Recreate the Lincoln funeral train?

[gbrewer]

Yes, maybe not the full train, but enough to give us a feel for what it was like: http://www.the2015lincolnfuneraltrain.com/

 

Glen Brewer

RailroadGloryDays.com

[Firelock76]

Looks fascinating.  No reason it couldn't be done, the problem that I would see is finding railroads willing to host the funeral train replica.

[wanswheel]

The Railroad Car Journal, December 1892

President Lincoln's Private Car

Editor Railroad Car Journal:

Dear Sir: In reply to yours and a number of others asking for drawings, etc., of the private car built for President Lincoln during the war, I will state that all I have is the accompanying photograph. The sketches of connecting running-gear I have made from memory. I give you below my history of the car.

At the time I wrote to "Locomotive Engineering'' I expected the car would be exhibited at the Columbian Exposition. I have just learned that Mr. B.P. Lamason, the designer of the car, died about a year ago, so the writer is the only living person who had anything to do with the building of the car. Mr. Lamason was superintendent of all car work of the United States Military Railroad of Virginia. The shop of the Orange and Alexandria and Mannassas Gap Railroad, located at Alexandria, was used by the Government for building and repairing cars. A long Government shed was added to the shop for car work, of which the writer was foreman.

Some time during the year 1863 Superintendent Lamason either conceived the idea, or had received instruction, to build a private car for the use of the President. The work was begun in November of that year, and was completed in February, 1865. The car was designed for the general use of the President, and not exclusively for the purpose of conveying him to and from the front, as is generally supposed; neither was the car cased inside with iron as has been stated by some writers.

The car was completed but a short time before the assassination of the President. On the day the President was assassinated Gen. J.H. Devereaux, Superintendent of Transportation, and Mr. Lamason were awaiting a reply to an invitation sent the President to take a ride in the car the next day, April 15, 1865. The first trip it ever made was to bear President Lincoln's lifeless remains, with those of his son, which had been disinterred, from Washington to Springfield, Ill.

After the car had been finished it was photographed by the Government photographer, from a copy of which, now in the possession of the writer, the accompanying cut is reproduced.

In design of framing, the car was similar to those in use on the Pennsylvania Railroad, was 42 feet long inside, and had raised roof, with circular ends. The inside of car was upholstered on sides and ends from the seat rail to head lining, and was divided into three compartments, viz., drawing-room, parlor and stateroom, the latter being in centre of car. The dining-room and parlor were connected by an aisle extending along the wall inside of the car, and in the drawing-room end a saloon was placed. The upper deck was painted a zinc white, with coat of arms of the different States in the panels.

The car was originally planned to run on two trucks, but after being raised, braced and bolted, Mr. Lamnson changed his mind and decided to mount it on four trucks, which necessitated changing the bolsters and considerable other work. The two main body bolsters were Ambrose Word's patent, and the ends of the bolster truss rods projecting through the sides of the car were covered by brass-capped nuts, as shown in cut. Four sub-bolsters were also added to receive the eight side bearings and slotted centres described by sketch.

Each two trucks were connected by means of a truss with main centre plate in centre. There were four guide centre plates, with curved slots, one on each sub-bolster and one on each truck, and two side bearings made of spring steel and rubber.

The spread of trucks was 4' 10"; wheels, 33" cast-iron, with broad tread. The wheels were made by the Union Car Wheel Works, of Jersey City, N. J., of the W. W. Snow patent. Mr. Snow is at present the General Manager of the Ramapo Wheel and Foundry Company, of Ramapo, N. Y. The springs in truck bolsters were hung on old-style long hangers; no sand board, but bottom of hangers tied with U-shaped under rods.

No equalizing bar was used, the elliptic springs being placed on top of oil boxes. The pedestals were cast iron, of a pattern so elaborate as to be difficult to describe, Mr. Lamason having spent weeks in designing them.

The outside of car was painted a rich chocolate brown, and polished with oil and rotten stone with the bare hand. In the oval panel on side of car was painted the United States coat of arms, and in centre of panel above coat of arms in small gold letters, placed in a circle, were the words "United States." Car was ornamented in gold, but had neither number nor name except as just described. A very good idea of the hand-railings, etc., on ends of car can be obtained from the accompanying cut. Mr. Lamason had personal charge of the car in the funeral train, and, as the running-gear was so different from cars then in use, it was attended by one man, having with him a supply of duplicate parts, tools, etc., to facilitate repairs in case of accident.

When the car was returned to Alexandria it was still draped in black crape, which was removed, carefully boxed, and sent to the Treasury Department. The writer had the honor of attending personally to this work, and, in spite of orders to the contrary, a small portion of the drapery was secured, which he still has in his possession, as well as a block of wood from the catafalque on which rested the body of the dead President.

I believe that the car is now the property of the Union Pacific Railroad Company, having heard some time ago that the car was on that line, and was to be reconstructed and taken to the World's Fair for exhibit. Yours truly,

W.H H. PRICE, M.C.B. [Master Car Builder]

E.T.V. & G. Ry. [East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia]

November 11. Atlanta, Ga

(We are informed by Mr. J.H. McConnell, Superintendent of Motive Power of the Union Pacific system, that this car has been used on that road as an ouffit car, and at present is in a very dilapidated condition from wear and lack of paint. In May last it was reported that negotiations were pending with a view to the restoration of the car for the purpose of exhibition at the World's Fair, but the proposition evidently did not materialize. In connection with the project now on foot to secure and preserve the numerous collections of railroad exhibits, of technical and historical interest, it would be appropriate to include this valuable relic possessing, as it does, so tragic and momentous a history.-Editor.)

[Firelock76]

Thanks for the posting wanswheel!  Doesn't that photograph have an eerie, melancholy feel to it?  Maybe it was intended to.

[overall]

There was an article in Model Railroader Magazine about an old master wood worker who was also an amatuer Lincoln historian. He had built a beautiful Large Scale model of the Lincoln Funeral train.This was in the late 60's/early 70's.I wonder what happened to to that?

George

[Nosoydeud]

I believe the model you are thinking of is on display at the Warther Museum in Dover, Ohio

http://www.warthers.com/ 

this is a photo of the model

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sjb4photos/7029344307/

 

 

[Stourbridge Lion]

Nosoydeud - Welcome to trains.com!