These cars were formerly operated on the Michigan Star Clipper Dinner Train in Walled Lake, MI. Since the dinner train went defunct at the end of the 2008 season, all the equipment is up for sale. I rode on these in October of 08'. They ride nice.
|
It is AMAZING that these cars have remained in as good a condition as they appear to be in for so many years. I can remember ridin on them between NY and Philadelphia on trips with my mother, back in the late 1950s. The majority of the seating was in the lower level whose windows seemed to be just even with the high-level platforms at the larger stations. It seemed so strange to look out the window while the train was in the station and see only peoples feet. Here's hoping they are going to be prepped for museum or excursion use, not scrapping. It would be GREAT to have at least one of these preserved at Strasburg. Anybody else remember riding these cars ?
|
What a catch - I didn't realize there museum pieces were still around. The Keystone cars were built by the Budd Company in Philadelphia, PA in 1956. They had lowered floors (for a lower center of gravity) and were 60% lighter then regular coaches which allowed them to save on fuel cost and take the notorious curves of the Northeast Corridor much faster with greater comfort. For the best of American technology, all you have to do is look back 50 years. If there were a few more they could've gone to WI or WA instead of the Spanish Talgo sets...
|
Those look like the ones that were on the Michigan Star Clipper or Coe Rail (CRLE) in Walled Lake Michigan. The train has now been sidelined and only a small freight operation for a plastic toy company remains now.
|
These Pennsy coaches will be preserved, right?
|
| Posted by Jeff323 on April 27, 2010 | |
These cars finaly made it to Canac. Got some pictures of them there today.
|