Another historic private car to be sold or scrapped.

robertjohndavis · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am **Posts:** 2499

Richard Glueck wrote:

The car will keep its conformation, name, and number, by agreement between the seller and buyer. The rebuild is going to take an extended period of time. How much of the conversion will be made public - that's going to be interesting. The party which went after this car, rather than standing to the side and watching it go to scrap, should be congratulated and thanked for their insight into railroad preservation and inclusive modern technology.

Agreed. It could have been better but it could have been much, much worse.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2872

Interestingly, another car in the yard in Derby has a fundraiser trying to get it out of there before it is scrapped: former Northern Pacific PS lightweight observation Spokane Club. A person from Ontario has set up a gofundme site and has raised a grand total of $0 in about three weeks, he says CMQ wants it out of there but has given him until May to remove it. Perhaps someone on here would be interested in this car?

Richard Glueck · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2017 11:43 am

I'm actually surprised nobody has jumped on it. RPCA must be aware of the car's existence? This is a "boat tail" observation car.

jmlaboda · Updated 8/9/17 with 8,402 new links

A picture of the new NS 35 has been posted to RR Picture Archives...

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4619699

Looks like someone needs to mention the NP Spokane Club to both Northern Pacific pages just in case someone yet might be interested in helping save this car...

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2872

I first saw it mentioned on the Facebook Northern Pacific Railway group on December 22, where it has received a yawn. I just posted something on the NPRR Museum Facebook page but they don't get a lot of traffic. Perhaps this deserves its own thread here.

Topfuel · **Joined:** Sun Aug 29, 2004 4:49 pm **Posts:** 529

Re the NP obs Spokane Club: I've been involved in the purchase of 7 former NP lightweight passenger cars in Spokane, WA this year, from the estate for the owner who died a few years ago. While in Spokane during one of several trips there this year to prep said cars, I got word that the Spokane Club had been purchased by a private party from New England somewhere and that they were very enthused about the acquisition. I got the guys name and email address but never followed up on it at the time. Maybe I'll now have to email the guy and see if they did in fact buy the car or if they're actually the ones with the Go-fund-me page.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2872

Topfuel wrote:

Re the NP obs Spokane Club: I've been involved in the purchase of 7 former NP lightweight passenger cars in Spokane, WA this year, from the estate for the owner who died a few years ago. While in Spokane during one of several trips there this year to prep said cars, I got word that the Spokane Club had been purchased by a private party from New England somewhere and that they were very enthused about the acquisition. I got the guys name and email address but never followed up on it at the time. Maybe I'll now have to email the guy and see if they did in fact buy the car or if they're actually the ones with the Go-fund-me page.

I just noted a line from the Gofundme page which would seem to indicate he already owns it:

"When the CMQ took over operations from MMA the car was deemed to lack anything important and was to face the scrap torch. I stepped in a saved her. The $6,000 that I am trying to raise will help move the car to the Belfast & Moosehead Railroad so that it for one can be preserved, two can be become rail worthy and restored and then used in excusion train service and hopefully more."

Nothing about a purchase price, which indicates he already owns it. Well, good that it will be saved if he can move it, but I am not sure that class II track in Maine is the best place for it, nor is BAR orange a flattering scheme.

Topfuel · **Joined:** Sun Aug 29, 2004 4:49 pm **Posts:** 529

"I just noted a line from the Gofundme page which would seem to indicate he already owns it...."

That's how I read it too. But if this guy doesn't even have the money to move the car, he's up against it before he's even started. How about the cost of a COT&S? Does he even know the car would need such work to be approved for movement? Is he prepared to possibly pay duty on the car to import it into Canada? Who knows? He sounds like a first-time buyer. At any rate, it looks like the car is safe for the time being. We'll see how this pans out.

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2872

Topfuel wrote:

"I just noted a line from the Gofundme page which would seem to indicate he already owns it...."

That's how I read it too. But if this guy doesn't even have the money to move the car, he's up against it before he's even started. How about the cost of a COT&S? Does he even know the car would need such work to be approved for movement? Is he prepared to possibly pay duty on the car to import it into Canada? Who knows? He sounds like a first-time buyer. At any rate, it looks like the car is safe for the time being. We'll see how this pans out.

Spot on Topfuel. I hope someone with a fallback plan is actually in contact with CMQ though, in case this guy throws in the towel, which we would never know, and it needs to be moved fast.

mikefrommontana · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2017 1:24 am

Topfuel wrote:

Re the NP obs Spokane Club: I've been involved in the purchase of 7 former NP lightweight passenger cars in Spokane, WA this year, from the estate for the owner who died a few years ago.

These are the cars formerly owned by Mike Gelhaus. Pardon my asking, but where have they gone to? I'm glad they didn't go to a scrapper, but was surprised the Inland Empire preservation group (formerly in Spokane, now in Reardan, WA) didn't acquire one.

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

PMC · **Joined:** Sat Oct 17, 2015 5:55 pm **Posts:** 2872

I think I will start a new thread on NP Spokane Club so as not to take away from now NS 35.

Topfuel · **Joined:** Sun Aug 29, 2004 4:49 pm **Posts:** 529

"These are the cars formerly owned by Mike Gelhaus. Pardon my asking, but where have they gone to? I'm glad they didn't go to a scrapper, but was surprised the Inland Empire preservation group (formerly in Spokane, now in Reardan, WA) didn't acquire one."

Inland Empire ended up with the Mt. St. Helens. My group of 3 guys purchased the remaining 7 cars. One was sold fairly quickly to another private owner. The cars will be dispersed to some extent, but all of us are very mindful of the goal that Mike Gelhaus had to save these cars and hopefully get them running as restored NCL cars. It is very likely that 2 or 3 of them will be in service as operating cars within a few years. Feel free to PM me if you would like more detailed info.

Otto Vondrak · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2017 11:33 pm

DJSullivan wrote:

It's cool to learn that there were private spurs under Park Avenue apartments. That NYC feature was new to me.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

-otto-

Otto Vondrak · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2017 11:34 pm

jmlaboda wrote:

A picture of the new NS 35 has been posted to RR Picture Archives...

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4619699.

I'm thrilled that NS, with the resources to do so, saved this car from being so many razor blades... But why would they choose a 1926 heavyweight to convert into a modern geometry car? Aren't there newer candidates that would serve the purpose better? Or is this a case of "They don't build them like this anymore!" and this 1926 car built to battleship-specs is more likely to survive than a postwar Budd or PS car?

-otto-

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Wed Jan 11, 2017 6:42 pm

NS 35 passed through Sunbury, Pa. today on NS train 11Z.

Seen a couple hundred feet from Kase Interlocking, the junction of the line to Wilkes-Barre from the Harrisburg-Buffalo PRR line:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater