Let's take a brief look at the private car Pawnee, which was recently acquired by IRM. It was built by Pullman in 1930 as the penultimate private car built in the US.
The exterior is in excellent condition, as the car has mostly been stored inside for most of its life in preservation. It has four bedrooms, two parlors, and accommodations for two porters. Much of the interior fittings were removed or disassembled during a previous restoration effort that was never completed, but most of the parts are still there.
Entering the car at the observation end, there's a parlor compartment.
The light fixtures have an unusual ram's head design.
Most of the interior doors were removed for repainting. Here we can see through the washroom facilities for the various compartments.
In the middle of the car is the dining room, as I take it. The varnish is alligatored to some extent, but in relatively good shape. Many parts of the interior are actually steel, expertly painted to resemble varnished wood.
This will be another long-term restoration project for the Coach Department. And of course, donations are welcome.
2 comments:
The Pawnee was owned by Henry Payne Bingham 1887-1955. Wikipedia says he was from Ohio and later New York. He is described as a financier, sportsman and philanthropist. He also had a steam yacht named Pawnee which he kept at Palm Beach. He was friends with Henry Flagler; whose private car is on display at his former estate in Palm Beach.
Ted Miles, Who just sent in his 2020 membership.
And it was named after the Pawnee Nation, originally of Kansas and Nebraska, which had a varied history and some collaboration with the US government in facilitating "Manifest Destiny." (at least that is what Wikipedia says, more or less)
I wonder why such a moneyed financier picked that name?
O. Anderson
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