I am curious here if anyone knows the disposition of this car given the recent financial issues with Iowa Pacific. I am curious as I am hoping it found a new home or is not in danger of the scrapper. Last I heard it was moved to Alamosa? The plans then were to restore it and add it to the Pullman collection of cars. However restoration costs at the time meant the project was tabled until Iowa Pacific got some of it's other more urgent priorities taken care of. So my thinking is the car is sitting somewhere out west unrestored but hopefully otherwise protected from the elements. Anyone know the current status of this car?
Probably to get anything even remotely up to date you should ask this question of the serious preservationists on RyPN. The last specific knowledge I had about this was the crowdfunding attempt (with indiegogo) a couple of years ago. There is a treasure trove of detail photos here which show as being 'taken' up to January 2020.
What was surprising to me is that this car had some extensive work done to it in the early 2000s, and much of that work shows as being torn out for replacement in Alamosa. Could it have gotten so bad in so short a time?
I suspect that between the amount of work that shows as having been done (including the truly expensive parts of the conversion) and the iconic status of the car, scrapping would be unlikely. On the other hand the Amtrak ban pretty conclusively killed its value as an operating vehicle, at least in terms of its being a priority to finish.
Well the first batch of photos taken outdoors was before the Iowa Pacific got the car. I am not seeing the additional work your referring to except it looks like Iowa Pacific removed a bedroom or two to install a kitchen next to the lounge. The rest of the car looks like before Iowa Pacific got it.
The owners prior to Iowa Pacific replaced the vestibule drop steps, vestible doors, upgraded the toilets and some interior work on the bedrooms but I don't think they worked on the trucks or inspected them. I think that was Iowa Pacific.
Looks like it is stored OK though.
CMStPnPThe owners prior to Iowa Pacific replaced the vestibule drop steps, vestible doors, upgraded the toilets and some interior work on the bedrooms but I don't think they worked on the trucks or inspected them.
See some of the pictures and description here. That the account cuts off so suddenly indicates there were problems...
OvermodI believe the trucks were completely rebuilt prior to mid-2003. They also replaced the air-conditioning system with a new setup that fit the existing bracketry. See some of the pictures and description here. That the account cuts off so suddenly indicates there were problems...
Thanks for the help. Hey I am also trying to find out what happened to the Milwaukee Road Pullman Sleeper Forest River, last seen donated to the KC Union Station Rail collection and outdoors on a siding across the track from Union Station. Suddenly one day it moved and was gone. I had heard they found covered storage but that is only a rumor and I have been trying to find someone at KC Union Station that knows the status of that sleeper which is in almost pristine 1971 condition.
Overmod CMStPnP The owners prior to Iowa Pacific replaced the vestibule drop steps, vestible doors, upgraded the toilets and some interior work on the bedrooms but I don't think they worked on the trucks or inspected them. I believe the trucks were completely rebuilt prior to mid-2003. They also replaced the air-conditioning system with a new setup that fit the existing bracketry. See some of the pictures and description here. That the account cuts off so suddenly indicates there were problems...
CMStPnP The owners prior to Iowa Pacific replaced the vestibule drop steps, vestible doors, upgraded the toilets and some interior work on the bedrooms but I don't think they worked on the trucks or inspected them.
I believe the trucks were completely rebuilt prior to mid-2003. They also replaced the air-conditioning system with a new setup that fit the existing bracketry.
Notice 'Phil "Vista" Dohmen' was mentioned as supplying some photos - I notice his site http://trainweb.org/web_lurker/WebLurkersDOMEmain/ doesn't appear to have been updated for approximately 10 years. Is Phil still with us?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
The first photo is Coffee Creek in Alamosa in 2014.
When I was there again in 2019 it looked about the same.
xrds72 The first photo is Coffee Creek in Alamosa in 2014. When I was there again in 2019 it looked about the same.
404 errors - need valid 3rd party links for pictures on this site.
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