The Horseshoe Curve Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society has created a restoration committee for their former Union League Club sleeping car. The Chapter located in Altoona, PA is seeking information such as blueprints, consists the car was used in, etc. The details on the restoration are in the planning stages. There are no set time tables. As the car sits, it looks rough due to surface rust, however the car is surprisingly in sound condition with a few minor body repairs needing made due to mother nature. Please ask questions and we will best to our ability try and answer them in a timely manor. Remember the project is in the planning stages so suggestions and ideas are welcomed. Thank you.

I would start by telling us what you already have access to, drawings/etc.-wise, so we don't swamp you with the likes of 200 copies of the same diagram drawing or photos from some popular book or two.

Are parts, fixtures, etc. needed? I may know of a potential donor car out there, not of the same class but similar vintage.....

We do not have any drawings. We are looking for donor parts. Lighting fixtures, seating, vestibule doors, window frames, and what ever else may come up with future feeds. I understand posts may become repetitive, but that's okay we're grateful for your willingness.

It should be noted that the Illinois Railway Museum, through its Pullman Library probably has the drawings you need for this car. The Pullman Library's curator, Ted Anderson posts here on occasion. Contact information is available through the IRM website.

www.irm.org

It appears from the data available in the Pullman Car Construction Record database available at:

http://www.pullmanproject.com/

That the UNION LEAGUE CLUB was built by Pullman in 1929 as part of Lot 6274, and never rebuilt. Since it was built new in this configuration, drawings should exist in the Pullman Library collection at IRM, as Mr. Wilkins noted above. Here's a direct link to the Pullman Library contact and info page:

http://www.irm.org/pullmanlibrary/index.html

I'd be interested to know the background to the car being named UNION LEAGUE CLUB. There IS a Union League Club in Chicago, but perhaps there are other ones in other cities. I believe the U.L.C. in Chicago is still in existance. Is there a record of why the car was so named?

Thanks.

Les

The headquarters city of the Pennsylvania RR, Philadelphia, has a Union League about 3 blocks South of Broad St. Station. Back then, it was a bastion of Republicanism, and PRR officials probably belonged to it.

This particular car plan became the "Club" series for the PRR. I am aware sister cars were named: COUNTRY CLUB / ANTHRACITE CLUB, ATHLETIC CLUB, BANKERS' CLUB, COLUMBIA CLUB, PRESS CLUB / NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, RACQUET CLUB, TRAFFIC CLUB, UNIVERSITY CLUB

You are reading WAAAAY too much into this. Pullman picked names for a floor plan based on some logical grouping; trees, famous generals, or, in this case, famous clubs. They then compiled a list of names from who knows where. It appears that the road with the initial assignment had some say, but beyond that, Pullman rarely renamed cars. Since they didn't use numbers, changing a car name meant going back through the records to change the name so the car maintenance history could be traced.

Case in point is the Soo Line, which had two of these cars of a slightly different plan (4025) assigned. They really should have had the MINNEAPOLIS CLUB and ST. PAUL CLUB, or maybe the KITCHI GAMMI CLUB, but instead, had the cars PROPELLER CLUB, CIRCUMNAVIGATORS CLUB assigned at various times, among others., When the Pullman car fleet was broken up in 1948, they ended up buying the IVANHOE CLUB and LONE STAR CLUB.

More often than not, the names of Pullman cars bore no relationship to the road they ran on.

Another of what Mr. Storzek stated, the Pullman Breslin Tower at RMNE was assigned to the New Haven most of its life. Breslin tower refers to the bell tower at the University of the South-Sewanee in Tennessee, far from NYNH&H territory.

The NH's three "Tower" cars were Victoria, Breslin and Bok. Bok Tower may have a connection with Harvard University (certainly well within NH territory), as Derek Bok was a long-time president of that school.

Did not know about the origin of Breslin Tower's name. I did not think it had to do with NY Daily News writer Jimmy Breslin....

Union League Club looks to be in decent shape; it should clean up nicely and be a great display car. Good luck with it!

Howard P.

Planning a restoration of that magnitude is well worth the effort but consider the time line and price. Congrads to your efforts!! Concerning parts.... I have a rather large collection of various heavy wt parts that I would avail to your museum when the time is right. Purchasing the floor plan and Drawing list from the Pullman Library at the Illinois Railway Museum is a major step in discovering what made up the "club" when in Pullman service. You get a large detailed list of everything that was used in that lot and plan. Windows are a major concern. If brass sash, Irm has some spare pullmans for sale. If wood;they were made from mahogany; our wood shop at Irm under the guidance of Mr. Kutella has reproduced many for the cars I am working on at Irm. They have the drawings and expertise to mfg them for your project. Good luck to you all! Please keep the list informed of your progress. If I can help in any way please E mail me.