New guy living on the NYS&W line

[Snowmojoe]

The normal consist for years, at least into the 1950s, was a Stillwell coach in NYS&W maroon on the west end, a Stillwell combine (coach, baggage, and working RPO -- number 639, still lettered Erie, I never saw or heard of another Stillwell like it), in the middle, and a wood-body (working) baggage car on the east end.

Would you happen to know if the maroon coach that is parked at Wortendyke Station now is one of these coaches you mention? I have been wondering about the origins of the passenger coach and old wooden caboose that now sit there. The coach is some kind of art gallery, I think, and the caboose is a hot dog stand. Neither have any markings that I am aware of anymore (although I will confess that I have not really looked too hard.)

[ExCon90]

I haven't been to Wortendyke in years, so I really don't know, and for some reason the only car number I remember is the one on combine 639 because I never saw another car like it. All I can say is that as far as I could tell, all the NYS&W Stillwells (and certainly the one I always saw on that train) were the early ones with elliptical transoms (blocked out) over the window pairs, unlike most of those on the Erie which had a straight letterboard over the windows. Also, the Stillwells didn't last until the end of passenger service -- they were replaced by stainless-steel, streamlined, non-air-conditioned (!) open-window coaches which I think later went to Saudi Arabia, to be replaced in the last days by either ex-D&H or ex-B&A coaches. Those had arch roofs and (as I recall) even spacing of single windows in contrast to the window pairs and modified monitor roofs of the Stillwells. If the car now at Wortendyke has an arch roof, it wasn't on the NYS&W in the 1940s.

[Snowmojoe]

This is the best picture I have of the caboose and coach that currently live at Wortendyke. I can get a much better one very easily tomorrow, if there isn't enough detail visible in this one.

[RichM]

The caboose was Larry's Trains for a long time... Larry Tenhoeven if I'm not killing his last name... active in Volunteer Railroaders and NYSW Histrorical Society. Also has a tack and saddle business. Larry knows the history of both pieces. That car is not a Stillwell, they had a distinctive roof profile that makes them visually different from other heavyweight cars.

[ExCon90]

True -- definitely not a Stillwell, and in fact I never saw such a car in revenue service on the NYS&W from the late 1930s to the end of passenger service. The caboose, however, could be former NYS&W as nearly as I can tell. The cupola looks right, and those "eyeshades" over the windows look like what I remember seeing back then.

[Steve F45]

i can't find any pics of it with a road number, but I dont know if it ran as a NYSW car or not. They nysw did have a sizeable heavyweight passenger car fleet in the 1980's so its possible. Would be nice to know its heritage.

[Snowmojoe]

Is there some kind of identification I can look for on the coach? Serial numbers, manufacturer info, etc? I can walk there in 10 minutes, so it's hardly a chore to check it out. Next time I'm over there nerding out on the SU99 I can see if I can find any info to help identify it.

[Steve F45]

I'de just look for anything that appears painted over if there's nothing visisble.

You can also join these NYSW groups. They might be able to shed some light on this coach.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Susquehanna/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/NYSW/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dano23]

The coach is the ex Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley #4 and was built for the Erie.

[riffian]

The "coach" is not a coach at all, but is a former sleeper.

[Snowmojoe]

I was walking the dog down by the tracks yesterday, and I did find some markings on the coach's trucks that say "Erie" with some serial #s.