(LVRR) Lehigh Valley Black Diamond Obs

["Bill K." <pontiac_@_dreamscape.com>]

Here's a FWIW...

A Pullman obs originally used on the Black Diamond is available for sale,
and for not a whole lot of money -

http://www.ozarkmountainrailcar.com/prod03.htm

"City Of Peru"

"Built as the Queen Anne by Pullman in May 1925 as part of Lot 4862 (4 cars)
to Plan 3957 (Pullman Diagram 199), a 26 parlor chair-1 drawing room
open-platform observation car, for service on the Lehigh Valley's New
York-Buffalo Black Diamond.  Diagram 199 had Drawing Room A adjoining parlor
chairs 1 and 2 with an observation platform adjoining chairs 25 and 26.  In
April 1929 the car was rebuilt (same name) to Plan 3957C, which was 18
parlor chair-1drawing room-lounge observation (Pullman Diagram 116).
Diagram 116 had Drawing Room A adjoining parlor chairs 1 and 2, with 10
inward-facing, salable lounge chairs between parlor chairs 17 and 18 and the
observation platform 5 on each side.  The car was sold by Pullman to the
Wabash RR and immediately leased back to Pullman in December 1945.  Its name
was changed to City of Peru in August 1956, in keeping with the Wabash
practice of naming its heavyweight parlor cars after on-line cities; the
observation platform was enclosed and the car rebuilt to Wabash practices
with wide-vision Thermopane windows, Sleepy Hollow seats and other interior
modernization, and the plan changed to 3957H.  It was withdrawn from Pullman
lease in 1959.  When the Wabash was leased by the Norfolk & Western in 1964,
the City of Peru was included, but was retired in 1967 before being
repainted and given an N&W number and/or name. (David L. Briggs - Rail
Transportation Research, May, 1993)

The "City of Peru" is in original condition as retired from service from the
Wabash Railroad. All Sleepy Hollow parlor chairs are in tact and all
interior hardware and fixtures are in place. This truly is a unique car and
would make an excellent addition to any tourist operation!

Mechanical features include: UC-12 valves with tread shoes, E couplers,
friction bearings, Ice air conditioning, steam heat, D/C electrical.

PRICE: $27,000"


As you can see, while in LV service apparently for some 20 years from when
built, it's been greatly modified by the Wabash and would probably best and
most easily be preserved as it is today.  However for someone looking for a
private car, I would imagine you could both update it and return it to
original configuration for the same cost as rebuilding any other car -

Bill K.

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End of (LVRR-digest) V1 #471
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