Passenger Equipment
ex VIA Rail Canada #660 Empire Club
exx Canadian National #660 Empire Club (Galley-Club Car)
exxx Canadian National #1354 (Diner 1964-1972)
nee Canadian National #1016 Valley Park (Buffet-Sleeper 1954-1964)
Arrived Danbury 1996
Acquired from P. Lamson/H. Schueschner, 2003
Built 1954 by Pullman-Standard for the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National #756 - Canadian Car & Foundry Café Lounge Car
ex VIA Rail Canada #756
exx Canadian National #756 (Lunch Counter)
exxx Canadian National #3001 (Coach-Galley Lounge 1963-1969)
nee Canadian National #5480 (Coach 1954-1963)
Arrived Danbury 1996
Acquired from P. Lamson/H. Schueschner, 2003
Built 1954 by Canadian Car & Foundry
These cars were built for the Canadian National Railways as part of the largest lot of passenger equipment ever ordered by a Canadian railway. Of the 359 total cars, 218 were coaches numbered from 5437 to 5652 built by Canadian Car & Foundry (Can Car) of Montreal, and 141 sleepers, diners, dinette cars, and parlor cars were constructed by Pullman-Standard of Chicago.
#1016 at the time was one of six Buffet-Sleepers built by Pullman-Standard, each car had 10 sections, one double bedroom, and a buffet kitchen. In 1964 CN converted it to a dining car, then in 1972 to a galley-club car. After serving on the railroad, the car’s interior was gutted and was in the process of being converted to a restaurant before being donated to the museum.
#5480 at the time was one of the 80 seat coaches built by Can Car. It was designated an ‘EM’ coach because it had electro-mechanical air conditioning. The car features a roof hatch Can Car used to install the original AC equipment. In 1963 the car was converted to a 56 seat Coach and Galley-Lounge. In 1969 it was rebuilt again as a lunch counter with full kitchen, complete with refrigerators and freezers. Like #660, the interior was greatly altered before being donated.
ex Connecticut DOT #1001 (Converted to Constitution Liner in 1995)
exx Amtrak #997 (leased from CDOT)
nee Connecticut DOT #997 (Budd SPV 2000)
Arrived Danbury April 11th, 2018
Privately Owned
Built in 1980 by The Budd Company of Philadelphia, PA
The SPV series of self-propelled diesel powered passenger cars were designed to be the successor to the popular RDC series of the same type. This car was one of 13 built for the Connecticut Department of Transportation at a cost of $1 million dollars per car. They were originally equipped with three engines, one 35 Kw Lister Petter Auxiliary Power Unit (APU,) and two 360 Horsepower General Motors Detroit Diesel 8V71 engines for propulsion. They had an original passenger capacity of 86. As per Budd SPV stood for ‘Special Purpose Vehicle,’ but ‘Self-Propelled Vehicle’ became more common, soon design issues became apparent and they were dubbed ‘Seldom Powered Vehicles.’ In 1995, 11 of the cars owned by CDOT had their engines removed and were converted to coaches for use on shoreline east service, they were dubbed ‘Constitution Liners.’ This particular car was converted into a private mobile conference room with Amtrak business class seating for Governor John Rowland. After serving on the railroad till 2004 the cars were stored and in 2018 sold in auction.
ex Housatonic #2001
exx Connecticut DOT #2001
exxx SEPTA #2001
exxxx Reading Company #2001 (02-1948 Conversion to class PBt Reclining Chair Car)
nee Reading Company #1350 (class PBm)
Arrived Danbury 4/8/1995
Donated by Connecticut DOT
Built 6/16/1922 by Harlan & Hollingsworth (H&H) of Wilmington, DE (later merged into Bethlehem Steel)
Originally built as a class PBm commuter coach it had a seating capacity of 78, was not air conditioned, but was equipped with vertical sash windows. It was converted in 1948 to a class PBt Reclining Chair Car, the seating capacity was lowered to 60, but the new seats were much more comfortable. The car was also equipped with modern air conditioning and the vertical sashes were replaced with double pane non opening windows. It was later used by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in commuter service. SEPTA later sold the car to Connecticut DOT. When it was replaced with newer equipment, CDOT leased the car to a tourist line out of Caanan, CT. After the air conditioning system became outdated, the windows were altered again to sliding pane to allow for cool air in the warmer months. It was later leased to us and then finally donated by CDOT.
