CSX Shops Paints ex-PRR Passenger Car Tuscan Red

A former Pennsylvania Railroad passenger car is being restored to its original colors at the CSX shops in Huntington, West Virginia.

The Braddock Inn is being repainted into its original Pennsy Tuscan red after wearing Maryland Area Regional Commuter colors for several years.

The car is slated to operate in October on the New River Train, which is hosted by CSX for the Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society.

The society owns the 69-year-old car, which it also plans to operate in charter service in Washington, New York, and the Midwest beginning with trips later this year.

It was built in February 1949 as a 21-roomette sleeper and regularly assigned to the Iron City Express between New York City, Washington and Pittsburgh.

A latter assignment found it on the Indianapolis Limited as a through sleeper before it was converted to a stainless steel coach.

New Jersey Transit operated the car for several years before selling it to MARC in 2004.

As part of the restoration process, the Baddock Inn received new floors, shelving, cabinets and other lounge car amenities.

Society Seeks Funds to Repaint PRR Passenger Car

The Braddock Inn rides on the back of Amtrak’s westbound Cardinal at Charlottesville, Va., in June 2012. It is still wearing its MARC livery. (Photograph by Craig Sanders)

An artist rendering of what Braddock Inn will look like after being repainted into its original Pennsylvania Railroad livery.

The West Virginia-based Collis P. Huntington Railroad Historical Society is seeking to raise money to pay for repainting a passenger car that it owns into the livery of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

The society, based in Huntington, W.Va., owns the Braddock Inn, which was once PRR No. 8246. The group wants to repaint the car into its original colors of Tuscan red, gold and black.

Although it has raised $12,000 in donations, it needs another $20,000. The fundraiser is currently online at http://www.gofundme.com/BraddockInn

“We are hoping to generate $30,000 to repaint the car into its original Pennsylvania colors,” said Joe Rosenthal, the society’s assistant general manager. “We are thankful for the donations we have received so far, and hope to generate the remaining $20,000 to repaint this car for use on public and private passenger excursions.”

Built in 1949 as a roomette-sleeper, it was assigned to the Indianapolis Limited through the 1950s.

The Pennsy subsequently rebuilt the car into a 64-seat coach that it named Peter Schhoenberger. In 1963, the car was painted into a silver stainless steel livery and renumbered 1509.

The car would later run in commuter service for Penn Central, New Jersey Transit and Maryland Area Regional Commuter service. MARC restored the car in 1964 to first class service, operating it as a café-parlor car on commuter runs between Washington, D.C., and Martinsburg, W.Va.

The Huntington Society purchased the car in 2004 for use on its annual New River Train excursions and other trips on Amtrak trains.