Wanted: Pullman coach, affordable

[Biggerhammer]

Hello all-
I'm looking to buy a used coach car, and have found only a few resources. Anyone know what companies would sell them?

(I'm hoping to buy the passenger car and convert it into a home. Not terribly original but I really like the idea- and more importantly so does my wife)

 

[LC]

Biggerhammer,
In your search engine try "railroad equipment" -"railroad equipment for sale" etc. I never booked marked the stuff, but from time to time have looked and found quite a bit on the net. Also, it's very possible some city or town has something static that they want to get rid of. That's how we found #1003 and saved it from razor blades. Dave Flinn is very correct in the method of transportation to get it where you want it. The expense can be staggering.
Also many railroads will no longer haul anything equipped with friction bearings and the car would have to be in good working order and pass inspection prior to any move by train.

Lance

 

[Biggerhammer]

Dave, your advice is good but you greatly overestimate my resources!

I am a somewhat accomplished renovator already. What I'm hoping to find- and indeed, have found (I think)- is a good used coach that I can renovate. Rip out the seats, walls, plumbing, add insulation and a full bath/kitchen then panelling. The cost to have this done by a shop (while their work wqould doubtless be much faster and likely of better quality than mine) looks likely to be prohibitive.

The car that we eventually buy will be interchange capable (ie inspectable enough to be pulled behind freight). This is going to be a project that'll take time- as in years- so if there's interest I'll post such progress as we have here. It's more an odd offshoot of railfanning than it is model railroad-related (though I hope to have a modest HO layout running around the perimeter someday- naturally with a superdetailed model of the car itself

). But there are enough railroaders on this forum that I'd really value the advice I get. And perhaps somebody else can someday learn from the mistakes that I expect to make.

 

[Dave Flinn]

I'm no expert on the availability of such resources, but I do know that there are cars available. If you can get a copy of "Private Varnish", the magazine of the AAPRCO (American Association of Private Railway Car Owners, or something like that), you will find ads in there for both companies and individuals with cars for sale. The magazine, incidentally, is available to non-members, and I subscribe; but I don't have a copy available at the moment. Also, you might find similar ads in other periodicals, such as "Trains." I don't know where you're located; but there are companies in various places which specialize in building and rebuilding passenger cars.

In your case, since you want it for a home, it wouldn't need to be in operating condition; but I'm sure you'd want it to be structurally sound etc. Also you need to consider how you would transport it from wherever it is to wherever you wanted it.

Good luck.

------------------
Dave Flinn, Northeast Regional Vice President, NRHS
National Director, Cornell Chapter, NRHS
Life Member NMRA, NER, NFR,
Danbury Railway Museum

 

[Dave Flinn]

Well, probably better I should overestimate than underestimate. This sounds like an interesting project to follow; and I hope you are successful in acquiring something to report to us on.

I guess maybe we could call it model railroading on a 1:1 scale.

------------------
Dave Flinn, Northeast Regional Vice President, NRHS
National Director, Cornell Chapter, NRHS
Life Member NMRA, NER, NFR,
Danbury Railway Museum

 

[Woodie]

** (though I hope to have a modest HO layout running around the perimeter someday- naturally with a superdetailed model of the car itself ) ** with little bigghammer, and bathroom and a layout inside??

The mind boggles... The car itself, with a railroad inside of the detailed model of the car itself with a railroad inside of the detailed model of the car itelf with a railroad inside of the detailed model of the car itself.....

Is that "super" detailing??? hehehe

TOOT!

 

[Biggerhammer]

Now, if I can pull off three levels of detail I'll be happy. The 12":1ft scale, with the HO scale inside, with the teeny little one (1/87^2*85ft long) inside the HO one... that's detailed enough!

You could look inside the HO model and see a figure (with beard and glasses) squinting over the tiny model. Get a magnifying glass and you could see the tiny model of the HO figure, hunched over something too small to see...

This project has been quite fun, so far. Wish that Kadee made full-size equipment- the real stuff's pricy!

 

[Woodie]

Bigghammer,

There is one for sale here!!!

http://www.otr.com.au/ownyour.htm

Halve the dollars for $US.

TOOT!

 

[Biggerhammer]

I posted this before, but it vanished. Odd.

I'm located in the northeastern corner of the United States. The cost of mailing a traincar from down under is not going to be a pretty sight.

The car tht we're looking at right now is in Georgia- about 1000 miles away from me, for all you Aussies

. I'll be peeved if anybody buys it out from under me, but here it is in all its rusty glory!
Web page for the Pullman

I've refurbished houses before, and plan (if we get this one) to refinish the inside into a house with a distinct Pullman flavor. Dark oak, subdued wallpaper (in a pattern used in the 30's if I can find one), colours that match the orginals as closely as possible. The twist will be, it's going to be a home built for full-sized people (I'm 6'2" and hate the miniature facilities on modern railcars).

This has been and will likely continue to be interesting. I'll keep you all posted.

[This message has been edited by Biggerhammer (edited 06-22-2001).]

 

[George]

Biggerhammer,

If you want a piece of history that needs a lot of work, Metro North RR in New York has two New York Central coaches which rode in the consist for the 1941 inaugural run for the Empire State Express. As you probably know, the event was overshadowed by another event on that December 7th.....

If you want to take a look, the coaches are on a siding on the east side of the tracks just above the old Croton North station.

You could probably purchase one or both for a song, but as I said, they need A LOT of work!

George.

 

[Biggerhammer]

Thank you for the suggestion, but 1941 is a long time ago- likely before the more modern standards. If those cars have friction bearings, for instance, it would set me back $7000 per axle- before I could even move them! If I had that kinda money I'd be doing things differently

As it is, we've pretty much decided which Pullman we're going to buy. Now we're researching what it should look like- we hope to decorate it in a 'Pullman-y' style. It's going to be differently laid out (fanatic history/train buffs will cringe I'm sure) but we hope to have the color scheme, fittings, etc as much like the classic Pullmans as is possible with our budget and skills.

I'm sure this will garner a million replies, but do you know of a website that would show good color pictures of the interior details of an old Pullman?

Thank you all.

 

[Biggerhammer]

Hm. George, I was thinking a bit more about these cars, and they're starting to sound more attractive. NYC is only 400 miles away, as opposed to Atlanta at just under a thousand. the cars I'm looking at need a lot of work too. The closer cars may be better... do you know of any websites, photos, equipment descriptions etc about these traincars?

Thank you.

 

[RI541]

Maybe you could get a hold of The Green Mountian RR in Walpole NH.A friend of mine owns a Rutland caboose#36 "Route of the Whippet" He also bought a Russel snow plow and an unpowered RS3(I think thats what it is).

He runs Caboose Corner in Bellows Falls in Vermont,He could give you more info on how to obtain an car this far east.

Theres also a couple cars that someone did on the lines of your idea in Alsead NH on RTE 123.

Hope this helped I know its a litte late.

The cost of his cars was relitivly inexpensive but finding a company who has the equipment and know how is the costly part.

Shane

 

[Bob Collins]

I'm hoping you get the one from Georgia. I like the direct discharge sanitation system, although, as I recall, they all had that in those days Remember..... Please refrain from using the toilet while the train is standing in the station"

Bob

 

[rockislandmike]

Hhhmmm....it has been a long while since those postings.....it would be very kewl to get an update.