Western Railroad Discussion > Business Car at Fairfield (Cordelia Junction) CA

Can anyone provide background information on the business car and baggage cars located at the Antique Mall, Cordelia Junction 4560 Central Way Fairfield California 94534.
They have been there several decades (slowly deteriorating). I have attached a couple of recent photographs. I think it is time to have them saved, rebuilt, and put pack in operating condition.

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I believe that was the "old San Francisco Express" (restaurant ??) . I remember a short string of historic railroad cars in this area. You could see that EASILY from the eastbound lanes of the I 80 freeway in the 1980s when passing thru Cordelia CA.
This is IMMEDIATELY after the I 680 merge INTO the 80 Freeway.
Here is the google map of this location :
http://bit.ly/2shSoQ4

---Daniel



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/11/17 11:48 by daniel3197.

ATsf2921-4-8-4 Wrote:

> Can anyone provide background information on the
> business car and baggage cars located at the
> Antique Mall, Cordelia Junction 4560 Central Way
> Fairfield California 94534.

The business car is ATSF #9 built by Pullman in 1928. Never have come across the exact identity of the baggage car, though it also appears to be an ex-Santa Fe car.

> I think it is time to have
> them saved, rebuilt, and put pack in operating
> condition.

What are you prepared to do in terms of money, labor, and time commitments to make it happen?

Used to be a chain, Victoria Stations" restaurants. Their head training "store" was in Tahoe City. They went bust and this is what is left. They were all over the place and now, so are the rail cars involved. Any passenger cars and freight cars were gutted so what you see is just the outside shells.



Nudge

Thanks for the two inputs. I'll research the AT&SF business car by its number.

What am I prepared to do in terms of money, labor, and time commitments to make it happen?

What it takes within reason. I'd like to get them to a safe place where reconstruction and operation can begin and progress.

ATsf2921

From an operating perspective, the cars probably have journal bearing trucks, and therefore could not be moved by rail. So if you wanted to make an operating car, these cars would require a great deal more cost than a roller bearing equipped car. Plus all of the usual restoration and upgrades for HEP systems, retention toilets, HVAC, electrical, etc.

From an historic perspective, it would be interesting to see what the interior of the biz car looks like. Presumably it was well appointed in its day, but so many cars have been modified or just vandalized that there is little of their historic appearance left. If much of it has survived, it might be well worth restoring. But if its original interior has all been torn out -- for other uses over the years -- there may not be much left to restore.

ergo-- not that expensive. Trucks appear to be roller bearing on the business car but I am no expert.

BTW, is the current owner actually offering the cars for sale?
I would guess that if the owners ever decided they wanted the cars off their property, they would quickly figure out that they would be lucky to find someone to take them for free, given the high cost to move them.

It's had a doorway or two cut into the middle of the side next to the building.

I remember going to the restaurant as a kid. I probably annoyed my parents bugging them to go there. My guess is that it will cost a lot because of the holes in the sides of the cars to connect to the main building.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

What are the words that BTW stands for?

ATsf2921-4-8-4 Wrote:
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> What are the words that BTW stands for?


by the way

What companies could rebuilt the car and where are they located?