Ex-Iowa Pacific / Pullman cars for sale

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Paging @Seaboard92. Your train awaits. ;)

Its funny four of the cars listed are within a 40 minute drive of me. I'll be making an appointment to look at them. Of course I know they are junk from the stories I've heard but still worth a visit.

There are some really good cars in there. I really would love to get my hands on the entire roster of "Inn" cars.
 
Its funny four of the cars listed are within a 40 minute drive of me. I'll be making an appointment to look at them. Of course I know they are junk from the stories I've heard but still worth a visit.

There are some really good cars in there. I really would love to get my hands on the entire roster of "Inn" cars.


Eveything's possible with a loan. Just kidding. :D
 
There are some really good cars in there. I really would love to get my hands on the entire roster of "Inn" cars.
I wonder if there are any 'bargains' in that list, or are the 'value prices' a fair indicator of their respective condition?

If I had a place to park one, I might even purchase one, along with an E-9, just for fun...
I would not plan on ever operating them, but maybe use as a 'vacation cabin'....:cool:
 
I wonder if there are any 'bargains' in that list, or are the 'value prices' a fair indicator of their respective condition?

If I had a place to park one, I might even purchase one, along with an E-9, just for fun...
I would not plan on ever operating them, but maybe use as a 'vacation cabin'....:cool:

I think getting one of the dead units would be fun to turn into a guest house or vacation house. Put the bedroom at the far end. Maybe if you pulled the floor up over the fuel tank you could turn that into some sort of a hot tub. But I would leave the cab intact because well who wouldn't want to play in that.
 
I would like that dome sleeper listed for $50,000...wonder what kind of shape it's in at that price?

The best bargain is probably something like the "Pacific Rest' at $10,000...probably really rough, I'd imagine...
 
I recall reading in a Seattle newspaper in the early 1970’s about Amtrak’s local surplus sale of the passenger cars they had inherited. It included coaches diners, sleepers and domes, etc. Not sure if linens, flatware and china were included.

Average cost of the cars was about $10,000 each. I could have bought an entire “Vista-dome North Coast Limited” or "Empire Builder" for about $150,000.
 
VIA had a similar "clearance sale" of the blue smooth-side ex-CN cars in the mid 80's. Sleepers and other cars with interior "hardware" were more expensive than coaches and baggage cars. Many found their way to tourist roads across North America - some still in blue paint with yellow stripes today.
 
@Seaboard92 it seems like several of the nicer cars are in Santa Claus IN... what’s there? Were they being used there or just stored?

That is Ben Butterworth's shop. He is the man who actually managed the Hoosier State for IPH and he owns Mid America Railcar. He's a great guy, and always enjoyable to talk to. That is where a lot of the nicer cars have ended up.

I would like that dome sleeper listed for $50,000...wonder what kind of shape it's in at that price?

The best bargain is probably something like the "Pacific Rest' at $10,000...probably really rough, I'd imagine...

It's missing trucks. I looked at it already. Several of those cars are missing components usually bought to help keep the rest of the fleet operating. There is a Skytop lounge for sale. It's one of the Sleeper/Lounge ones too but it is way too high for it's condition.

VIA had a similar "clearance sale" of the blue smooth-side ex-CN cars in the mid 80's. Sleepers and other cars with interior "hardware" were more expensive than coaches and baggage cars. Many found their way to tourist roads across North America - some still in blue paint with yellow stripes today.

Trust me from experience you want a coach or a baggage car. The more interior hardware the more expensive, and the harder it is to do anything with. That being said I want a diner in the worst way. IPH has one diner I really want it even has a vestibule on one side.
 
That is Ben Butterworth's shop. He is the man who actually managed the Hoosier State for IPH and he owns Mid America Railcar. He's a great guy, and always enjoyable to talk to. That is where a lot of the nicer cars have ended up.

Oh! That makes sense. Yeah I was trying to figure out where all those nicer cars were and how they ended up in Indiana.

I’d love one of the tail cars and one of the full sleepers!
 
Oh! That makes sense. Yeah I was trying to figure out where all those nicer cars were and how they ended up in Indiana.

I’d love one of the tail cars and one of the full sleepers!

It's doable. Some good/fair prices on the Amtrak certified ones. And because they are certified it's more of a one time cost instead of my car which is a ton of small costs adding up over time.
 
I had a brief ride in the 'Caritas', when Clark Johnson owned it....splendid car, and one of the most traveled PV's all over North America.:)

I had a unique trip on it about 15 years ago.

The Milwaukee Road had an initial branch out of Chicago that never made it as far as Milwaukee. It didn't even get built past Evanston. But, it has an interesting history.

The north end of the branch (that was, eventually, placed on embankment) became the north end of Chicago's L. But, before it got there, it passed a little coal yard on its row alongside where Wrigley Field now stands. This track is in many historic photos.

That section of the railroad was abandoned many years ago. Yet, there were still a few freight customers along the easement. The last of which, a candy confectionary, finally closed in the early years of the new millenium.

The track remained owned by CP, which sold it to Iowa Pacific, which ran some freight car transfers from a local yard to Goose Island. But this portion of track hadn't seen service in a couple of years.

Now, it so happened that 261 came into town for the filming of The Untouchables. And, behind it, the Caritas. So, it was decided that this car would make an inspection trip along the track; preserving their easement rights.

I got wind of it, and decided to see if I might get some pictures. But I couldn't find the train anywhere along tge line. Finally, late in the afternoon, I gave up and started to stroll to the bus stop. Wait, what's this? A headlight across the river bridge. Sure enough, a switcher engine pulling the Caritas was soon crossing. It came to a stop, with railfans lingering around. I saw some people on the train and yelled, "Hey, can I hop aboard? I'd like to ride the train." I was welcomed on the observation deck. Perhaps I am the last of the passengers on an historic route through the north side of Chicago!
 
Where are these cars sitting around in Bensenville? I may have to trek out to see them if they're not sitting in the yard under the highway. (And, even if they are, I know people who can get pictures.)

I'm going to pick (just for fun) the "Lion Gardiner", because it's a diner and in Lorain, Ohio; a community I have visited and remember well. And, I'll couple it with the "Country Club", because I like the idea of owning a sleeper/solarium: and this is the only country club I'll be allowed to enter!
 
Where are these cars sitting around in Bensenville? I may have to trek out to see them if they're not sitting in the yard under the highway. (And, even if they are, I know people who can get pictures.)

I'm going to pick (just for fun) the "Lion Gardiner", because it's a diner and in Lorain, Ohio; a community I have visited and remember well. And, I'll couple it with the "Country Club", because I like the idea of owning a sleeper/solarium: and this is the only country club I'll be allowed to enter!

They are next to the Willard E Schope Fire Station on Foster Ave. Can't miss them there is an E unit there half in the bushes. Have fun send us some photos.

Not in a yard at all. Very much visible from the street. Have fun.
 
It's doable. Some good/fair prices on the Amtrak certified ones. And because they are certified it's more of a one time cost instead of my car which is a ton of small costs adding up over time.

Yeah the Ponchatrain is a pretty good price if it’s in as good of condition as the last time I saw it! Such a beautiful car.
 
They are next to the Willard E Schope Fire Station on Foster Ave. Can't miss them there is an E unit there half in the bushes. Have fun send us some photos.

Not in a yard at all. Very much visible from the street. Have fun.
 

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To clarify for those who want to go see this equipment in person, the steam engine, tender, orange passenger car, and orange caboose aren't by the fire station, they're a "stuffed and mounted" display in a park across from the Metra tracks a couple of blocks west of the Bensenville Metra station, correct?
 
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