Uniq. Eqpmt Sightings: Private Varnish (PV's), Charters, etc

[R36 Combine Coach]

NCDOT purchased quite a few RBBX cars (mostly the 1965 UP 5500 St. Louis Car series).

[jhdeasy]

Mr. Deasy, to your knowledge, have any RBBX cars been sold and placed in any kind of railroad rolling stock service?

Any for this?

https://youtu.be/agD4Qxsw7Ik

I have not paid that much attention to the former RBBX cars, but I will say ...

The Cincinnati Dinner Train has done a very nice job converting RBBX 41406 into THE OASIS TAVERN.

https://www.cincinnatidinnertrain.com/r ... amed-soon/

One owner I know was going to convert their former RBBX car, of PRR sleeping car ancestry, into an executive sleeper, to accompany their heavyweight business car, until they realized that Amtrak would not waive their requirement for a full PC-2 truck teardown inspection. They tell me they resold the RBBX car, at a profit, to some organization that uses it as a stationary clubhouse/office.

I'm not aware of any RBBX cars that have been scrapped or recycled into razor blades, US Navy Littoral Combat Ships (a sadly troubled program) or other steel products.

[jhdeasy]

NCDOT purchased quite a few RBBX cars (mostly the 1965 UP 5500 St. Louis Car series).

A friend, who is not a private car owner but who knows a lot about RBBX cars, sent the following info to me.

The nine RBBX cars (43001, 43002, 43004, 43005, 43006, 43008, 43010, 43012, 60001 ---- 7 "Red Unit" and 2 "Blue Unit") NCDOT acquired are in long term dead storage situated along a five-mile stretch of state-owned track located between Spring Hope and Raleigh. This arterial is serviced by the shortline Carolina Coast Railway (reporting marks CLNA), who also operates 160-plus miles of right-of-way leased from Norfolk Southern.

Like the ships in the Navy and US Maritime Administration's mothball fleet, they await a call to duty that may or may not come at some future date.

[gokeefe]

Probably never going to see use by NCDOT now that they have an award for new rolling stock. Keep an eye out for a future surplus sale there ...

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[John_Perkowski]

Probably never going to see use by NCDOT now that they have an award for new rolling stock. Keep an eye out for a future surplus sale there ...

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NC had best hurry on that decision. The last photos I saw of these cars, vandals had found them.

[Jeff Smith]

Probably never going to see use by NCDOT now that they have an award for new rolling stock. Keep an eye out for a future surplus sale there ...

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<CtDOT sniffing around>

[Train2009]

Viewliner New River, Corridor Clipper and American view went out of NYP this afternoon on Train #49. Caught it in Philipse Manor in Sleepy Hollow, NY.

[gokeefe]

Keep an eye out for a future surplus sale there ...

<CtDOT sniffing around>

Lol ... I wouldn't put it past them to at least *think* about it but it's probably a "bridge too far" even for them.

You bring up a good point though ... Who would want them?

If Iowa Pacific were still around I'm sure they would absorb them. Otherwise it seems unlikely they will see main line service on Amtrak.



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[Traingeek3629]

Anyone know when the new Acela's are going to come up to Connecticut? They've been doing frequent tests south of NYP for a while now.

[jhdeasy]

Cincinnati Railway Company announced the sale of their dome-sleeper-lounge MOONLIGHT DOME (Budd 1948 for C&O) and full sleeper BIRCH GROVE (Budd 1950 for SP) to CSX.

MOONLIGHT DOME will be modified for assignment to CSX CEO James Foote as his private business car. Gateway Rail Services of Madison IL will do the necessary shop work.

[dgvrengineer]

I guess PSR doesn't affect CEO perks!

[jhdeasy]

I guess PSR doesn't affect CEO perks!

An old timer once told me that C&O and KCS allowed the wife of a senior executive to specify various interior design features for the business car assigned to her spouse.

He said that is why KCS had a business car with white shag carpet, as specified by a certain Mrs X.

[gokeefe]

That had to be a housekeepers nightmare. White carpet for a railroad executive ... I can just see the old cinder ballast smudges and grease stains now ...

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[jhdeasy]

AAPRCO American Autumn Explorer special train, departing ALB on September 27, returning to ALB on October 1.

Albany-Rensselaer to Rutland to Hoosick to North Bennington to Burlington to Rutland and return to Albany-Rensselaer.

Participating cars are CHAPEL HILL, DAGNY TAGGART, NORTHERN DREAMS, NORTHERN SKY, SAN MARINO, WISCONSIN. NYC 3 will be added/removed at Rutland for the segment on the Vermont Rail System.

AAPRCO convention activities scheduled for Burlington VT have been cancelled.

[jhdeasy]

Private car SAN MARINO will be on train 80(19) from Savannah. They may be going only as far was WAS, rather than NYP.

They are enroute to the AAPRCO American Autumn Explorer special train at ALB. They have the time to take a circuitous scenic route to ALB, such as WAS to BOS to ALB on 66 and 449, or WAS to CHI to ALB on 29/51 and 48, or NYP to NFL and back to ALB.