Nostalgia & History > Inside Great Northern 1244 - #1

The former Great Northern "Ranch" diner #1244 was brought from Maine to Columbus, Ohio and has been installed next to the Depot Conference Center. It moved on three railroads under the reporting marks RPCX 1244 (Railroad Passenger Car Corp.) and was brought over the road from the CSX railhead in Linworth, a couple of miles north of here. See images of its movement over in the Eastern board. Although pretty run-down and needing a good cleaning; I really see a lot of potential in this car. Although it will take a while, I can't wait to see it again when it is restored.

Image 1-#1 shows the view of the bar and doorway to the kitchen. Unfortunately, the stove in the kitchen had been removed, apparently as a result of a fire, as the walls and ceiling in the kitchen were blackened with soot. It wasn't much to look at and, unless they had saved the actual stove or can get a replacement, this might be the last thing to be restored. The walls in the dining area were wood paneling with rough-hewn wood.

Image 1-#2 looks into the lounge area. Against the back wall are two rawhide leather panels with actual brand marks. On the walls behind the bar stools are actual branding iron heads attached to the paneling.

Image 1-#3 is a close up of one of the large rawhide panels with the brand marks.

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Image 2-#1 shows one of the two western images on the wall behind the bar, the chuck wagon.

Image 2-#2 shows the other image behind the bar, ranch hands.

Image 2-#3 shows a close-up of one of the remaining rawhide leather illustrations that used to be on the panels between the windows in the lounge area. Unfortunately, all the others were stolen from the car when it was broken into at its last location (they broke out one of the windows to get in).

I am really looking forward to seeing this car restored; I wish good luck to the new owner.

Thanks,
Steven Myers "zars"

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Steven, thanks for sharing the images.

Very interesting interior, should be a real show piece when it is cleaned up.

up421

Yes, most definitely thanks for posting. I just received my Walthers HO Model of the Empire Builder Ranch car the other day, so am very interested in see these interior photos. Incidentally, if you ever get a chance to go inside the Amtrak East Glacier station on the Empire Builder, you will find another copy of the western images that were behind the chuck wagon bar, removed from another Ranch car that was being scrapped, I believe. They hang on the wall opposite from the ticket window.

Incidentally, the G-N brand that you see in the first photo was also a legitimate brand that the Great Northern registered in the State of Montana, as I recall.

Was this the car that Ozark Mountain Rail Car sales had for sale?
If it is I am glad a good group got it!
Be Wise Beware Be Safe
"Mountain Goat" Greg

<I had the extraordinary luck of riding/eating in a Ranch car in 1976 while on an Amtrak USA Rail Pass 2-week trip. It was on the North Coast Limited running from Seattle to Chicago in mid-May>

Technically that would have been the "North Coast Hiawatha". As many times as I rode that train and the Empire Builder in the 1970's, I never was lucky enough to run across the Ranch car. Too bad.

I worked these cars in 1974-77 when they were used on the Chicago - St. Louis trains. They also filled in as lounge cars on 7/8, 9-10, 5-6.

There is ranch car in the Roots collection at their museum in Willets, CA.