NYC Pullman "Chittenango Falls"

I spotted this car stored, and it appears unused in some time near the US 33 grade crossing in Wapakenota, OH. Upon some light research she was built in 1939. She is classed as: BDR/Buffet/Lounge, car build number: 10588, converted into Parlor-Buffett-Lounge Car 647 October 1958, and sold to a guy by the name of Ted Church in October 64'. Does anyone have any info on a current owner or any plans for restoration? As far as NYC Pullmans go she doesn't look as bad as a few others I have seen in museums. Here is a bad distant side shot:



Also she is coupled to another very rusted coach that is unrecognizeable as to a road name or car number, and from the photo doesn't appear to have the newer car ends or any marker lights to suggest Amtrak PV operation.

The car was owned by the late Bill Fuhring who was connected with the Mad River & Lake Erie Museum in Bellevue OH. The car was used in excursion service many years ago. H.T. Guillaume

I've discussed this car with a friend who's involved in the ... I forget the acronym, the group for private RR car owners, anyways - because that place isn't far from here. Long story short, it can be bought, but the price is astronomical, the car is not Amtrak certified and moving it will cost a fortune. Amtrak certified cars ready to roll apparently can be had for a lot less money. That car was in that same spot, on a remnant of what was for a while a shortline, in 1998 when I too passed by there. Trees/bushes have grown a bunch since then.

Ironic thing is while Chittenango is on the NYC, the falls were to the south and it was the Lehigh Valley's EC&N route following the creek that came the closest to the actual falls; I'm not sure if they were visible from the train but they had a station with that name.

Thank you for that information. I did manage to get in contact with MR&KNP and their staff point me to the current owner and a way to contact. I have not heard of a price range for her, but given her current condition and her present location (next to a really ratty trailer park) I bet with a little persuasion the car could be attained at what non-Amtrak cert cars are going for right now, which is in the neighborhood (depending on condition) from $10,000-$75,000.

It should be noted that Chittenango Falls was built before WWII. It is a Corten steel car. Body rust was/is an issue with all of those cars which is one reason the NYC was quick to rid itself of them in favor of the Budd equipment. If you look at how the Great Steel Fleet was dispersed, especially after 1957, very few Budd cars, except the round end cars, were sold while many of the P-S cars either were sold or went to scrap. A person who wants a six double bedroom-lounge car from the NYC should really look for a "Stream" car. A handful still exist pretty much in their original configuration. H.T. Guillaume

I would tend to agree, the issue I have been finding with Budd cars is the astronomical price, such as NYC 48, a rear end Obs car for sale on Ozark Mountain Railcar for $99,000 without an interior. One that is non-HEP equipped can still run in the vicinity of $50,000, and that is without trucks. Also we forget that this car if it was to be purchased will prolly need newer truck bearings (rotating end cap) as well as the related inspections and the HEP equipment. Not to say that that cannot be done, but, given a small amount of money (prolly less than $10,000) the car could possibly be ready for operations in a few years with the right amount of TLC.

This is why its impossible to save anything.

Hopefully sane economics will prevail that will permit a worthy individual to acquire the car at a reasonable price before it is too late. While the original Falls series’ interiors were not as “sexy” as their Dover series heavyweight predecessors another example of the smart two tone grey exterior, as evidenced here, would be well worth preserving.