Time marches on, and today is David Wilkins' birthday. Here he is at age 13 at the Kentucky Railway Museum. That nice wooden car looks like it needs some restoration.
The car is L&N number 665, it's a ACF (Ohio Falls) product. It was originally built as a coach, but in the 1920s returned to the builder for a fishbelly steel underframe, and was converted to a center door Jim Crow combine. It served in this role on local and mixed train service until retirement. It was donated to KRM in the early 1950s. I think the car's last regular assignment was on the Bardstown branch.
This is the car you see behind the General during its tours in the 1960s. Sadly, the car still needs restoration work.
I just noticed that I still own those boots and wear them. I wish the overalls and jacket still fit, though.
Randall, if you are interested in the Great Western Railway; then you might want to take a look at the Rail Motor Project at Ditcot Rail Centre.
They have just built from scratch a steam engine and power truck for a surviving Rail Motor body. After several years of work it has just run for the first time.
The rail motor was the steam powered equilivant of our American Interurbans; such as the much admired C,A&E.
The next part of the project is to restore a wooden trailer of the type that was sometimes used with the steam powered passenger cars.
It is not a main line locomotive such as the Tornado; but I think it is quite and achievement!
IF you like what you see, you can help by sending a tax-deductible donation to the Illinois Railway Museum. See the "fundraising" box at the top of this column. Thanks! And if you're a member, we can always use more hands-on help, too!
The "Hicks Locomotive and Car Works" banner at the top is taken from original artwork of the company, which was in business from 1897 to 1911. The picture behind it shows the four restored CA&E wood cars at the Museum, starting with #309, which was built by the Hicks Locomotive and Car Works in 1907.
This is not an official website for the Illinois Railway Museum. It represents only the personal views of the authors.
It has been developed and tested using Chrome, Firefox, and IE7 with the screen set at 768x1024. If any other browser gives you a problem, please let me know.
Any reproduction or other use of the material posted here for personal or commercial profit or financial gain would be a miracle. So don't try it.
Our Current Projects
CA&E 36, 308, 309, and 319
For 2024, the 309 and 319 should be available for revenue service. The 308 has a bad motor and the 36 has a broken leaf spring, but work to make them operational again is underway.
CA&E 451, 453, and 460
We are working on reupholstering the seats in these cars.
Shaker Heights 18
The 18 is operational; repairs and repainting are now underway.
2 comments:
The car is L&N number 665, it's a ACF (Ohio Falls) product. It was originally built as a coach, but in the 1920s returned to the builder for a fishbelly steel underframe, and was converted to a center door Jim Crow combine. It served in this role on local and mixed train service until retirement. It was donated to KRM in the early 1950s. I think the car's last regular assignment was on the Bardstown branch.
This is the car you see behind the General during its tours in the 1960s. Sadly, the car still needs restoration work.
I just noticed that I still own those boots and wear them. I wish the overalls and jacket still fit, though.
Randall,
if you are interested in the Great Western Railway; then you might want to take a look at the Rail Motor Project at Ditcot Rail Centre.
They have just built from scratch a steam engine and power truck for a surviving Rail Motor body. After several years of work it has just run for the first time.
The rail motor was the steam powered equilivant of our American Interurbans;
such as the much admired C,A&E.
The next part of the project is to restore a wooden trailer of the type that was sometimes used with the steam powered passenger cars.
It is not a main line locomotive such as the Tornado; but I think it is quite and achievement!
Ted Miles,
IRM Member
Post a Comment