PRR_Consist_2739 - with mail and express connections to the N&W and SOU

Sun Dec 29 06:26:39 EST 2019

 Continuing with our review of the consists for Friday, May 7, 1965, we first have PRR # 111, the SB President, out of NY en route to Washington DC. This train departed NY on time at 7:00 AM EST. ( I will use EST since the CT 220’s and the ETT are both in EST) All cars originated at NY.

The first car was destined for Washington. Southern 599 was a heavyweight baggage express car with a 78’ interior space. It was rebuilt by the Southern from Pullman tourist sleeper 2426 in 1948. It was carrying storage mail.

The next two cars will be added to the consist of Southern/N&W # 17, the Birmingham Special, at Washington DC. NYC 8310 was a heavyweight baggage express car with a 60’ 6” interior space. It was built by ACF in 1923 and it was fitted with a bonding compartment. It was carrying express destined for Chattanooga TN. PRR X29 box express 6873 was carrying express destined for Birmingham AL. 

The next car was destined for Norfolk VA. It will be added to the consist of RF&P/ACL # 77, the Palmetto, at Washington DC. At Richmond VA, it will be added to the consist of ACL # 29 which will take it to the N&W station at Petersburg VA, located at Appomattox Street. There the car will be added to the consist of N&W # 16-22, the Cavalier, which will take it to Norfolk. REX refrigerator express 6871 was carrying express. 

The next nine cars were all destined for Washington DC, while the last three cars would be set off at Philadelphia 30th Street. PRR 7139 Henry Hudson and 7135 Leonard Calvert were both PP85 lightweight parlor cars with each car having 29 reclining, revolving chairs and a single drawing room that could seat five. They were built by Budd in 1951. PRR 7153 Nicholas Firestone (ex Colonial Doorways) was a parlor (room) bar lounge. It was built by P-S in 1949 as a plan 4132 1 drawing room 3 double bedroom buffet lounge sleeper for the PRR. The car was renamed in August 1955 at the request of an Ohio Historical Society honoring an early settler of that state. It was taken out of Pullman lease in May 1964. Its bedding was removed and the double bedrooms were designated as day rooms. They, along with the drawing room, were then sold as daytime parlor space. The 27 seat lounge area became a first class lounge, and some of its seats were also sold as parlor space. A single attendant used the buffet to prepare beverages and to sell packaged snacks. PRR 4474 was a D78d heavyweight diner lounge with 32 table seats and a ten seat lounge area. It was rebuilt at Altoona in September 1951. PRR 1599 and 1576 were both P85h lightweight “Congo” coaches with each car having a 60 reclining seat coach compartment and a separate smoking compartment with 14 lounge seats. They were built by Budd in 1951. PRR 1503 (ex Jacob J. Vandergrift, ex Alliance Inn), 1529 (ex Latrobe Inn), and 1540 (ex Greensburg Inn) were all P85l lightweight coaches with each car having 64 reclining seats and a 12 seat smoking lounge. They were built by Budd in 1949 as plan 9513 21 roomette sleepers for the PRR. Taken out of Pullman lease in early 1963, the cars were sent to Altoona where they had their interiors stripped out, and then they were sent back to Budd where they were converted into coaches. PRR 1496 (ex N&W Hollins College), 1485 (ex N&W Washington and Lee University), and 1488 (ex N&W Emory and Henry College) were all P85m lightweight coaches. The first of these cars had 72 reclining seats, a six seat lounge area, and a snack bar located across the aisle from the lounge seats. The other two cars had 72 reclining seats and a 12 seat smoking lounge. They were all built by Budd in 1950 as plan 9523 10-6 sleepers for the N&W. The cars were taken out of Pullman lease and then were sold to the PRR in early 1964. The PRR sent the cars back to Budd where they were rebuilt into coaches. PRR 1529 was carrying a tour group, and the last three coaches were set off at Philadelphia 30th Street.

Our next consist is that of PRR # 115, the SB Executive, out of NY en route to Washington DC. This train departed NY four minutes late at 8:34 AM EST. 

The first car originated at Montreal and it came off of NH # 169, the Washingtonian, at NY. NH 507 Gull Point was a plan 4159 14-4 sleeper built by P-S at Chicago in 1949. 

The next eleven cars all originated at NY. The first six of these were destined for Washington, and the next three would be set off at Baltimore. The last two cars would be set off at Philadelphia 30th Street.

PRR 7156 Elm Falls was a parlor (room) buffet lounge car. It was built by P-S in 1940 as a plan 4086A 6 double bedroom buffet lounge sleeper for assignment to the PRR. It was taken out of Pullman lease in May 1964 and it bedding was then removed. The double bedrooms were designated as day rooms and they were sold as daytime parlor space. The 21 seat lounge area became a first class lounge and some of its seats were also sold as parlor space. The buffet was used by a single attendant to prepare beverages and to serve packaged snacks. PRR 7099 Mineral Spring was a plan 3416C heavyweight parlor car built by Pullman in July 1927. (Here is a thought-the Amfleet cars running today are as old as the plan 3416 parlors were back in 1965!) The car had 28 parlor chairs and a single drawing room that could seat five. It was fitted with electro-mechanical AC and it lasted in service until March 1967. PRR 1536 (ex Ashtabula Inn), 1543 (ex Urbana Inn), 1513 (ex Norristown Inn), 1504 (ex Tiffin Inn), and 1509 (ex Peter Schoenberger, ex Braddock Inn) were all P85l lightweight coaches with each car having 64 reclining seats and a 12 seat smoking lounge. They were all built by Budd in 1949 as plan 9513 21 roomette sleepers for the PRR. The cars were taken out of Pullman lease in early 1963 and were then sent to Altoona where their interiors were stripped out. They were then sent back to Budd where they were rebuilt into coaches. PRR 1491 (ex N&W Mingo County) was a P85m snack bar coach with 72 reclining seats, a six seat lounge area, and a snack bar located across the aisle from the lounge seats. This car was built by Budd in 1949 as a plan 9523 10-6 sleeper for the N&W. It was taken out of Pullman lease and was then sold to the PRR in early 1964. The PRR sent the car back to Budd where it was rebuilt into a snack bar coach. PRR 1569 and 1588 were both P85h “Congo” coaches with each car having a 60 reclining seat coach compartment and a separate smoking lounge with 14 lounge seats. They were built by Budd in 1951. PRR 7111 Star City was a heavyweight plan 3416C parlor car built by Pullman in July 1927. It had 28 chairs and a single drawing room that could seat five. The car was fitted with electro-mechanical AC and it would last in service until 1967 when it was rebuilt for M of W service. 

As mentioned earlier, the eighth, ninth, and tenth cars were set off at Baltimore, while the eleventh and twelfth cars were set off at Philadelphia 30th Streets.

Prepared by Michael W Savchak PE <argon11 at comcast.net>.

Dr. Frank R. Scheer, Curator
Railway Mail Service Library, Inc.
f_scheer at yahoo.com
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In the 1913 former N&W Railway depot along Clarke County route 723
117 East Main Street
Boyce, VA 22620-9369 USA

Please note: only parcels sent via USPS can be accepted at this address.

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http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2008.DOC
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/ebay/RMSL2009.DOC
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2010.DOC
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2011.doc
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2012.doc
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2013.pdf
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2014.doc
http://www.railwaymailservicelibrary.org/articles/RMSL2015.doc

http://blog.stamplibrary.org/index.php/2011/01/21/railway-mail-service-library/

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