Delaware Otsego coach in a guy's backyard

[Snowmojoe]

I spent the weekend up in NE Pennsylvania. The wife is traveling so it's much easier for me to entertain the odd whims that populate my mind, so on my way home I decided to pass by this guy's house down in Honesdale who had a truck I was interested in a couple years ago, just to see if he still had it.

The guy has some kind of circus (?) business that he was running out of his house. He had been a professional house/building mover by trade, so he had some things in his yard that he had accumulated for this circus (this isn't the right word but I can't figure out what else to call it) that normal people wouldn't have had access to. I went to look at the truck and ended up spending almost two hours wandering around his yard talking about this and that. Among the things he had (which I had forgotten about in the intervening years) was a complete Delaware Otsego passenger coach sitting in his yard. He also had a caboose, which is in the attached photo just off to the right of the coach but it will not be recognizable as a caboose. (I didn't see what road the caboose was lettered for.)

I took a picture of it as I passed by today. At first I thought it looked kinda beat up - but then I figured since I was in the neighborhood, I'd head down to Honesdale and see if anything has changed with the old Stourbridge Line coaches that are sitting just off Main Street behind the Post Office. And sadly, it looks as though this guy's DO coach is in better shape than the DO Coach they used to use on the old Stroubridge Line excursions.

Here's the pic of the coach in the guy's yard:

P4190174.jpg

Here's the one from the Stourbidge Line:

P4190180.jpg

He *did* still have "my" truck, too.

[EMD8165]

The paint on his coach looks better but it has a bent frame from the impact of some runaway freight cars (darn kids!). The 1993/993 "Canadarago Lake" is still in fairly good condition as is the 1203 " Horatio Allen". All 3 are former CNJ coaches.

[U.V.#200 GE70 Tonner]

My father and I rode aboard the "Canadararo Lake" on July 9,1983 from Utica to Richfield Springs round trip and from Utica to Cortland round trip on October 1,1983. We enjoyed the open window coaches for the fresh air and the to hear the train on the jointed rail.The Springs branch was 80 pound. Lots of bobbin and weavin on this ride.Both trains were C-430 powered.Fond memories.

[ginosrailpage]

Is this still in the guy's backyard? Does his property abut the LASB, or was it moved there by truck?

[Snowmojoe]

Sorry this is so old, but I'm waiting for something to happen at work, so here's an update: as far as I know, this coach is still here. His property was up for sale the last time I went by (still wouldn't mind getting my hands on that truck he's got...) When I talked to him years back, everything pretty much could have been bought, so if you're in the market, I'm sure he'd sell it.

It was moved there by truck. His property is nowhere near the LASB/SBRR. He actually ran a business that moved buildings/houses, so he was more than capable of moving a rail car.