E-L passenger car #2999 and two boxcars once part of a restaurant in Surf City, NJ have been purchased by a restauranteur and buff in Barnegat for a new restaurant.

I am not clear on the provenance of this car. Media reports say that it was a galley car.

BTW apparently one side is still in E-L paint!

Rob

It was originally an Erie heavyweight coach of the 2200 series (most of which became the modernized "ten-hundreds" series cars in the late 40s), and it had a small buffet section added on one end. It was last used by EL on the longer-distance commuter services on the old DL&W side in the early 60s.

I don't think it ever got painted into EL colors. I believe it remained in its Erie colors until the end. It was assigned EL number 753 but was never renumbered. This car was one of 4 Buffet-Diner-Lounge cars used by the Erie on certain runs out of Buffalo and on Cleveland - Pittsburgh joint P&LE Steel King service. It was built in 1923 by Standard Steel Car Co. as a coach and modified in 1942, 1948 and one last time in 1953. It seated 18 in a lounge section and 12 in a dining section. It had a tiny 10' X 6' kitchen.

There were three other such cars 2996-2998 (EL 750-752), all of them slightly different from each other. To my knowledge this one is the only survivor of the 4. There are a number of photos of these cars as they spent a lot of the EL years sitting on the far tracks at Hoboken Terminal.

Howard and Tim,

Thanks for the info. From the picture in the newspaper I could not see the roof or the lettered side.

You also jogged my memory. The Wilkes-Barre car poosibly headed for the torch (see below) is a Ten Hundred as well, isn't it?

Rob

From the Asbury Park Press

http://app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060719/BUSINESS/607190340&SearchID=73251236078439

Rob:

Yup, it sure is. Would have looked great coupled to Tim's diner....

We have looked at two other Ten Hundreds in the last few years. The problem is the bearings are an odd size making a conversion to roller bearings really expensive.

I am trying to make contact out there to see if any interior fixtures remain - a lot of items are similar to our diner as all these cars were modernized in the Erie's Susquehanna shops from 1949-1951.

Folks:
I stumbled upon the cars yesterday while coming up Route 9. I was quite surprised but took the time to stop and take a couple of pictures. As usual, I can never figure out how to attach a picture. If I can email them to someone who can, I'd be happy to. My personal email is jrmay@monmouth.com.

I'd say the cars look to be in fairly good shape. Rust on the coach looks minimal although it looks like a hole has been cut in its side. Box cars look solid. Trucks and rail were moved as well.

By the looks of things, the cars were moved and then the crew quit. Maybe it was the weather which has been horrible here. The coach still sits on road dollies and looks like it was just unhooked and left near the road. The boxcars are behind the miniature golf course. Hard to say if the coach will be moved back by the boxcars or not.

If anyone wants the pictures, let me know. Maybe you can post them for me also.

J.R.