Built by the Pullman Company as a steel business car in 1914 for the Pennsylvania Railroad and numbered #7504. In 1929 the car was assigned to the PRR Assistant Vice President of motive power and named "New Jersey". In 1933 the car was assigned to the PRR Assistant Vice President of the Western Region and based in Pittsburgh, PA. It was in Pittsburgh where the car was renamed "The Pittsburgher" and in 1941 the name was shortened to just "Pittsburgher". In 1968 after the merger of the New York Central & Pennsylvania Railroad, the car became Penn Central #7510 and assigned to the Penn Central general manager. It went on to be renumbered PC #6 & PC #8 and in 1971 was sold to Mr. William Moedinger. And was moved to the Strasburg Railroad near Lancaster PA. In 1976, Mr. Moedinger sold the car to an individual in Illinois and he moved it to their car dealership and enclosed the car in a steel building. He installed a wall of windows so the public could view the car. The car has been kept out of the weather and in a climate controlled facility for 40 years, the condition of the car's interior and exterior is excellent. The former owner painted the car in a Great Northern Railroad paint scheme and the interior is very original and intact.
When you enter the car from the observation platform the first room is the observation lounge. From the lounge there is a hallway and it will take you down past the secretaries room which sleeps two in an upper and lower berth, the guest room which sleeps one in a stationary bed and the master bedroom. The bed has been removed from the master room and it was used as a small office. The space between the guest room and master room is a restroom with a stainless steel shower. As you continue down the hall from the master room, you turn a corner and there is the general toilet and then the dining room. The dining room seats 8 guests and has 3 built in china buffets. As you leave the dining room and enter into the service hall, you pass by the crew room (sleeps two in upper and lower berths) and a full stainless steel pantry and kitchen. The car is in very original condition and includes the original charcoal stove built into the kitchen.
Some of the mechanical attributes of the Pittsburgher includes: Excellent body & roof, ISSH trucks with 5.5" x 12" roller bearings, H couplers, GSI trucks, tread brakes, cast shoes, good wheels, D/C air conditioning, steam heat, connected to commercial power.
NOTE: The car has been kept in a climate controlled building with a glass wall next to the car. The seller will be responsible for removing the glass wall but the buyer will be responsible for removing the car from the building. The building sits on a large level lot so crane and truck access is available. Since the car has to move sideways out the building, a house moving company may be helpful.
Q-How much does it cost to ship a passenger car by truck?
A- The costs involved with shipping a passenger car will vary a bit depending on the type of car and the equipment the service provider has and of course the distance it must travel. Normally a passenger car will weigh between 60-85 ton, will be approx. 85' long, ten feet wide and approx. 13-15' high sitting on it's trucks (wheel assemblies). The safest method of shipping will be to lift the car off it's trucks and set one end of the car on the back of a semi truck and the other end of the car on a set of road dollies. So basically the car would be pulled down the highway like a trailer. The trucking company will need to make a second trip to pick up the trucks and deliver them to the site before the truck arrives with the car body. It is recommended that the car be set on a short piece of track since that is how the car structure was designed. You normally can find used railroad ties at landscaping companies and for rail we suggest contacting a local railroad museum, shortline railroad or scrap yard. On an average you can expect to spend a minimum of $10,000-$15,000+. The total price will depend on the trucking company and crane companies in the area. Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer and we are more than happy to discuss the project with any service provider so that fully understand the process.