ex Housatonic #2012
exx Connecticut DOT #2012
exxx SEPTA #2012
exxxx Reading Company #2012 (11-1948 Convertion to Class PBu Reclining Chair Car With Smoking Lounge)
nee Reading Company #1348 (Class PBm)
Arrived Danbury 4/8/1995
Donated by Connecticut DOT
Built 6/14/1922 by Harlan & Hollingsworth (H&H) of Wilmington, DE (later merged into Bethlehem Steel)
Reading Company #2014 - H&H Class PBu Coach
ex Housatonic #2014
exx Connecticut DOT #2014
exxx SEPTA #2014
exxxx Reading Company #2014 (04-1949 Conversion to Class PBu Reclining Chair Car With Smoking Lounge)
nee Reading Company #1353
Arrived Danbury 4/8/1995
Donated by Connecticut DOT
Built 6/21/1922 by Harlan & Hollingsworth (H&H) of Wilmington, DE (later merged into Bethlehem Steel)
Danbury Railway Museum #2015 John E. Flower - H&H Class PBu Coach
ex Housatonic #2015
exx Connecticut DOT #2015
exxx SEPTA #2015
exxxx Reading Company #2015 (04-1949 Conversion to Class PBu Reclining Chair Car With Smoking Lounge)
nee Reading Company #1355
Arrived Danbury 4/8/1995
Donated by Connecticut DOT
Built 6/22/1922 by Harlan & Hollingsworth (H&H) of Wilmington, DE (later merged into Bethlehem Steel)
All three cars were originally built as class PBm commuter coaches, they each had a seating capacity of 78, were not air conditioned and equipped with vertical sash windows. The cars were converted in the late 1940’s to class PBu Reclining Chair Cars with Smoking Lounges. The seating capacity was lowered to 57, 44 in the main coach section, 10 in the smoking section and a three seat bench by the door to one of the vestibules. The cars were also equipped with modern air conditioning and the vertical sashes were replaced with double pane non opening windows. They were later used by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in commuter service. SEPTA later sold the cars to Connecticut DOT. When they were replaced with newer equipment, CDOT leased the cars to a tourist line out of Caanan, CT. After the air conditioning system became outdated, the windows were altered again to sliding pane to allow for cool air in the warmer months. It was later leased to us and then finally donated by CDOT.
ex Metro-North #002
exx Penn Central
exxx New York Central #X24206 (1964)
exxxx New York Central #7847 (1947)
nee New York Central #3177
Arrived Danbury June 2019
Donated by Metro-North Built in 1911 by The Standard Steel Corporation, lot #781
Metro-North 002 began life as baggage car #3177 on the New York Central Railroad. In 1964 the car was reassigned to maintenance of way service. Sometime later the car would become part of the wreck train and be used to house and transport the jacks, rigging, and oak blocking necessary for the operation of Grand Central Terminal #1, the 100 ton capacity double ended wreck crane.
ex Metro-North #057
exx Penn Central
nee Pennsylvania
Arrived Danbury 10/11/1997
Donated by Metro-North
Built in the 1920s by the Pennsylvania RR, later overhauled by the Altoona Shops in 1964
#057 started life as a baggage car on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Sometime after the Penn-Central merger it was modified for use on the wire service train. The car was equipped with a large roof walk for maintenance personnel working on the overhead catenary.
exx Long Island #2067
nee New Haven #525
Arrived Danbury 10/14/1998
Donated in 2018
Built 1949 by Pullman-Standard of Chicago, IL
New Haven Railroad #525, Stratford Point, was one of 27 ‘Point’ series sleepers built in 1949 by Pullman-Standard in Chicago as part of a large post-war passenger equipment purchase of over 200 cars. The as-delivered interior configuration consisted of 14 roomettes and four double bedrooms. At the vestibule end was a berth for the porter and a general lavatory for the roomette passengers to use when their beds were lowered over the individual facilities. It was later used by the Long Island Railroad in the 1970s in their Parlor Car service. While the ownership changed hands three times, all roomettes and two double bedrooms were removed, greatly altering the original interior of the car. After sitting in a siding in New Milford the car was vandalized before being transported to the museum.
