So here's an offer, if the funds to move the car could be obtained, Chemung Valley RHS would be in a position to offer space for the car here in Elmira, NY where our railroad exhibit is getting underway. Erie boxcar 75486 is already there and two other Erie cars will be part of the exhibit. The LV did serve Elmira, so the car would be in home territory.

Rob P
http://www.ChemungValleyRailway.org

I seem to recall a somewhat veiled discussion of re-creating a Lehigh Valley passenger train similar to the ongoing "Lake Cities" project. If such a project is still under consideration, this car would be very valuable for its ability to serve passengers requiring mobility assistance without further modifying the car. Persons requiring mobility assistance is a growing proportion of the population and could become a source of ridership with the right business planning.

Accordingly, this car could also be a key addition to future a future "Liberty Limited" and special trips other trips intended to serve veterans.

Tom Cornillie

Realistically, how many other LV passenger cars are there? I know both RDC's still exist and a diner was recently cut up in Georgia. Aside from money I don't know that there are enough cars to put together a train.

One could assemble a LV passenger train, but it would be more of a random mix of cars rather than a representation of an actual train. Off the top of my head:

1 parlor Winslow, NJ
Parlor lounge Black Diamond RRMofPA, Strasburg, PA
Parlor lounge White Diamond, Cooperstown, NY (for sale?)
Tool car coverted from coach, Ithaca, NY
2 or 3 coaches in the Midwest
353 Office Car

I am not aware of any head end cars still with us, but would love to find they are out there.

Rob

Tim, what and where was this LV diner? I don't recall hearing of such...

I do not believe the two that were scrapped were on roller bearings. There was talk of moving them south to the CMSL but CSAO wouldn't allow it because they were on friction bearings.

Later!
Mr. Ed

It was LV 1000. Built new for the Lehigh Valley by Pullman as baggage club car LV 1000, then rebuilt several times by the LV with the last rebuild in 1953 with 24 dining seats and 22 club seats. modernized with streamlined appearance.

It was sold by the LV after the end of passenger service to the LIRR and at some point ended up in Georgia:



It was cut up last year in Marietta:

Thanks, Tim.

I was hoping the Marietta car, which I didn't remember being LV heritage, had been bought and moved instead of scrapped. I don't stay as up on things happening in the Atlanta area as I used to...

That car had cast pedestal trucks, too, didn't it?

There are seven known surviving LV passenger cars:

LV 353 business car (observation) at Steamtown

LV 1551 "Black Diamond" used as business office by NYSW, Cooperstown NY
LV 1552 "White Diamond" at PA Railroad Museum, Strasburg PA.
(both are heavily modified from their original configurations, they were the solarium observation cars built for the Black Diamond in 1927)

LV 1553 - "Harriet"
LV 1554 - "Emerald" both were John Wilkes pullman heavweight coaches, both stored in Winslow Jct, NJ, owned by the ARHS?
(one of these is the car being discussed in this thread..still not sure which one.)

"Queen Anne" currently for sale as the "City of Peru" by Ozark Mountain Rail Car, Forsyth MO - The "Queen Anne" was one of the observation cars for the 1925 Black Diamond.

LV 94141, Ithaca, NY - a MOW "tool car" converted (by the LV) from a coach.

more details and photos here:
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scottychaos ... other.html

Scot

Scott,

I forgot about the Queen Anne. That's a pretty cool car.

Don't forgot the 2 coaches owned by MOT. I am confused about recent web posts that seem to show a third coach in the midwest.

AFAIK Queen Anne, the MOT coaches and White Diamond are all currently for sale.

Rob

Wasn't the Queen Anne/ City of Peru bought by the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad a year or two ago for their business train?

Rob,
Its the Black Diamond that is currently available from DO System. Still in it's RV paint the last time I drove through Cooperstown.
Nick

"LV 1554 - 'Emerald'"

There is no Pullman car simply named Emerald listed in the Pullman Car Construction Records... could this be an error in spelling or an incomplete name?

Ah... found it. Originally Emerald, renamed John Wilkes 17April39.

That would make this shot Harriet while the other John Wilkes...
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=857788

Its great to be able to nail down a history on these two cars. Been trying to find out more about them so now I know...

Thanks, everyone!!!

Interesting. I had no idea there was a plain "Emerald". There is the Emerald SERIES, ranging from Emerald Bay to Emerald Waves, a series of 27. No relation. The Emerald Vale has been collected by the Southern Michigan Railroad Society; former Ann Arbor via Wabash.