars in its passenger service through the mountainous areas of Western Canada. I wonder when railroads in Canada and the U.S. first constructed such cars specifically for the sightseeing tourist traveling by train.
I recently saw a photo and caption in a 1955 Southern Pacific Bulletin about a Central Pacific observation car in use in the early 1870s. Then in an 1884 Richmond & Alleghany RR tourist brochure, I read a reference to an "open observation car" being used between Clifton Forge and Lynchburg. So it seems that open or partially covered observation cars were used by some railroads early on.

> I am working on an article on the last three
> Canadian Pacific Railway mountain
> observation cars.

> Two cars were sold, one to
> Goerge Hart and one to Orange Empire. Both
> these cars ended up on the Sierra.
> The question is: What is the story on how
> both of these cars came to end up at Sierra?
> Does anyone out there have any photos, or
> know who has photos, of the cars in service
> in the USA.

Grant,

The Orange Empire car was used on a number of mainline excursion trains and add-ons to regular trains during the 1960s. With the end of railroad passenger service and the coming of Amtrak the whole excursion train and private car situation changed. Santa Fe stopped leasing private car storage in its Los Angeles coach yard (the yard was taken over by Amtrak).

At this time, or just before, the Sierra excursion operation was starting up. The Sierra asked Orange Empire to lease the 599. After a couple of years the Sierra asked to purchased the car. At that time, with no mainline operation possible and Orange Empire not yet merged to create the Orange Empire Railway Museum, it was decided to sell the car. At that time, I was bookstore manager and the next year had to go into the state sales tax people about the sales and use tax on the sale.

I may have some B&W prints and/or slide from the last few trips with the car. Otherwise, OERM may have photos in its photo collection. May be John Smatlak, our Collections VP, can help you.

Brian Norden

bnorden49@earthlink.net

The Geo. Hart-Rail Tours car was purchased by High Iron Co. (Ross Rowland) mid-1968. It operated on the first 759 Jim Chunk trip in Sept. 1968. On the return leg, it was on the rear of the train, and came uncoupled three times in about 25 miles. It was left behind after the third pull-apart (and retrieved by CNJ local freight later).

When HICO painted the cars dark red after the Golden Spike trip, the car was named "Rocky Mountain" as I recall. Used on the "last" HICO trip in August 1971, it was put up for sale along with the other six HICO cars. The Rocky Mountain obs car was quickly snapped up by the Sierra Railway and was enroute to Cal. by November 1971.

hpincus@mindspring.com

> I am working on an article on the last three
> Canadian Pacific Railway mountain
> observation cars. These cars were converted
> from old steel coaches from the 1400 series
> in the 1950's to fill a need on the
> "Mountaineer" passenger train. All
> other observation cars had been retired with
> the introduction of the new stainlees steel
> Budd equipped "Canadian". After
> the "Mountaineer" was cancelled
> the cars were used in excursion service
> until bought by the West Coast Railway
> Association. Two cars were sold, one to
> Goerge Hart and one to Orange Empire. Both
> these cars ended up on the Sierra.
> The question is: What is the story on how
> both of these cars came to end up at Sierra?
> Does anyone out there have any photos, or
> know who has photos, of the cars in service
> in the USA. I know that one of the cars was
> on Ross Rowland's train to Promontory as it
> shows up partly in a photo in L&RP. I am
> also aware that one of the cars was owned by
> Ross Rowland at one time, but how it got to
> Sierra is a mystery. I do recall seeing an
> old photo in Trains of one of the cars in
> excursion service in California
> Kyle Wyatt at CSRM has been a big help and
> has provided photos(digital) of both cars on
> the Sierra. Kurt Bell has also helped out
> with info. Any leads on other photo sources
> would be helpful.
I was on several of the OETM excursions featuring CPR 599 in the late 1960's. I have both 8mm movies and color slides, plus quite a few stories to tell. I've been told that one of the factors leading OETM to dispose of 599 was the air brake system, which wasn't completely compatible with standard passenger brake characteristics (not releasing quickly, etc.)

brunettedavis@aol.com