Railroad Forums 

  • Club, Bar and Parlor Cars

  • Discussion relating to the NH and its subsidiaries (NYW&B, Union Freight Railroad, Connecticut Company, steamship lines, etc.). up until its 1969 inclusion into the Penn Central merger. This forum is also for the discussion of efforts to preserve former New Haven equipment, artifacts and its history. You may also wish to visit www.nhrhta.org for more information.
Discussion relating to the NH and its subsidiaries (NYW&B, Union Freight Railroad, Connecticut Company, steamship lines, etc.). up until its 1969 inclusion into the Penn Central merger. This forum is also for the discussion of efforts to preserve former New Haven equipment, artifacts and its history. You may also wish to visit www.nhrhta.org for more information.
 #1433604  by oamundsen
 
I was talking with a friend about passenger service in and out of GCT by the NYNH&H back in the 1950's and 60"s when I rode many trips on many trains. I have not seen much about some of the unique cars the NH used to have including a bar car I recall at the platform in GCT which had 3 axle trucks being an old heavy weight car of considerable opulent nature. Does anyone know more about this car or is it a figment of my imagination? I loved those great big windows on the stainless steel cars and the great seats on the parlor cars but, I also remember riding some really old open platform cars when I commuted to Greenwich High School from Old Greenwich for 4 years in the 1950's, when the NH was scraping the barrel for equipment just before the really spiffy "washboard" stainless cars came on line....pure luxury except they seemed to sort of bounce.
 #1433611  by Statkowski
 
Considerable posting was made on the NHRHTA website discussion forum (http://thenhrhtanewhavenrailroadforum.y ... eply-58597) about the car in question. Formerly the "Wall Street", a Pullman-owned/operated parlor/diner/lounge/obs car (thus its "New York Central" two-tone grey pool colors), the New Haven picked it up in 1946, never repainted it, and unofficially renamed it the "V-XI:GBC" (Five to Eleven: Gentleman's Bar Car). Officially it was merely car number 2078. It may well have been the only six-axle heavyweight to survive all the way to the end of the New Haven in 1969.

The open platform cars you remember were the original 1909 multiple-unit cars.

Lastly, yes, the really spiffy "washboard" stainless steel cars did seem to sort of bounce. They were known as "gutbusters" by the commuters.
 #1433612  by oamundsen
 
Thanks, Statkowski, for some reason that car has stuck in my memory and for all these years I just did not get around to tracking the image down. The car, when I saw it, exuded good whiskey, cigars, unwinding laughs and a way of life now long gone. I distinctly remember the first day the new "washboards" appeared, our regular conductor, who was always known by his habit of whistling as he worked, was very happy having an entire train of cars with plush seats, quiet running and that new car smell! Thanks again for the information.