VIEW PHOTO GALLERY
Built by the Pennsylvania Railroad's Altoona shops in 1928 as part of a 6 car business car order as #7507. In October of 1929, it was named Philadelphia and assigned to Martin W. Clement , VP Operations for the PRR. In 1945 the car received ice activated air conditioning, was renamed "Pennsylvania" and reassigned to the PRR Chairman of the Board of Directors. In 1952 the car was renamed "Baltimore" and reassigned to VP Operations J.P. Newell, at this time it received new two-axle heavy duty trucks with Timken roller bearings. 1954 brought more changes for the car when it was renamed "Quaker City" and reassigned once more to the Chairman of the Board of Directors. After the merger of the New York Central & Pennsylvania Railroad in 1968 #7507 became the property of the ill-fated Penn Central Corporation. Finally, in 1969 the car was retired by Penn Central and sold into private ownership and that is where the real story begins.
Martin W. Clement was a career railroad man after graduating Trinity College. He began his career with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1901 and became its President in 1935, later its Chairman and retired to the board in 1951 until 1957. During WWI, Clement served in the National Guard during the Punitive Expedition against Pancho Villa, he struck a relationship with another Lieutenant who would later serve as Secretary of Defense, General George Marshall. During WWII, M.W Clement was instrumental in logistics of the troop movement. His personal relationship with Marshall allowed him to keep tabs on his son James in Europe. His son was wounded and returned home to recuperate. When he arrived by ship M.W. Clement was there waiting on the observation platform of #7507 with his son's wife and newborn daughter, that James had never met. The years flew by but that wonderful memory of meeting his daughter for the first time never faded. James eventually found #7507 laying on its side in scrap yard in Cleveland. With the enthusiastic support of his wife they bought and restored the car to its former glory.
When you board the car from the observation platform you enter a spacious and airy lounge. On the inner bulkhead wall, you will find a built-in fireplace (actually designed to burn wood) and library with fold-down writing desk. From the lounge, a hallway leads to the bedroom portion of the car. The first room is compartment "C" which features a traditional upper and lower section, toilet, sink, and shower. Next is master room "B" and it is equipped with a stationary lower berth, dresser, sink, toilet and it shares a shower with master room "A". Master room "A" connects to "B" by way of two adjoining doors that access the same shower. Master room "A" is also equipped with a stationary lower berth, dresser, sink, toilet. At the end of the hall is the general toilet and then the formal dining room. The dining room can accommodate up to eight guests for dinner and sleeps two with lower berths that fold out of the china cabinets. As you proceed down the hall from the dining room you pass a crew room that equipped with a traditional upper and lower section. At the end of the car is a full-width stainless steel kitchen with the original Sterns stove that has been converted to electric, plenty of storage and a stainless refrigerator and freezer and dishwasher.
Some of the mechanical details include: Excellent car body and roof, full HEP, 27 pin , H couplers, APEE 6.5 x 12 bearings, comp shoes, ISSH, truck mounted cylinders, thick wheels, water raising compressor, under car storage, 480v/230v/110v electrical system, large fuel tanks, holding tanks (uses original toilets), 40 yr truck rebuild (low mileage, car will need a COT&S, PC-1 & wheel/axel inspection), very clean under car, , 26-C brake valves, approx. 40-50 KW diesel generator (Deutz air cooled engine, approx. 3,000 hrs), marker lights, OH heat.
Philadelphia is a very turnkey car, it will need a PC-1 inspection, COT&S and an Amtrak wheel and axle inspection to operate on Amtrak. To move the car in freight service it will need an updated COT&S (air brake certification).
