For several years in the late 1970s there was a private car adjacent to the power plant for the Pentagon in Washington, DC. If I recall correctly, the owner was active duty military and the car was treated as his residence, as if it were a more traditional mobile home. The military paid to move it beween duty stations, etc.

Can anyone fill in the blanks? Are there photos out there?

Thanks!

Wesley

Wesley -

February 1979 "TRAINS" has a photo, identifies the car as ex-NYC and the owner as Tyler Robbins, a civilian journalist termporarily employed by the Navy. The photo is credited to the Washington Post, so there may have been a local press piece as well.

Alan Maples[/url]

I an pretty sure the car started out life as the "Big Moose Lake", a 6-Double Bedroom Lounge, on the NYC. From there it went to Maintenance of Way service, and was pretty well gutted out. I am not sure whether there were other owners between the NYC or Penn Central, more correctly, and Mr. Robbins. I have lost track of the car since it left Washington D.C.

I was stationed at the Pentagon from 1974 - 80 and remember visiting the guy once or twice while his car was there. If I remember correctly he was in a reserve unit as well as being a civilian employee or contractor. The interior was like a big living room, with nothing to suggest a rail car. The same track was used for the American Freedom Train's visit to the Pentagon, where it changed locomotives in Sept 1976, with both being there at the same time. I may have some photos of the car buried somewhere. Contact me off-line.

Thanks for opening this thread up!
I was a DoD GS civilian in the early 90s, and later went back as an Army officer, and recall people talking about "that crazy guy living in his own train car," but nobody had details! I'd always wondered who it was...

Tyler Robbins, owner of that car, is still around, and is still associated with USN Reserve. His cars still get occassional use for recruiting --- but he is now based out of Toledo. I'll try and dig up what I have on his current cars when I can.

TJG

A TRAINS magazine from the 70s had a shot of this car with the Pentagon in the background- I don't have access to my collection at the moment.

Joshua