Hi to all
2 questions
1 Can anyone shed light on what car order 1551 may have pertained to?
2 Does anyone knoew whether Pullmans were delivered with tool boxes when new?



Thanks as always

Mike Pannell

Mike -

If you give me a bit more information, I might be able to look this up when I go to the Pullman Library at IRM next week. Do you have an approximate date for this order, any idea what railroad was involved, and what you think (or hope) the answer might be? You can PM me the details offline if you like.

As to question #2, it all depends on the agreement between the purchaser and Pullman. Older Pullman Lot specifications (or "descriptive reports" as they were sometimes called) aren't very detailed on such finer points. If you have a specific car in mind we might be able to find the spec. at IRM or, if pre-1924, the order file at the Newberry Library in Chicago.

Peter Nicholson

1. Order #1551 from the CD prepared and sold by Eric A. Neubauer http://ericsrailroadcarhistory:
This 1888 order was for the Pullman Palace Car Co. itself and it was canceled. It was for 5 Pullman sleeping cars and would have been for the Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul Association (a joint partnership between Pullman & CM&SP) was to be for cars to plan 633 of 8-88. The Association existed between 1882 and 1890. No further information.

2. No information, research needed. Perhaps for linen storage; some dining cars later had underfloor storage lockers that were accessed from inside the car.

Several issues here.
The first was whether tool boxes were stored inside or under the wood Pullmans. The answer to both is "yes" based on the tool box drawings in the "X" series drawings in the IRM Pullman Library. The issue there is to pull them out to copy for whomever is willing to order them. We have enough issues trying to supply to the ever more sophisticated requests, which take much of our time. Michael is keeping me informed and when I might help we do communicate.
There is a CD in the works listing all of these drawings by old number, renumber, lot, plan and title. They will need to be in two PDF search-able listings, one by the new drawing number and the other by the old drawing number (i.e. equivalent to dating them). There are only 200 yet to do, may need to make it in an up-datable version to get it out, several thousand of them total. The cost of the pdf database will be quite nominal for potential drawing customers and historians. I have made preliminary copies so they can be made available on as-is basis.
The last issue is that Peter Nicholson can communicate with us for another's need but we must work directly with them under the terms of a signed Bombardier agreement who hold title to material including these wood car drawings. Peter is authorized to work under the agreement with Monticello Railway Museum where he is a volunteer. As it turns out, we already have an agreement with Michael Pannell, as we were involved in determining car 57's heritage and supplying the floor plan. I hope the issue of the tool box if not resolved at least might have a fair try through the material in the Pullman Library. Thanks for your enthusiasm, Peter!
About lot 1551, I concur with Brian Norden that anyone working on period wood cars is well advised to get Eric Neubauer's listing. I use his Pullman companies freight car pdf CD constantly, as we have a very large collection of early Haskell & Barker Car Company, Pullman, Pullman-Standard and Standard Steel Car Company drawings and would be lost without it! The bulk of SSC drawing journals are in Harrisburg and the bulk of the SSC drawings appear to be in the Pullman Library.
Ted Anderson, IRM Pullman Library curator
(Bob Webber - historian, Al Johanson - archivist)