Frank,

There were two NY Elevated cars that Sloan Cornell acquired for the PVM in the 1960s. As he related the story to me, he found both sitting in a field somewhere (Ohio sounds right), carbodies only without trucks. He mounted them on caboose frames & trucks. One car was fixed up for excursion service (school bus seats) but the second car was never used, although both traveled from Blairsville to Gettysburg on their own wheels, and later back to Marienville. The second car was in very poor condition and met its demise years ago. The first one is also in poor condition now, although it is at least under roof. I told Sloan that I would make my best effort to find a good home for the car, but inquiries to several museums has so far failed to yield any interest, especially given the amount of restoration work required. Its historic "fabric" and integrity is questionable at this stage, although I've tried to convince Barney Gramling that it would look perfect behind an 0-4-0T . . .

I don't have car numbers/etc. with me at the moment.

Alan Maples

I would advise against trying to get photos at the moment. The exterior walls of the building are still standing and most of the structure damage is to the roof. There really isn't much to see and the enginehouse is not safe to enter right now. The railroad is keeping curiousity seekers off the property for obvious reasons.

Alan Maples

I've received what I would consider third-hand information on the damage. I'm told that, in spite of the remote location, because of probable ongoing arson investigation, nobody without a personal stake in the enginehouse or investigation is being let anywhere near the site--and I sympathize.

That said, the appearances seem to be that the wooden car was the true source of heat for the fire, burning the roof and bringing it atop the other equipment, supposedly much like the roundhouse fire that hit Reading/Chessie 2101 in 1979. The ex-WM GP9, which I understand one associate had been trying to get for the West Va. Central, is supposedly a total loss mechanically, as is the passenger car--supposedly nothing above the frame left.

Of the two steamers, supposedly Chinese 58 took more damage than H&BTM 38--the cab of 58 was wood-lined and turned to "charcoal". As I recall, 58 was also an "off-the-shelf" Chinese 2-8-2, not rebuilt to American code, so I wonder if there's any likelihood of seeing her in steam again. Only ultrasound and more might tell, and if you ask me it'll only happen if someone finds a ready customer for said loco--and wouldn't someone had bought her out of slumber before this if it were needed?

If this is indeed the final retirement for 38, a loco behind which I rode on a legitimate mixed train on the Gettysburg ages ago, I can think of no better place for her than either the RR Museum of Pa. or, barring that, static display at Huntington or elsewhere on the H&BTM.

From the Kane Republican newspaper website



The photo shows the chopped nose of the ex-WM GP9 with fallen metal across it.

I also now have a photo of the D&H wooden car and 38 being transferred from Gettysburg to Kane in August 1987--a truly strange looking wooden car, if you ask me. I'll see if I can get the photo up sometime this evening.

courtesy "CP Lenk" at the Buffalo Line Yahoo Group:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2346935951_cde0e15de2.jpg?v=0

Photo of northbound equipment transfer from Gettysburg to Kane, Pa., Aug. 2, 1987, shown at Dalmatia, Pa. Ex-H&BTM 38 is shown in front of the "Delaware & Hudson" wooden car.

Now, just what the heck the heritage of that wooden car is, I have NO idea.

Holy crow! I had no idea one of those still existed! That is a "miner's car" as they were nicknamed and used in commuter service on the Penn Division around Scranton and Carbondale.

This is a car that deserved a place of prominence at Steamtown. But it may be toast.

According to the Bridge Line site the G&J was restoring one as a business car, but current status is listed as unknown. The Miner's Car in question was built by Wasson in 1893. Is this the same car?

Could this be the "President's Car" that fueled the fire? If so, what a loss!

Rob

This car was on the D&H Carbondale wreck train for many years. Notice the back-up headlight, visible over no. 38's tender. It was probably one of the arch roof, roller bearing coaches used on the Carbondale-Scranton commuter train until about 1948. I have several photos of this car and a companion car on a wreck train along the Bloomsburg branch of the E-L, when the D&H had trackage rights there following the 1972 flood.

That green arch-roofed D&H wood coach may be the same one I saw in 1973, during the D&H 150th Anniversary celebrations. The car was inside Building 29 at Colonie, the passenger car shop building. The car was in beautiful shape-- it looked freshly painted and was in great condition. I don't recall that the interior was all coach seating, but almost a "lounge car" arrangement.

A few years earlier (1969-70-71) the yard at Colonie had 4 or 5 of those "miner's coaches" sitting around, in work train red with the usual modifications done to them; perhaps D&H restored one of those in 1973 for the Sesquecentennial trains.

The car seemed to vanish after that year, and perhaps it went to the Cornells at Gettysburg.

Howard P.

#58 was built to US specs, it was delivered at the same time as the Valley/NYSW locomotive. The Chinese engine in the mid-west is a stock Chinese-spec boiler.

The D&H car was on the tail end of the first train across the viaduct, but I never saw it out on the road again until it was moved back to Kane.