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.

ARRC Members Ride the CVSR

The northbound Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad excursion train pauses at Peninsula during its stop. Four Akron Railroad Club members rode the CVSR on Sunday.

Four Akron Railroad Club members turned out at the Rockside Road depot of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad on Sunday morning, March 25, and spent a day traveling in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Marty Surdyk, Rick Houck, Todd Vander Sluis and Craig Sanders boarded the 10 a.m. departure. We had plenty of company. Hundreds more boarded as part of two special excursions that were also offered on Sunday. The most popular of those was an Easter bunny trip. The other was a maple syrup festival. All of the passengers for the specials rode the same train.

ARRC members rode the scenic train to Botzum, the train’s temporary southern terminus while a bridge is replaced south of Smith Road near Akron. Reportedly, the bridge will be finished by Easter.

After a nearly 30 minute layover in Botzum, we reboarded the train and disembarked in Peninsula where we were met by member Paul Woodring.

After photographing the departure of the train we had just ridden, the ARRC contingent adjourned to the Winking Lizard for lunch and plenty of rail tales.

At 2 p.m., the southbound excursion train arrived and we members boarded to go to Botzum again. Paul did not join us, but instead paced the train for a short distance along Riverview Road. We rode from Botzum back to Rockside Road.

Along the we were treated to a variety of bird activity, even spotting an eagle’s nest and an eagle sitting atop a nearby tree. But there were no deer or beaver to be scene. A park service volunteer, though, did come through the train with pelts from a beaver and coyote.

Perhaps the highlight of the day was the story told by the trainman about how Indigo Lake got its name. We can’t give the story away just yet, but it gave us an idea for a new initiation rite for new members. Hint: “In they go.”

Motive power for the train was FPA-4 No. 6771 northbound and RS-18 No. 1822 southbound. Our coach, No. 169, was originally a 12 roomette sleeper built for the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was later rebuilt into a commuter coach and saw service for MARC commuter trains in Maryland before being purchased by Akron Metro.

It formerly operated on the CVSR as the Spirit of Summit. Yes, Marty, it’s true. You rode in a former Pennsy car.

Photographs by Craig Sanders

ARRC member Todd Vander Sluis (left) looks at his photos while relaxing aboard a CVSR excursion train Sunday during a club outing. To the left of Todd is Marty Surdyk and behind him is Rick Houck.