ex Penn Central
exx Pennsylvania #1670 (Class P70fbR coach)
nee Pennsylvania #3366 (Class P70 coach)
Arrived Danbury 10/11/1997
Privately Owned
Built May 1926 by the PRR Altoona Shops
This car was originally built as a coach with a passenger capacity of 80. After serving on the railroad it went into private ownership where one of the vestibules was converted into an observation platform and the interior was modified into a business car configuration.
ex Housatonic
exx Penn Central
exxx Pennsylvania Railroad #6563
exxxx Pennsylvania Railroad #5463 (Rebuilt Nov. 1937 into class BM70m)
nee Pennsylvania Railroad #6507 (Class M70)
Arrived Danbury 7/7/2005
Donated by the Housatonic Railroad
Built in February 1910 for the Pennsylvania Railroad
These cars were equipped to transport mail. A literal post office on wheels, they would pick it up sort it and distribute it without needing to stop. The interior consists of a Railway Mail Service standardized 60-foot floor plan, and 10-foot baggage section. The post office part of the car would be locked and only accessible by the postal clerks or in an emergency, the conductor. The walls of this section are lined with large overhead bins for over-sized mail, small pigeon holes for first-class mail, and foldable iron wall racks holding numerous open pouches. Each pouch would have been labeled for a certain post office, distribution station, or connecting train. Down the center of the floor is a set of movable stanchions for supporting two large sorting tables. The car started life as a class M70 Railway Post office. In November of 1937 it was rebuilt into a class BM70m, the main change being some of the space inside the car was reallocated into a baggage section. In 1949 it was renumbered again, in 1968 it became part of Penn Central, it was later sold to the Housatonic Railroad, who donated the car in 2005.
ex Crown Metal Products
exx Penn Central
exxx New York Central #100 (1947)
exxxx Pullman Connecticut (June 1938)
nee Pullman Tonawanda Valley
Arrived Danbury 1/21/1998
Donated to Danbury Railway Museum in 2008 by Dr. Diana Beardsley
Built 1929 by Pullman Car Company
The Tonawanda Valley is the sole survivor of the 16 heavyweight ‘Valley’ series of observation cars built by the Pullman Company and leased by the New York Central Railroad for use on their flagship train, The 20th Century Limited. It and 11 other cars in this series was built in 1929 using Pullman plan #3988, the second set of four was built in 1930 using Pullman plan #3988A.
The ‘Century’ ran between New York City and Chicago in 17 hours and coined the term ‘red carpet service.’ The Tonawanda Valley was originally built as a sleeper-buffet-lounge-observation car. It was fitted with one single bedroom, one drawing room, a buffet kitchen, a ladies (buffet) lounge, a solarium lounge and a six-foot deep observation platform. In 1932 half of the clearstory vents were enclosed and converted to ducting for air conditioning. The car remained in service on the Century until 1938, when the train service was updated with streamlined equipment.
In June of 1938 the cars open platform was converted to a closed vestibule and it was renamed ‘Connecticut,’ it was then used in mid-train service on the Boston & Albany Railroad’s ‘New England States.’ It is at this time we believe the end wall of the former observation platform was moved, shortening the original platform by three feet.
In 1947 the car was sold to the New York Central Railroad when Pullman divested itself of its operating division. It remained in service until 1956, after which it was stored by Pullman for a year before being sold to Crown Metal Products of Wyano, PA, and was used as an office. It was subsequently sold to a private owner who reopened the observation end of the car before moving it to Essex, CT. It was then moved to our museum before being donated.
The interior of the car is remarkably unaltered from its 1920-30's appearance, and through the preservation efforts of previous owners, it still retains much of its original furniture.
ex Housatonic #1547
exx Connecticut DOT #1547
exxx SEPTA #1547
nee Reading Company #1547
Arrived Danbury 4/8/1995
Donated by Connecticut DOT
Built 1925 by Bethlehem Steel
#1547 was built as a commuter coach with an original seating capacity of 75. After some period, the air conditioning was reconfigured and the new equipment took the space that was occupied by a 3 seat bench by one of the end doors, lowering the seating capacity to 72.