Rowayton

Hello, A few years ago I saw a picture of a New Haven car named "Rowayton". It was only called that for about a year. I can't remember where I saw it and I would like to find it again. Does anybody have any information? Perhaps I'll find something out at the Big E this weekend...
Dana

Was No. 305, "Rowayton," one of the 300-series parlors that was converted into a 7200-series coach? If so, when?

Ten of the 36-chair lightweight, stainless steel parlor cars were turned into ten 7200-series (#7200-7209) 72-seat coaches.

Car No. 305, Rowayton, and its sister 300-series 36-chair parlors (1-1 seating) came on board the New Haven in 1948, along with a brace of 48-chair parlors (2-1 seating) which were subsequently converted into 36-chair parlors (1-1 seating).

Some time in the early 1960s, ten of these 36-chair parlors (1-1 seating) were coverted into 7200-series coaches (2-2 seating). Car No. 305, Rowayton, was not one of these.

However, while Car No. 305, Rowayton, arrived on the New Haven as such in 1948, the September 1951 Passenger Train Consist Book shows Car No. 305 not as Rowayton, but as Woonsocket, as do all subsequent Passenger Train Consist Books.

It appears our original poster is correct, apparently Rowayton existed for a while and was renamed Woonsocket.

Statkowski wrote:It appears our original poster is correct, apparently Rowayton existed for a while and was renamed Woonsocket.

Which raises an interesting question... with all due respect to the city of Woonsocket, why did it belatedly get car 305 named after it? Or from the other angle, why did the NH suddenly find the town of Rowayton unworthy of the honor? There must be a story behind the name change.

Duplicate posting

Perhaps Woonsocket was overlooked in the naming process for the parlor cars. In any event, in July of 1949 the Rowayton was renamed the Woonsocket, due in no small part to the pressures applied by New Haven Railroad Director (and President and Treasurer of the Taft-Pierce Manufacturing Company of Woonsocket, R.I.).

There was an article on same in the October 1949 issue of "Along the Line."

Thanks to the NHRHTA Forum for supplying this information.

Why did Rowayton lose out and not some other car? Good question, the answer to which may or may not be buried in the Board of Directors' records at UCONN.