The November 1965 Issue of "Traction & Models" has an illustrated article on the Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Eastern Traction Company business car 600. The car was sold and after the mechanical parts were removed sent to a point near Harrisville, MI. Apparently it was last seen in 1956. Is the car still in existence?

This is it in 1911, I haven't been able to find any other references http://images.indianahistory.org/cdm/re ... 2/id/10675.
This list of THI&E survivors only lists two cars, neither of which is #600 http://www.indianarailroads.org/interur ... HIandE.htm :

There are 3, possibly 4, THI&E cars surviving today, all in body form. The 600 is not one of them.

http://www.bera.org/cgi-bin/pnaerc.pl?s ... mit=SUBMIT
IRM has two, 50 and 58, built by Laconia in 1904.
Hooiser Heartland Trolley Co. has car 81, built by Jewett in 1902.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.2674787 ... 312!8i6656
In addition, there is a carbody as part of a house in Alexandria, IN (see link above for streetview) that is thought to be a THI&E car, built either by Jewett or Laconia. The exact identity is unknown, however.

The fact that car 600 apparently lasted as late as the 1950s is pretty interesting, although in the 70 years since it's probably gone by now. Railroad and trolley museums snatched up many of the carbodies that were initially converted, with many others being eventually demolished.There are a handful still known to be out there, but they're pretty uncommon.

I have attached a follow up article In the June 1966 issue of Traction and Models. Someone will have to take a look and see it has survived in its camo form.

Wow, that would be incredible if it is in there, that doesn't look like the typical "chicken coop" re-use where when the building collapses the car goes with it.

It turns out that THI&E #600 has survived all these years. I contacted a historical society in Michigan near the car's last reported location in the 1960s this past summer, and they just recently discovered my email, it turns out that the present owners are members of said historical society. One of the owners sent me the below photo of the exterior of the car inside of their house, and has been trying to send me about a dozen more, but they apparently don't have broadband there and I am just not a cell phone guy (I don't have internet on my cell phone and the attachments they are sending won't load for whatever reason). Anyway, here is a description by the owner and one photo, and if we can get more photos I will post them:

"The entire car is enclosed in our house. The end that would have 2 curved glass windows was made into a fireplace,, otherwise its entirely intact. We have the curved windows that were removed stored in our garage rafters. Also the motorman's interior walls are in our basement...the underside of the car is visible in our basement and the wooden frame appears intact. Structurally I'm fairly certain it's intact with only the trucks missing...no part of the car is exposed to the outdoors anymore. Before we moved here one door was the outside door. You can see that in the picture you sent me [the photo in the Traction and Models article posted above]. Otherwise the whole car is surrounded by our house. We added on to the house and added storm windows so none of the car is exposed to the elements."

They also have a request: "Do you know the layout of the car.? Its 2 passenger lounges, one on either end with a bathroom and kitchen in between. Original fixtures are there. We also have 4 wicker and leather chairs that were part of the original furniture."

Amazing survival. The owners are taking good care of it.

Two pages from CERA Bulletin 101 "Electric Railways of Indiana"

Thanks CK. Hugh McGowan was a financier who with three others formed the 400-mile THI&E by combining several smaller companies.

I have received some more photos of the current state of 600, as well as more description from one of the owners:

"Happy to tell you that 600 is quite well and, we think, in great shape! We have done very little that changes the car the way we found it 47 years ago. The out side wall that faces our living room had cedar half rounds nailed to it which we removed to expose the beauty of the workmanship. We stripped the layers of paint to expose the beautiful wood of the structure. Not original, I know, but it is exquisite. When we disposed of rotting carpeting we just left the floors with a coat of paint. We put in light fixtures in one end because they had been removed and we couldn't find them. That's about it. Any other changes happened before we bought the house. I have attached a few interior pictures to show you the beauty of the paneling and the stained glass windows. We will send you more as we have better lighting. Kind of rainy today. Enjoy!"

Wow! They deserve lots of credit for so carefully taking care of the car.

At some point the house will be sold (it happens!) and maybe the new owners will not care for the car like the present folks. It would be neat if some sort of agreement could be made that would see the car extracted for preservation at that point in time. The amount of original details is amazing! (As is the care and respect for the car that the current owners have shown.)

The car as Indiana Railroad 600: CERA Bulletin 102, "Electric Railways of Indiana...Part II"