The Strasburg Rail Road, today, released P & R Office Car # 10 from their shops. This car was formerly known as the "Paradise" car. It was purchased by the SRC earlier this year. The car was sand blasted, primed, and had three coats of paint applied. The car also had it's original named put back on. It is now be called the "Reading".

Roof work also had to be done to fix several leaks. For now no major work is planned for the interior of the car. The majority of the interior is in excellent shape and needed only minor work. For more pictures of the car goto www.trainorders.com

R.Geiter
Lancaster, PA

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/download.php/2,71798/pr10-2.jpg
geiter3@comcast.net

Here is another pic of the car and the link to Trainorders.com

R.Geiter



http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?f=2&i=79169&t=79169

geiter3@comcast.net

Who did SRC purchase it from? This is the business car that Strasburg traditionally put at the end of the train on the last day of operations for the year, ciorrect? Will it now see regular service?

Jeff

smith@drexel.edu

> Who did SRC purchase it from? This is the
> business car that Strasburg traditionally
> put at the end of the train on the last day
> of operations for the year, ciorrect? Will
> it now see regular service?

> Jeff

It was owned by one of the SRC's vice-presidents. As of right now, it will be on static display. This will not, however, rule out any special trips. No, it probably will not ever leave the Strasburg line. It needs too many upgrades for Amtrak.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?f=2&i=79169&t=79169

geiter3@comcast.net

Seen it yesterday. What a beautiful job! What's really amazing (to me anyway) is the fact that this pur-tee paint job (and all others at SRC) are BRUSH painted. These folks can came over and paint my house any day!

All of the in-progress terminal renovations (brick platforms, "gaslight" platform lights, new display tracks along the parking lot, etc.) are looking good. Thank the little blue steam engine with the smiley face!

As mentioned by someone in an earlier post, if you go to Strasburg, be sure and take the shop tour offered each day at 12 Noon. Well worth the 10 bucks. You get a 45 to 60 minute tour of the backshop, carshop, and the enginehouse. It's great for railfans and the general public alike--an excellent "behind the scenes" experience. The tour guide does an excellent job, going into detail on what you're seeing, and stopping often to field questions.

On the shop floor was 89 getting finished up, SRC's original 1926 Plymouth gas loco 1 getting some sheet metal restoration, the frame/wheels/axles for the 2-foot gauge non-powered THOMAS, the B&O Museums's TOM THUMB and LAFAYETTE replicas getting FRA compliance work, and the V&T 2-6-0 LYON replica under construction (chassis looks complete, boiler shell about half way along). The carshop held an ex-WM wood coach near the begining of a truly major from-the-frame-up rebuilding. Here is where John Q. Public really sees what it takes to make a coach like the one they just were riding in "happen". The enginehouse held 90, 31, and just-back-from-touring THOMAS (475 was on the train). The enginehouse's airbrake shop was very impressive and a museum in its own right.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

> Who did SRC purchase it from? This is the
> business car that Strasburg traditionally
> put at the end of the train on the last day
> of operations for the year, ciorrect? Will
> it now see regular service?

> Jeff

I have to think back, waaay back, but I believe the car came to East Strasburg directly from the Reading Company.

Electric City Trolley Museum Asso

Reading business car No. 10 was purchased by two Strasburg RR officials and one volunteer--J. Huber Leath, Donald E.L. Hallock and Lynford "Bud" Swearer who formed "Strasburg Enterprises." The car arrived at SRR on May 8, 1964. About a year later, Hallock and Swearer sold their interest in the car to Leath in exchange for a partnership in the SRR Restaurant concession, which was also operated by "Strasburg Enterprises." After operation as the "Paradise Car" private concession for many years, Leath finally sold the car to the SRR in January 2002. The car was originally built in May 1913 by Harlan & Hollingsworth of Wilmington, DE, replacing an earlier wooden truss-rod private car which was relegated to air-brake instruction use. It was built for President George Baer, though he only used it for a year before committing suicide in Washington, D.C. In 1924, when the RDG purchased business car 20, car 10 was reassigned from use as the President's car to the Vice President and General Manager (car 20 became the President's car until sold to a California businessman in 1964). It was used by RDG VP-GM Arthur Jewell for many years on his daily commute from Reading's Outer Station to Philadelphia's Reading Terminal until the early 60's. In the spring of 2002 I was contacted by the SRR to do research on the cosmetic history of RDG car 10 and supplied many historical photographs and documentation on the car's service history. Today the car pretty much is faithful to its c.1915-1920 P&R appearance. I really feel that the SRR crew did a superb job in restoring this car to its early service life period of use, and has produced an excellent full-color interpretive brochure to bring the car alive for visitors. Come check it out!

K.R. Bell
RR Museum of PA

> I have to think back, waaay back, but I
> believe the car came to East Strasburg
> directly from the Reading Company.


http://rrmuseumpa.org

The car looks great! Just one minor glitch, the Reading purchased car 15. I don't think there ever was a car 20.

In
> 1924, when the RDG purchased business car
> 20, car 10 was reassigned from use as the
> President's car to the Vice President and
> General Manager (car 20 became the
> President's car until sold to a California
> businessman in 1964). It was used by RDG
> VP-GM Arthur Jewell for many years on his
> daily commute from Reading's Outer Station
> to Philadelphia's Reading Terminal until the
> early 60's. In the spring of 2002 I was
> contacted by the SRR to do research on the
> cosmetic history of RDG car 10 and supplied
> many historical photographs and
> documentation on the car's service history.
> Today the car pretty much is faithful to its
> c.1915-1920 P&R appearance. I really
> feel that the SRR crew did a superb job in
> restoring this car to its early service life
> period of use, and has produced an excellent
> full-color interpretive brochure to bring
> the car alive for visitors. Come check it
> out!

> K.R. Bell
> RR Museum of PA


schwartzsj@juno.com

Yes, my error--it was car 15! My apologies. (That's what happens when you recall things from memory without your notes nearby.)

> The car looks great! Just one minor glitch,
> the Reading purchased car 15. I don't think
> there ever was a car 20.

> In


http://rrmuseumpa.org