The Pullman Historic Site, in Chicago's far south side, is in the process of having millions of dollars spent on structure stabilization. We have stabilized the north factory and the clocktower/administration building, without the tower. Stabilization work on the Hotel Florence starts in October. The Factory/Clocktower work cost around 2 million. The Hotel will cost about 1 million---and this is just for immediate and emergency structural repairs to keep the buildings from falling down. More work on both buildings and one other factory building commences next Spring. We have ten million more in the bank for these projects, thanks to our wonderful Governor, George Ryan. These two remaining factory buildings on our site are original (1880) and were used for wooden car construction until 1907. The Hotel is also 1880.
We have collected a 1943 and 1954 built Pullman sleeper and a set of 1964 Pullman built 2000 series CTA cars. We need a place or places to store these cars for several years. Midwest railroad people: I'M DESPERATE!
Plans for a museum do not exist. We are working with the NPS on their 90 mile Museum plan for the South Shore RR.

haaghistory@yahoo.com

This is good news and I think many of us would like to know more. Is there a website devoted to this project? It would seem the ideal site for Pullman car restoration and interpretation when renovations to the buildings are complete, admittedly a long hard task. The name Pullman Historic Site says it all. This can be more than a bunch of trains in a cornfield -- history happened here...

The Pullman Historic Site, in Chicago's far
> south side, is in the process of having
> millions of dollars spent on structure
> stabilization. We have stabilized the north
> factory and the clocktower/administration
> building, without the tower. Stabilization
> work on the Hotel Florence starts in
> October. The Factory/Clocktower work cost
> around 2 million. The Hotel will cost about
> 1 million---and this is just for immediate
> and emergency structural repairs to keep the
> buildings from falling down. More work on
> both buildings and one other factory
> building commences next Spring. We have ten
> million more in the bank for these projects,
> thanks to our wonderful Governor, George
> Ryan. These two remaining factory buildings
> on our site are original (1880) and were
> used for wooden car construction until 1907.
> The Hotel is also 1880.
> We have collected a 1943 and 1954 built
> Pullman sleeper and a set of 1964 Pullman
> built 2000 series CTA cars. We need a place
> or places to store these cars for several
> years. Midwest railroad people: I'M
> DESPERATE!
> Plans for a museum do not exist. We are
> working with the NPS on their 90 mile Museum
> plan for the South Shore RR.


bobyar2001@yahoo.com

It sounds like there are quite a few people working on this project. I would love to know more about it, as restoring the Pullman complex would certainly be a great historical accomplishment.

I'm curious about the Pullman Site's plans for the future. Where do you plan to put these four railway cars? Is there a building that is currently being renovated, and that will house them once it is done? Your plea for finding storage space for the rolling stock seems to imply that they will soon be evicted from their current spots. Is this correct? As for finding a temporary home for these cars, I get the idea that the sleepers are streamlined - and I know the CTA cars are. If indoor storage is hard to find, would it be possible to store the cars outdoors on the Pullman site for a few years? I know it's not desirable, but the CTA cars at least have spent 40 years outside and they could probably take a few more years.

I'd love to know more about this project!

Frank Hicks
Illinois Railway Museum

Frank@gats.com

The State of Illinois/Historic Preservation Agency, the owner of the Pullman Historic Site, declines to store ANY items at the site while the stabilization is going on. Therefore, I need to find places to store the cars which will not be subject to tagging or other damage. They can stay outdoors, as they are have good outer structures.

One of the plans is to establish a car restoration shop for our cars and others, coupled with local vocational high schools and local union training programs. I have talked with Nick Kallas at the Illinois Railway Museum, who has expressed interest in working together on this type of project---something which sounds like just the right mix. But, this is all conjecture and dreaming until the site is stabilized. In the meantime, I really need storage for the cars. If anyone reading this is interested in seeing the Pullman site, with a really good tour of the existing structures, nothing would please me more that to set up that kind of thing. Your ideas are welcome and encouraged. And, if anyone knows of Pullman cars needing work that are available at the lowest price possible,(OK, will someone give us some for free?!) let me know. Sooner or later, the place will be a going concern. I would point out that this will not be a rail museum as such---that is for our friends at the IRM and others around here, It is a site devoted to the stories of Pullman, with Pullman built equipment as props for that story.


haaghistory@yahoo.com

> There will be a web site soon. I have just filmed a virtual tour of parts of Pullman. I have to add the factory buildings. It will be posted on the State of Illinois website soon.


haaghistory@yahoo.com

I have an old link that still works for this possibly unofficial site.

Historic Pullman, Chicago, IL
wyld@oc-net.com