Over the weekend of the ECLSTS Ralph and I went to Strasburg for a bit of railfanning. In the museum’s backlot I noticed this car in the corner. Any ideas as to it’s possible use? Anyone know what it is for real ?
I’ll take some wild guesses… Looks like truss bars underneath, so this is probably a wood frame passenger car. The plywood sheathing is might be for weather protection and the vents to keep the interior ventilated. Reason - to preserver the car until available funds and/or need brings the car into the shop for restoration.
Why some vents are high and some low - Andy’s reason was as good as any, but the low vents might be at doorways or open areas and the high side vents at window openings.
It looks very like one of the race-horse transportation cars now at the Fillmore & Western RR awaiting restoration.
I belive what you are looking at was Andy Barberas car that was at Steamtown in Vermont. it is a Rutland RR coach that gravitated into work service on the Rutland before landing at Steamtown. the interior was basically set up as an apartment. the six wheel trucks reportedly had at least one axle with a paper wheel design. Strasburg aquired this 10-15 years ago and even then had it moved over the road from Vermont $$$$. it is considered to be a very rare car and hopefully wone day will see a complete restoration. sorry i do not have info as to bulder or date.
Al P.
Thanks Al -
So I had to Google Andy Barbera and came up with this…
http://www.railfan.net/lists/erielack-digest/200901/msg00472.html said:
A bit more on Andy Barbera…Right now my “bad” memory is thinking that Andy passed away around 1991 ??? …
…In the late-1970’s / early-1980’s (??) after Andy’s wife died, he moved to Vermont and became involved with Steamtown USA, where his son, Bob was the director. Andy lived on the Bellows Falls museum site in a beautiful private car. Once he moved up there, It didn’t take Andy long to get behind the throttle again. I remember riding the cab with him up there, and he was letting another man run the locomotive. Andy was on the deck talking to me, and not facing the engineer. As we were running downhill, Andy would call out to the guy at the throttle, “5 pounds”. “3 pounds”. “Release”. He was telling the new enginer how
much of a brake pipe reduction to make as we made our way along the line. Andy wasn’t even looking out the cab or even at the engineer…he just knew the line and the sound of the engine that well…
I think it’s a disguised railroad missle carrying car… 
See the vents…it’s a Chicken car servicing the farms of Lancaster County.
I thought it was rooster storage?
Bruce Chandler said:Naah we stand ride on the roof "on guard"
I thought it was rooster storage?
David Russell said:Ah Ha, so that's how Roosters heads get chopped off......... :)Bruce Chandler said:Naah we stand ride on the roof "on guard"
I thought it was rooster storage?