Morristown & Erie Passenger Fleet/Operations

[jhdeasy]

It is my understanding that M&E was the successful bidder for former PRR 7129 ALEXANDER HAMILTON at the recent D. F. Barnhardt & Associates auction of Denver Railway Car Company equipment inluding cars from the Acadian excursion train. The car was built by Budd in 1952 as a parlor observation for assignment to the Congressional,

http://www.trainsale.com/drcx7129.htm

[Lackawanna484]

There's a substantial fleet of passenger cars on the M&E now, Jack. I was over at the Whippany yard earlier this week and counted seven heavyweight passengers cars there, including a round end obs in green and blue. Two additional cars (one xSR fluted side coach and an Amtrak Heritage coach) are at Jefferson Road. Five former Amtrak and LIRR coaches are on the spur which led to the brickyard on NJ Highway 10.

I didn't pull numbers and names, but several are from the Virginia Rail Investment (VRIX) group, I believe.


Paul

[jhdeasy]

The last time I looked, there were SIX observation cars on M&E:

OHIO RIVER, x-L&N heavyweight business car. Owned by M&E

CANNON BALL, x-Wabash heavyweight business car. Owned by Silver Rails, Inc.

KITCHI GAMMI CLUB, x-Pullman heavyweight open section buffet lounge observation. Owned by Virginia Rail Investment Corp.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, x-PRR Broadway Limited lightweight bedroom buffet lounge observation. Owned by Pullman Classics Ltd.

ROYAL ??????, a lightweight bedroom buffet lounge observation. A member of the elite high window round end observation fraternity. Royal Palm or Crescent heritage. This is the car partially hidden under a tarpaulin. Owned by M&E?

An x-NP North Coast Limited lightweight observation car. Owned by M&E?

[CarterB]

Who owns the ex Broadway Ltd tail car Mountain View now?
Is it still available for charter?

[Sandy Burton]

This car is in Morristown at the M&E shops.

Sandy

[NJTRailfan]

You know it would be nice if the M&E purchased a few sleepers, diners, domes and dome obs as well. That will definantly help out their charter business. With any luck they can have their own American Orient Express if they plan it right.

Nice to hear about the purchase of obs cars but throw in the sleepers, dome, diners and dome obs cars and they can pull off an American Oreint Express that can help out their business.

I wish them well in their expansion esp with their new operations in the Maine area. Hope they keep it up.

[Sandy Burton]

The M&E does have a full service diner AND a table car that goes with it. As I recall, they could seat something like 120 in the two cars. Don't hold me to that number, but it is bunch of people. The diner is in service on the Maine Mid-Coast Excursion service. These two cars were purchased from the British Columbia Railroad.

There are enough other privately owned cars with sleeping quarters available to the M&E that they can put together quite a nice train.

Just let them know what you like to charter and where you want to go and I am sure they can quote you a price.

Sandy

[CarterB]

Sandy,
The Mountain View at M&E shops. Undergoing rehab? or OOS? Plans to make it Amtrak compliant or operable?

[Sandy Burton]

It is the Alexander Hamilton that is at the shops, not the Mountain View. Note the subject. Too many overlapping messages.

Sandy

[CarterB]

Sorry 'bout that, Sandy.
So what's the deal with the Mountain View? Anyone know?

[jhdeasy]

Sorry 'bout that, Sandy.
So what's the deal with the Mountain View? Anyone know?

MOUNTAIN VIEW is owned by Pullman Classics Limited, managed by Al and Lucille Siebold. The late David Ross was also a major stockholder and driving force in the company. Coincidentally, both Mr & Mrs Siebold work for M&E Railway!

MOUNTAIN VIEW was an Amtrak certified private car until the year (1995 ?) that Amtrak discontinued the Broadway Limited. Some unresolved Amtrak inspection issues, which could have been resolved if only there had been some more time available to work the issues, prevented MOUNTAIN VIEW from operating on the rear of the last westbound Broadway Limited from New York to Chicago. MOUNTAIN VIEW should have been there on the rear of Amtrak # 41, to sail past PRR 120 PENNSYLVANIA on the rear of the last eastbound Broadway Limited, in the dark hours of the night somewhere in eastern Ohio or western Pennsylvania.

I believe a substantial investment of new $$$$$ would be necessary for MOUNTAIN VIEW to be recertified on Amtrak and restored to better material condition and cosmetic appearance. That could happen, but it may not happen.

In my opinion, it would be more appropriate for the URHS of New Jersey to have MOUNTAIN VIEW, rather than that New York Central car (HICKORY CREEK), as their flagship. After all, MOUNTAIN VIEW traversed New Jersey regularly on The Broadway Limited, wheras HICKORY CREEK passengers only looked out their windows across the Hudson River to the Palisades of New Jersey.

[jhdeasy]

There are enough other privately owned cars with sleeping quarters available to the M&E that they can put together quite a nice train.

Just let them know what you like to charter and where you want to go and I am sure they can quote you a price.

Sandy

For charter quotations:

Morristown & Erie Railway equipment
(Private cars OHIO RIVER, ALDER FALLS, ALEXANDER HAMILTON, etc.)
Henry Butz
[email protected]
973-267-4300

Private Car KITCHI GAMMI CLUB
Chuck Jensen / Henry Butz
[email protected]
[email protected]
973-267-4300

Private Car MOUNT VERNON
Jack Deasy
[email protected]
703-307-8960

Private car EPICURUS
Peter Calleo
[email protected]
908-688-7277 or 800-292-7245

Private Car CANNON BALL
Valerie Stillman
[email protected]
631-288-2835 or 956-350-9697

[jhdeasy]

Private cars OHIO RIVER, KITCHI GAMMI CLUB and MOUNT VERNON will be on the rear of Amtrak # 51, The Cardinal, from New York City to Chicago on Sunday 9/26/2004. You've got a phot op if you are trackside along the NEC in New Jersey on Sunday morning.

I believe the return trip is on the Lake Shore Limited, Amtrak # 48, arriving New York City on Friday 10/08/2004.

Several of the PVs will be heading north the week of OCT 11th for use in the NYS&W trips between Binghamton and Syracuse on OCT 16-17th.

[jhdeasy]

Private cars ALEXANDER HAMILTON, MOUNT VERNON and KITCHI GAMMI CLUB from Whippany, powered by a pair of Metro North Genesis locomotives, were the consist of a charter special train from GCT to Poughkeepsie and return on Saturday afternoon January 22nd. The special departed from track 34 about 1:15 PM and ran non-stop to Poughkeepsie ... engines were run around to the south side of the cars ... there was some delay in awaiting the arrival of the guest of honor (60th birthday boy) ... departed around 4 PM and arrived track 42 by about 5:30 PM. Winter wonderland railroading thru a snowy windy blizzard on the Water Level Route!

Due to inclement weather, Amtrak cancelled the planned Saturday night return move from SHELL to Hudson Tower, so the 3 passenger cars are now parked on track 7 in the GCT coach yard ... they may return to NJ tonight or Wednesday night.

Mr Hamilton, meet Miss Snow ... Phoebe, say hello to Alexander ... x-PRR parlor observation ALEXANDER HAMILTON is now coupled to x-DL&W tavern lounge observation 790 (now Metro North 2), observation end to observation end, on track 7 in the GCT coach yard. I'll wager that has never happened before.

[gravelyfan]

M&E 18 (long hood west), FL9 (489?) and three PV's westbound over the NJT/DL&W Newark Drawbridge at 1207 pm 3/1/05