Preservation of Lackawanna MU cars

Frank Hicks · **Posted:** Wed Jul 18, 2001 3:03 pm

I have been looking for any sort of authoritative source that would list what happened to the old Lackawanna MU cars that were retired in 1984. New Jersey Transit had an auction, and dozens were sold to a variety of organizations.

I have heard that an issue of the newsletter of the Anthracite Railroads Historical Society (?) at the time listed all of the cars sold at the auction. I don't remember the name of this newsletter, but if anyone can help - or if you have that back issue - I would love to know more about what happened to all those cars. Thanks!

Goop

James · **Posted:** Thu Jul 19, 2001 11:21 am

Frank,

Try this link to George Elwoods site for DL&W/EL MU Equipment Listing and last know locations:
http://www.dnaco.net/~gelwood/mu/mu.html

http://www.dnaco.net/~gelwood/mu/mu.html
nyc3005@yahoo.com

Jim Lundquist · **Posted:** Thu Jul 19, 2001 12:08 pm

that site is missing the six we have at the San DiegoRailroad Museum - all letter for the San Diego & Arizona Railway.

JimLundquist55@yahoo.com

Frank Hicks · **Posted:** Thu Jul 19, 2001 1:19 pm

I know about all the cars on George Elwood's site, and I also have information on the cars at San Diego Railroad Museum. Here's a list of the cars I know about; if you REALLY want, I can post more information on all of them.

2200, 2232, 2237, 2242, 2306, 2310, 2313, 2316, 2318, 2324, 2331, 2340, 2341, 2348, 2349, 2350, 2406, 2453, 2454, 2455, 2541, 2581, 2583, 2584, 2585, 2586, 2628, 3202, 3203, 3207, 3208, 3210, 3213, 3215, 3218, 3219, 3227, 3228, 3229, 3238, 3240, 3241, 3247, 3343, 3357, 3366, 3451, 3505, 3509, 3518, 3519, 3545, 3572, 3589, 3596, 4302, 4323, 4328, 4352, 4353, 4362, 4363, 4364, 4615, 4633.

I have current locations for all of these cars, and some knowledge of their condition. Keep in mind the first digit changed with ownership - all of these cars started off in the 2000 series on the DL&W, then went to the 3000 series on Erie-Lackawanna, and some were renumbered by New Jersey Transit to the 4000 series.

If you know of a car that isn't on my list, I'd be extremely interested in knowing about it.

Goop

Alan Maples · **Posted:** Thu Jul 19, 2001 2:20 pm

I don't know if any of these cars are on your list, since I don't have the original car numbers . . .

Horseshoe Curve Chapter, NRHS, 3 cars (were powered cars). Now stored on the Everett Railroad near Altoona, PA, and used once and awhile for excursions.

Gettysburg Railroad - had two cars (unsure if they were powered or trailers). On the GETY they carried numbers 330 and 245.

Maryland Midland Railway - had two cars (one powered, one trailer). Both sold the Gus Novotny Associates, Inc., d/b/a the EnterTrainment Line. GNA subsequently sold the trailer to a tourist railroad in Michigan. After the EnterTrainment Line closed, I believe the remaining car was sold at auction. Northern Central Railway bought several cars but I don't know if they got the MU.

My apologies if I have duplicated information you already have.

Alan Maples

AMaples@aol.com

Frank Hicks · **Posted:** Thu Jul 19, 2001 5:36 pm

Alan: THANKS!!

I hadn't heard of any of those cars before, except for the Gettysburg Railroad cars. As for those, I'm not sure you'd even be able to find their original numbers if you visited the GETY. Anyway, I was able to find the website of the Horseshoe Curve Chapter NRHS:

http://www.trainweb.org/horseshoecurve- ... ars_1b.htm

This site contains a whole bunch of nice pictures of the cars right after acquisition, and today. I can make out the numbers on two cars: 3537 and 3501. One of these cars had been repainted red and white by NJT, and I can't see a number on that car. The website includes some pretty ridiculous information, including a claim that these cars were designed by Thomas Edison.

Goop

Bennett Levin · **Posted:** Thu Jul 19, 2001 7:13 pm

Thomas Edison had a hand in the Lackawanna Electrification and was the guest engineer on the maiden run.

v-scarpitti@worldnet.att.net

Joshua K. Blay · **Posted:** Fri Jul 20, 2001 9:12 am

The Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley has three trailers, how do you identify the original numbers??

Joshua

My Homepage
joshuakblay@hotmail.com

Scott Becker · **Posted:** Fri Jul 20, 2001 9:18 am

EL MU Car 3589 is in derelict condition at Station Square in Pittsburgh. It is a motor car and most reusuable interior parts, such as seats, were recently removed by the Rochester NRHS Chapter for use on their Lacakawanna MU motor car. The trucks, motors etc. will most likely be cut up with the car later this year by a scrapper hired by Station Square. If there is interest in preserving this material, contact me soon.

sbecker@pa-trolley.org

Frank Hicks · **Posted:** Fri Jul 20, 2001 10:20 am

Good question. I would say that, as a general rule, any number you find that fits into the Lackawanna, Erie-Lackawanna, or NJT numbering system (see George Elwood's website at www.dnaco.net/~gelwood for more info) is probably the original number. Numbers on these cars were centered on the car side under the windows. They also had numbers on the interiors of the end bulkheads, above or to the right of the bulkhead door. Assuming the car hasn't been stripped or the original numbers sanded off prior to repainting, careful sanding ought to reveal the original identity. If you find out which cars are at the Cooperstown & Charlotte Valley, let me know!

