Oldest "serviceable" passenger cars.

Brian Norden · **Posted:** Thu Jan 30, 2003 2:02 am

I was just looking at the listing of the wooden passenger cars at California's Railtown 1898. I noticed that they list Sierra #2 as having been built in 1869 by Watson for the Central Pacific and as being "serviceable."

What other passenger cars are out there that are intact and/or serviceable that date from -- say -- before 1880?

Brian Norden

Railtown Wooden Passenger Cars
bnorden49@earthlink.net

Ken Breher · **Posted:** Thu Jan 30, 2003 11:36 am

> I was just looking at the listing of the
> wooden passenger cars at California's
> Railtown 1898. I noticed that they list
> Sierra #2 as having been built in 1869 by
> Watson for the Central Pacific and as being
> "serviceable."

> What other passenger cars are out there that
> are intact and/or serviceable that date from
> -- say -- before 1880?

> Brian Norden

Although not "serviceable", East Jordan and Southern Combine No. 2 is conserved at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum. No. 2 is an 1864 product of Osgood Bradly.

Additional cars from the 1880's through the early 1900's are held in the museum's collection.

Check out the "View the Collection" button on the MC webpage at www.Midcontinent.org

KenB

BREHER1257@aol.com

J.R. May · **Posted:** Thu Jan 30, 2003 10:27 pm

We use a CNJ caboose on our passenger train. The caboose was built originally in 1874. Thousands of passengers ride in it every year. Due to its age, it is quite narrow and rides our 3' rails just fine.

Our CN coach, again used daily, is fairly "young" turning 100 last year.

> I was just looking at the listing of the
> wooden passenger cars at California's
> Railtown 1898. I noticed that they list
> Sierra #2 as having been built in 1869 by
> Watson for the Central Pacific and as being
> "serviceable."

> What other passenger cars are out there that
> are intact and/or serviceable that date from
> -- say -- before 1880?

> Brian Norden

http://www.njmt.org
jrmay@njmt.org

T.J. Gaffney · **Posted:** Fri Jan 31, 2003 11:09 am

> We use a CNJ caboose on our passenger train.
> The caboose was built originally in 1874.
> Thousands of passengers ride in it every
> year. Due to its age, it is quite narrow and
> rides our 3' rails just fine.

> Our CN coach, again used daily, is fairly
> "young" turning 100 last year.

Question on your CN coach...was it originally GT?
Any background on this would be helpful, as we are trying to put together a database of GT-heritage cars that are preserved.

TJG

Port Huron Museum

tjgaffney@phmuseum.org

Jim Robinson · **Posted:** Fri Jan 31, 2003 4:05 pm

> Question on your CN coach...was it
> originally GT?

Both of Pine Creek's ex-CNR wooden coaches (1 restored, the other awaiting restoration) are from the Newfoundland narrow gauge.

Regards,
Jim Robinson

J.R. May · **Posted:** Fri Jan 31, 2003 11:58 pm

Originally Newfoundland Railway. 42 inch gauge which we narrowed to 36 inches. I'd have to dig into the builder for you. We have a sister car built about 1912 also.

> Question on your CN coach...was it
> originally GT?
> Any background on this would be helpful, as
> we are trying to put together a database of
> GT-heritage cars that are preserved.

> TJG

jrmay@njmt.org