P-S Streamlined Cars

Around 1946-47, the New Haven ordered a new fleet of stainless steel passenger cars from P-S. These included the 8600n series coaches, the 300 series parlor cars, the Bunker Hill and Watch Hill observation cars, etc.
How many of these cars are left? I know that the Conn. Eastern Railroad Museum has two 8600’s, and that the Bunker Hill and what appears to be three other 8600’s are in a yard in southern Ohio (viewable on Bing Maps under south crown hill road, Orrville, Ohio). Any more?
Of note, there is also a washboard M.U. with the other four cars in Ohio.
C.J.V.

Orrville is the home of the Orrvile Railroad Heritage Society which is a going concern (Fall Foliage trip over the W&LE is 10/8).

The other NH Obs is mounted at a restaurant in Cleveland off Brookpark Rd.

One of the 950-series grill cars is part of a bar in Hyannis (Cape Cod) Mass. It's barely recognizable. I don't know which car it is

Looking through some photos, I realized I forgot these guys.

At the New York Central Railroad Museum;
48-seat Diner, 907, John Carver

At the Danbury Railway Museum;
14-4 Sleeper, 525 Stratford Point

Private Owner;
6-double Bedroom, Buffet, 24-seat lounge, 553, Pine Tree State
C.J.V.

Apparently, there are some 8600's in Delaware. They don't look too bad on the outside, but does anyone know their true condition?

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2358739

C.J.V.

The Delaware photo is interesting... are these the ex-MBTA/Cape Cod & Hyannis cars? Unfortunately, if they've been as dormant as the photo suggests they're probably badly rusted benreath the stainless steel sheathing. That was a problem with these cars in their post-NH life since they were basically a carbon steel car hidden by a stainless shell.

I've been to Georgetown Delaware a few times and never come across these cars. I have family that lives nearby on Maryland's Eastern Shore, so next time I cross Chesapeake Bay, I may go check them out...If allowable . They are on Sussex Avenue off of Broadcreek, but this portion of the road maybe a private Industrial section. Judging by the satellite view, there seems to be about eleven of these cars in a row. It’s a mystery why they are located on this defunct siding.

Bad news you all.
I contacted the photographer of the linked photo and he informed me that he happened to go up there this weekend to visit the Delaware Coast Line Railroad, which he occasionally visits. The cars are unfortunately are all gone. Hopefully they did not go the scrapper. The Alco was being dismantled.

The cars may have been under the brief auspices of the DCLR and the photographer could not find any employees of the short line for further information. The small company was closed that day. Apparently the cars were last used by the Maryland & Delaware railroad in 2001.

Well that's a shame. If they turn up again they're deffinately something to watch, especially if they were really last used in 2001. In theory, they should then be in better condition than (for example) that group of cars that have been sitting in Ohio for the past 20 years.

On a side note, another sleeper has turned up in a museum in Colorado. These cars really find their way around!

C.J.V.

I contacted an individual at who is familiar with the rail scene in Delaware. He managed to get in touch with some one at the Delaware Coast Line Railroad. He was told that two coaches went to a historical restoration group in Indiana. Another car was cut up on site and the ALCO locomotive was being dismantled for parts, since the engine block had frozen.

Indiana now? These cars really get around. What would a historical group in Indiana want with cars from the Northeast, it's not like there's a lack rail cars from Midwestern roads in need of restoration too (although I'm not complaining ).
C.J.V.

They'll be at home near the immaculately restored LIRR Ping Pong car on the Hoosier Valley museum... And the GG1 at the National NYC museum. We have a lot of weird stuff in Indiana. Too bad we can't restore our own unique railroad heritage. The state of Indiana had two very unique and identifiable railroads - South Shore and Monon, and there's no restored rolling stock from either in-state, now that the former Monon F7's have gone to seed.

Thanks Tadman for the information

I was going to post a question on the Midwestern Railfan forum to see if I could get the final destination point in Indiana. Do you know if the Hoosier Valley is going to restore them as New Haven?

I’m sorry to hear that not much of Indiana’s historic rail equipment resides in the state. The Danbury Railway Museum in Connecticut has very few New Haven passenger cars (I think only one). The cars they have are mostly former Reading or Canadian National. I guess in the historical rail preservation world you take what’s available.

Chuck

I think those "Monon" F-units were actually repainted MILW Rd locos. The only real CI&L units still around might be a C-420 at Ark & Mo or at D-L in Scranton.

Some roads just had it all scrapped before the preservationistas came along.

The Kentucky Railroad Museum has one of the Monon's two BL2s, #32, and I have a vague recollection that the second one was preserved as well.