Blackmon Auctions is handling the sale at Pottstown, PA on Sept. 18th. Thirteen passenger cars, the majority have been stripped of all interior furnishings in prep for rebuild. Cars are either Pullman-Standard or American Car & Foundry. No Budd equipment. Blackmon's website has photos and a partial list of inventory for the cars.
As a shortline operator, I was a long time attendee/buyer of Blackmon's auctions of railroad surplus. I have no connection with the firm but have found them to be reputable in a line of work that frankly has some hustlers.
Alex Huff

Does anyone have a list of what cars are in question, their heritage, etc.?

I would hate to think that historic, intact passenger cars were "tubed" for this project, but......

Link to Blackmons' webpage for the aforementioned auction.

http://www.blackmonauctions.com/auctions/135/

Looks like we will only see the O scale version:

http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/greenbrier-express-put-on-holdupdate

What a shame the cars were gutted prior to determining that the project was a no-go.

I don't know about shortline or insular operations but wouldn't the buyer intending mainline operation be stymied by some of the same things that Greenbriar ran into in terms of interior construction?

Is it too late to ask for a tour?

Roster as follows:

For each car, the first name is the American Orient Express name, second name is the planned American Railway Explorer name, some of which were applied.

#800109 Vienna/Isle Royale

UP 11DB sleeper #1510 Placid Waters (P-S, Lot #6958, Plan #4198, 1956) to Amtrak #2269 retired in 1981 and sold in 1982 to Trans Rocky Mountain Tours #800109. Sold (when??) to AEE #5 (#800109), reconfigured to 2SR-7DB, and renamed Vienna, later AOE. Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

#800231 Monte Carlo/Petrified Forest

B&O 10RM-6DB sleeper #7045 Opequon (P-S, Lot #6864, Plan #4167, 1950) sold in 1971 to 8404 Corporation (PVTC) #5465 (Toledo, OH). Sold (when??) to AEE #11 (#800231), reconfigured to 2SR-8DB* crew dormitory, and renamed Monte Carlo, later AOE. Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

*Garner lists reconfiguration as 8DB.

#800246 Monterey/Denali

C&O 5DB sleeper 26 seat buffet lounge observation (blunt end) #2507 Wolverine Club (P-S, Lot #6863, Plan #4165, 1950) sold in 1951 to B&O #7501 and renamed Wawasee to Amtrak #3250 retired and sold in 1977 to Gordon Ingram #3250 and renamed San Diego Club (LaJolla, CA). Sold (when??) to Genesee & Wyoming (GNWR) #3250 and renamed Pride of the Genesee (#800246). Sold (when??) to John Kirkwood-Rail Ventures (RVIX) #800246. Sold (when??) to AOE #800246, reconfigured to 3DB crew dormitory-diner lounge, and renamed Monterey. Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

#800297 Istanbul/Olympic

SP 4DB-4C-2DR sleeper #9119 (P-S, Lot #6871, Plan #4069M, 1950) to Amtrak #2381 retired in 1981 and sold in 1982 to Les Kasten. Sold (when??) to Golden Arrow Tours (GALT) #800020 (Janesville, WI). Sold (when??) to Wisconsin & Calumet. Sold (when??) to AEE #3 (#800297), reconfigured to 4SR-2DB, and named Istanbul, later AOE. Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

#800298 Paris/Sequoia

SP 4DB-4C-2DR sleeper #9120 (P-S, Lot #6871, Plan #4069M, 1950) to Amtrak #2382 retired in 1981 and sold in 1983 to AEE #4 (#800298), reconfigured to 4SR-4SB, and named Paris, later AOE. Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

#800301 Zurich/Crater Lake

UP City of Los Angeles/City of Portland 24 seat café (diner) 29 seat lounge #5004 (AC&F, Lot #3031, 1949) reconfigured in 1959 to 8 seat lunch counter 24 seat café (diner) 16 seat lounge (for City of Portland/City of Denver) sold in 1971 to Alaska RR #5004. Sold in 1987 to Northern Rail Car. Sold (when??) to AEE #7 (#800301), reconfigured to diner, and named Zurich, later AOE. Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

#800310 Seattle/Mount Rushmore

UP 14S sleeper Alpine Meadow (AC&F, Lot #3816, Plan #9017, 1953) reconfigured in 1965 to 44 seat leg rest chair #5548 to Amtrak #4588. Sold in 1983 to AEE #9 (#800310), reconfigured to club lounge, and named Bay Point, later AOE and renamed Seattle. Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

#800311 Rocky Mountain

UP 14S sleeper Alpine View (AC&F, Lot #3816, Plan #9017, 1953) reconfigured in 1965 to 44 seat leg rest chair #5556 to Amtrak #4596. Sold in 1983 to AEE #6* (#800311), reconfigured to club lounge, and named St. Moritz, later AOE and renamed Rocky Mountain. Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

*Garner lists this car as AEE #10.

