Interesting article, but I do take exception to it being called the "last known" fish car in America. Isn't there one on display at the Fish Hatchery in Spearfish, SD?

It should be bloomin good, $980,000 spent on a car that wasnt even derelict, we can only dream of funding like that !
Still nothing more satisfying than doing the work yourself though.
Mike Pannell
Cheyenne

Does anyone have photos? My imagination fails me.

I think the last built "fish car" would have been the "Nautilus" rebuilt from a C&EI car IIRC for the Shedd Aquarium. This was the second Nautilus, the first being a Pullman heavyweight that operated to 1959. The Nautilus (2) was eventually retired and I believe is the the Monticello Railroad Museum. There was an article with drawings of this stainless steel car in Railroad Model Craftsman in the 1990's--I think. I think that at least one or two other fish cars exist, but the Badger the only one in fully restored condition.

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

What about that fake fish car in Oden, MI?

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=45.425101,-84.846666&spn=0,359.992152&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=45.424375,-84.846113&panoid=Y4m6GW7ADHeNxsxw8V-rvQ&cbp=12,12.98,,0,1.25

I remember seeing Nautilus (II) at LA Union Station in 1969. It had probably come in on Santa Fe train #23, and was in town to collect Pacific Ocean specimens for the Chicago-based aquarium. One of the Santa Fe crewmen told me that its unofficial name was "The Sardine Can."

You can find Badger 2 restoration photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lbrosenow/

Photos of the restored Bader No 2.

wow! That is one restored peice of equipment...

Here is the link to the website with more information with pics of the restoration:

http://midcontinent.org/restorations/badger2.html

Ed

As a side note for those wishing to see their own authentic restoration take place, copies from original drawings of the Badger #2 were supplied by the Pullman Library, Illinois Railway Museum. There were many other sources needed for this car restoration, but it is always helpful to have access to original builders drawings with dimensions. Please check with us for your restoration needs (or modeling needs) for the following Pullman related companies for both freight and passenger cars, even including some of the Pullman plants and more recently, donations by Michael Johnson from his NYC/Conrail/AMTRAK archives:
Pullman Palace Car Company (wood car production circa 1889 - 1911)
Pullman Car Works & Pullman-Standard (1911 - 1950)
Standard Steel Car Company (1906-1930, with incorporation into P-S)
Osgood Bradley (Worcester, MA) after 1912 to end of production as P-S Worcester
Haskell & Barker (Michigan City, IN) (early production to 1950 as part of P-S)

Ted Anderson, curator
Pullman Library, Illinois Railway Museum
P. O. Box 427
Union, IL 60180
Tel. Wednes 10 -4 (not 12/23/09, sorry!) 815-923-2020
Have a Happy Holiday!

folks,

From one Ted to another, i have worked with Ted in the past and He is one knowledgable guy.

He goes the extra step to find out if he has what you need in his massive holdings.

His prices (the museums) are reasonable and the reproductions are really great.

And do not think it is just front line passenger cars. He found for me some great drawings on a lowly caboose that were needed.

Ted Miles

My family and I rode in this car in 1963 or 64, I think it was in service in "63", the first year of operation at North Freedom. A wonderful restoration for sure, for that kind of money I would hope so. Engineers have always said it was a real boat anchor to haul on a train. She is a heavy weight. Hope the trucks get rebuilt some day, but for all general purposes she probably won't put on many miles anyway. Sure is pretty, as good as the day she left Pullman {almost}. Many thanks to the donors who made it happen, both large and small. Very impressive. Cheers, John.

OK...flame away but it needs to be said.

It is evident from the builder's photos that the car originally had a dark stained interior. Why during the restoration did they choose to have a light or natural wood colored interior?