Reading Diner 1186

[glennk419]

Last year there was a item on the RCTHS website regarding Reading Dining Car 1186 which has served as the "Steak & Bagel Train" at Broad and Callowhill Streets in Philadelphia for many years. I was just by that location last week and surprised to see that the car was still at the site. Does anyone know the current status of the plans to save this car. When I worked in downtown Philly, I ate in that car many times and hope that plans are still on track to save it. While it is certainly not roadworthy at this point, it is very much intact and in remarkably good condition overall. Here's the link to the website article: http://www.readingrailroad.org/news/info_news_03.html

[geep39]

Here's the deal on 1186: The owner sold his other business, and took off for Hawaii back in November for 6 months. Haven't heard a word from him since. Will be interesting to see if he will decide to get rid of the whole deal and donate it to RCT&HS. An appraisal will show that it will cost him about $20,000 to do ANYTHING with that car, including scrapping.
RCT&HS should be able to move it for under $10,000, hopefully. In the meantime, do you have any friends with lots of money? Lining up funds would be great in case things break rather quickly.

[m2116x6]

Does anyone know what the outcome of this Dining Car? I was just touring Broad & Callowhill Streets via Googlemaps street level view and I see that the car is gone.

A search of RCT&HS website only has a mention of the posibility of acquiring the car back in 2003.

[JimBoylan]

I was just touring Broad & Callowhill Streets via Googlemaps street level view and I see that the car is gone.

The car was one street North, at Broad & Noble Streets.

[CarterB]

Car is very visible on MS Virtual Earth "bird's eye" view of Broad @ Noble.

Also photos @ http://bethlehembranch.tripod.com/rdg1186.html

[amtrakhogger]

It is good the car is intact with the trucks. One question though, are they Commonwealth trucks?

[glennk419]

Any idea what happened with the alleged plans for RCT&HS acquiring this car?

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 30&t=56746

While another coat of paint isn't necessarily a bad thing, it appears that the vestibule and steps have been cut off of the car and the door removed in favor of a rolling grate, all making it harder to maintain the historical integrity of the car. I guess the best news is that the car is still in existance and in relatively good shape.

[JimBoylan]

Dining cars and baggage cars often had no vestibules and steps. If remains of the coupler, and steam and air lines still show, not much could have been chopped off.

[glennk419]

Hi Jim,

This car had both steps and a vestibule at the end opposite the "kitchen" and I do recall the steps being somewhat deteriorated when I was last there. I fondly remember eating there many times when I worked in town in the 80's, there were some great Reading pictures over the tables. At least they retained the roof over the vestibule which would certainly make any restoration that much easier.

[RDG Diesel]

It is true that things can be rebuilt but it gets to a point after a piece has been so severally modified such as the 1186 that funding for the project becomes a major consideration. I'm not saying the RCT&HS is not still interested in the 1186 but a new business has recently put allot of money into it and modified it even further thus making a restoration of the car even harder.

The vestibule



A shot showing the whole car



The other end



And for me the biggest tragedy was the interior was completely gutted so a complete restoration of this car would involve a very large sum of money.



It is ashame the car looks straight and mechanically sound. The Vestibule does not scare me but a missing interior in a piece like the 1186 is a huge set back.

[PassRailSavesFuel]

[quote="glennk419"]Last year there was a item on the RCTHS website regarding Reading Dining Car 1186 which has served as the "Steak & Bagel Train" at Broad and Callowhill Streets in Philadelphia for many years. I was just by that location last week and surprised to see that the car was still at the site. Does anyone know the current status of the plans to save this car. When I worked in downtown Philly, I ate in that car many times and hope that plans are still on track to save it. While it is certainly not roadworthy at this point, it is very much intact and in remarkably good condition overall. Here's the link to the website article: [url]http://www.readingrailroad.org/news/info_news_03.html[/url][/quote]
It's now 2009, what's new with this car? By the way I think it was a diner-palour diners didn't have end steps. But palours and lounges did.