#800668 Grand Canyon/Glacier Bay

UP 11DB sleeper #1506 Placid Scene (P-S, Lot #6958, Plan #4198, 1956) to Amtrak #2265 converted in 1984 to HEP #2235 retired and sold in 1996 to AOE, used as crew dormitory, and renamed Grand Canyon (#800668). Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

#800753 Bar Harbor/Great Smoky Mountains

UP 44 seat leg rest chair #5539 (StLCC, Lot #1830, 1965) to Amtrak #4579 converted in 1979 to HEP #4624 retired in 2001?? and sold in 2002 to AOE, reconfigured to 8SR-1SB sleeper, and named Bar Harbor (#800753). Repainted for American Railway Explorer as Great Smoky Mountains. Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

#800754 Charleston/Mesa Verde

UP 44 seat leg rest chair #5494 (StLCC, Lot #1807, 1960) to Amtrak #4557 converted in 1979 to HEP #4606 retired in 2001?? and sold in 2002 to AOE, reconfigured to 8SR-1SB sleeper, and named Charleston (#800754). Repainted for American Railway Explorer as Mesa Verde. Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

#800757 Montreal/Glacier

UP 5DB sleeper 24 seat club (buffet) lounge North Platte (P-S, Lot #6959, Plan #4199, 1956) reconfigured in 1965 to 11DB sleeper #1705 Star Scene (Plan #6008) to Amtrak #2254 converted in 1984 to HEP #2234. Stored in 1996 and sold in 1997?? to AOE, reconfigured to 9DB, and renamed Montreal (#800757). Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

#800768 Santa Fe/Rocky Mountain

UP 5DB sleeper 24 seat club (buffet) lounge Cheyenne (P-S, Lot #6959, Plan #4199, 1956) reconfigured in 1965 to 11DB sleeper #1702 Star Crest (Plan #6008) to Amtrak #2251 converted in 1983 to HEP #2231. Retired and sold in 2001 to AOE, reconfigured to 8SR-1SB, and renamed Santa Fe (#800768). Sold (when??) to Ross Rowland-Greenbrier Express.

Sources:

1. "Streamliner Cars Volume One: Pullman Standard" by W. David Randall (RPC Publications, 1981)

2. "Streamliner Cars Volume Three: ACF - Other Builders" by W. David Randall (RPC Publications, 1982)

3. Tom Madden's Pullman Project CCR database: http://pullmanproject.com/Database.htm

4. Don Strack's UP passenger car roster pages: http://utahrails.net/pass/pass-index.php

5. Stan Garner's #800xxx-series PV list: http://www.movie-trains.com/pvlist.html

6. Mike Palmieri's Amtrak rosters

7. Jerry LaBoda's photo links website: http://passcarphotos.info/

8. "Amtrak by the Numbers" by David C. Warner and Elbert Simon (White River Productions, 2011)

IF the Greenbrier Express project is indeed passé, might we now expect the 614 to be repainted back to her in-service black with C&O lettering? Not trying to be facetious, just asking.

Thanks.


Les

As soon as somebody else pays for it, I'm sure.

Don't mean to spoil the vulturefest but we will be keeping several of the cars and some of the tools/equipment for a downsized version of the GBX.

Between the bottom falling out of the soft coal market and other demands on Mr. Jim Justice ( the new owner of the Greenbrier resort and the financial backer of the GBX) it has been determined that for now we'll cut back to 4 cars and see how that goes. We can always grow larger if the smaller version succeeds.

If you're interested in attending the 9/18 sale please go to www.blackmonauctions.com/auctions/135/. and register with the auctioneer to obtain the credentials needed to be admitted to the sale grounds. Someone's going to get some super bargains here as 9 of the cars are completely tunneled inside and ready to receive new interiors as desired by the new owner. All the cars ride on Amtrak certified outside swing hanger 110mph trucks, and 9 of the cars are aluminum bodied, with nearly perfect,rust free car bodies.


For now we'll leave the 614 resplendent in her GBX livery so she's ready to go if/when the climate allows.

Thanks for your interest.

Ross Rowland

glad to hear the project is still going.

Ross, Glad to hear there is still a project in the works, even if you're scaling back a bit. One suggestion, which is actually based on one of yours, I heard in conversation with you and the late Don Smith way back in the ice age of the early 70's, "... this would be a great opportunity to invest time and resources in infrastructure..." An engine house which is water tight and secure, along with undercover car storage would in the long term be a good investment and would cut down on maintenance cost. If half of the preserved locomotives and rolling stock were kept undercover, Rustoleum's stock would drop overnight! Besides, there is no reason why the 614 cannot be rolled out on sunny days. Have fun - Dave Notarius, one of them Black River & Western guys, from long-long ago - now living on the other side of the pond under Lakenheath's flight path.

I thought there was an issue with the crash-worthy-ness of these cars and that's what was holding the GBX up.

I believe it was the stupidity that is PTC that killed it. They couldn't comply, but nobody else can either!

CD

Only four cars? The booster on 614 could most likely handle them...

“It’s better to have tried and failed than to live life wondering what would’ve happened if I had tried” – Alfred Lord Tennyson