ISLAND series observation car

Four ISLAND series obs cars delivered 5/38 for 20th century. In 1946 all cars rebuilt (and repainted?). In all pictures I have seen the cars had light gray body and dark gray stripe, two horisontal pin stripes in window line. Did these cars ever wore plain two-tone gray livery, dark gray body with light gray window line?

Q#2 Which other trains used this ISLAND series cars in wartime. Did they stand in stock yard? After rebuilt at least Commodore Vanderbilt, others? Southwestern Limited??? Wolverine???

Q#3 Survivers?

According to: http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/32/ ... wPost.aspx

1 DOUBLE BEDROOM 1 MASTER ROOM BUFFET 22 SEAT LOUNGE 10 SEAT LOUNGE OBSERVATIONS Pullman Standard May 1938 Plan: 4079 Lot: 6547 (Built for and assigned to 1938 TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED)

BEDLOES ISLAND

MANHATTAN ISLAND

PELEE ISLAND

THOUSAND ISLANDS

The RIVER series Observations were assigned to the TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED for the duration of WW II while the ISLAND series observations built for the TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED were stored for the duration of the war.

With the addition of the 1940 lightweight streamlined sleeping cars this gave the NYC 138 total at the beginning of WW II. Of those 134 performed yeoman service for their owner during the war while the Four ISLAND series Sleeper Lounge Observations were stored. In July 1946 the Four ISLAND series cars were rebuilt by Pullman into 4 Double Bedroom Buffet 26 seat Lounge Observations. At that time they were returned to the TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED, with the RIVER series Sleeper Lounge Observations then being returned to the SOUTHWESTERN LIMITED. Beginning September 15, 1948 a new TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED entered service between New York and Chicago the ISLAND series cars were then assigned to the ADVANCE COMMODORE VANDERBILT and COMMODORE VANDERBILT. The new 1948 TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED editions were assigned new CREEK series sleeper Lounge Observations.

In 1948 PELEE ISLAND and THOUSAND ISLANDS were assigned to the COMMODORE VANDERBILT. The other two ISLAND series cars were held as back ups at Chicago and New York for a second section of the COMMODORE VANDERBILT or TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED or as a replacement for the regularly assigned cars to these trains. All four cars were assigned 5-digit numbers in 1952 retaining their names as well. The numbers were as follows:
10640 BEDLOES ISLAND
10641 MANHATTAN ISLAND
10642 PELEE ISLAND
10643 THOUSAND ISLANDS
The NYC retired all four ISLAND series Observations in 1960 and sold three to the NdeM for further service.

What was the final disposition of the River series observation cars after the high window Brook series stainless steel cars were delivered for service on the Southwestern Limited in the late forties?

Only 2 of the Island cars were sold to NdeM - Manhattan Island (November 1958) and Thousand Islands ( 1957 ).

Bedloes Island and Pelee Island retired October 1960 - the obs end were cut from the cars and joined to form a tower at Beech Grove.

The 3 River cars were sold to the B&O and the former Genesee River is at the B&O museum in Baltimore.

Thank you Mr. Link for the information about the river series observation cars. There is one other question that I should have included in my previous posting here. That is, what duty, if any, were those cars assigned to after they were bumped from the Southwestern Limited until they were finally disposed of by the NYC?

To complete the answer to the first question ...

There are pictures of these cars in "The Twentieth Century Limited 1938-1967" by Richard J. Cook Sr. These pictures show the cars in the post-war scheme with dark grey bodies and a light grey stripe along the window line (see p. 30 and p. 41). Interestingly, it seems that the narrow silver striping along the window lines did appear in this paint scheme for a short while (see p. 103 and p. 105).

Though I don't have specific car assignments for these obs, looking through the timetables - the following are the trains they appear to be assigned to:

Island obs:
1946-September 1948 - 20th Century and Commodore Vanderbilt
September 1948 - October 1956 - Commodore Vanderbilt - other 2 cars were spares or used on other trains as needed.
( Creek cars took over on the 20th Century and Brook cars took over on the Commodore until trains merged )

River obs:
Very little in the way of being assigned to specific trains, other than the following:
Listed as non-assigned spare cars in 1951
April - September 1953 - Southwestern Limited
June - September 1954 - Southwestern Limited

Brook series cars operated on the Southwestern Limited during other times not covered by above dates until 1955.

Thank you once again, Mr. Link, for the information you have provided about the River series observation cars. Thank you too for the Canada Southern home page. That site has been a fascinating source of information for me with my continuing interest in the CASO and the NYC. The time and effort that you have put forth in making that material and information available there is very much appreciated by me and many others, you may be sure.