Goop

Rick Rowlands · **Posted:** Fri Jul 20, 2001 11:46 am

> EL MU Car 3589 is in derelict condition at
> Station Square in Pittsburgh.

Where is this car located at within the Station Square complex? I can't remember seeing it when I was there last? At least there is some advance notice of the car's impending doom, unlike the two Mesta fireless engines that all of a sudden just dissappeared.

Do you know if any other rail equipment is going to be scrapped there soon?

Tod Engine Foundation
rick@todengine.org

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Fri Jul 20, 2001 4:48 pm

I know of four not listed.

Four cars were bought by Jay Seidel, a restauranteur in Pennsylvania. Two were incorporated into the Front Street Station in Northumberland's ex-PRR depot. The cars have PRR-style lettering and paint, but the numbers (sorry, don't remember, though 3509 comes to mind) have been retained.

The other two cars have been neglected on a siding on the North Shore Railroad for perhaps fifteen years, behind a lumber company between Northumberland and Danville. Seidel had intended to build another railroad restaurant between Bloomsburg and Berwick, but naught has come of this to my knowledge.

LNER4472@bcpl.net

Kurt Bell · **Posted:** Fri Jul 20, 2001 5:59 pm

Back in 1985, the Tri-State Chapter NRHS ran a full list of DL&W m.u. car and trailer numbers in their magazine, The Block Line. The list is comprehensive and cross-referenced to purchasers of same at the NJ Transit Sale.

> Good question. I would say that, as a
> general rule, any number you find that fits
> into the Lackawanna, Erie-Lackawanna, or NJT
> numbering system (see George Elwood's
> website at www.dnaco.net/~gelwood for more
> info) is probably the original number.
> Numbers on these cars were centered on the
> car side under the windows. They also had
> numbers on the interiors of the end
> bulkheads, above or to the right of the
> bulkhead door. Assuming the car hasn't been
> stripped or the original numbers sanded off
> prior to repainting, careful sanding ought
> to reveal the original identity. If you find
> out which cars are at the Cooperstown &
> Charlotte Valley, let me know!

eehiv · **Joined:** Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:54 pm **Posts:** 1336

Here is a current list of surviving MU cars:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Lackawanna_MU_Cars

At least 96 of 141 trailers survive, and 59 of 141 motors.

EH

nictd1000 · **Joined:** Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:30 pm **Posts:** 73

The Indiana Transportation Museum in Noblesville, IN has at least one car in their collection possibly up to 3 cars.

Here's what I had so far:

Ryan

Electric MU’s 3500 series ex DL&W 2500 series

3501 Horseshoe Curve NRHS NRHX 103 “Paradise”
3505/2505 Steamtown Scranton, PA
3507 Horseshoe Curve NRHS NRHX 104
3509 CACV 3509
3518 Florida RR Museum
3519 CACV 3519
3537 Horseshoe Curve NHRS NRHX 105 “ Mountain View”
3538 Hobo and Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad 1003 “Waukewan”
3541/2541 URHS of NJ
3562 Hobo and Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad 1001 “Deer Park”
3572 Florida RR Museum Parrish, FL
3581/2581 SD&A 250
3583/2583 SD&A 251
3584/2584 SD&A 252
3585/2585 SD&A 253
3586/2586 SD&A 254
3590/2590 Everett RR 3590
3596/2596 CACV 3596
3607/2607 Everett RR 3607

EL MU Trailers 3200 series Ex 2200 Series DL&W

2200 URHS of NJ
3204/2204 BSRM 2204
3210/2210 BSRM 310
3211/2211 SD&A 255
3224/2224 BSRM 3224
3228/2228 BSRM 328
3229/2229 BSRM 329
3232/2232 Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway
3241/2241 BSRM 341
3240/2240 BGRM 3240
3247/2247 BGRM 3247

MU Combines
3406/2406 URHS of NJ

EL 4300 Series MU Trailers Ex EL 3300 nee DL&W 2300

4301/3301/2301 BSRM 4301
4314/3314/2314 2353? BSRM 453
4321/3321/2321 CMRR 701
2333 Steamtown Ex DL&W 681
4345/3345/2345 Coopersville & Marne
2350 Orange Empire Railway Museum CA
4351/3351/2351 Reading RR Hist Society
2357 Steamtown Ex DL&W 705
4359/3359/2359 Reading RR Hist Society

MU Parlors 4400 ex 3400 nee 2400
4445 Coopersville & Marne
4453/3453/2453 NRHS of NJ
4454/3454/2454 NRHS of NJ

MU Trailers 4600 Ex 3600 Nee 2600
4617/3617/2617 Hobo and Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad 1002 “Alpine”
2625 Hobo and Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad 1004 “Mountain View”
2628 R&GV Museum New York