Nostalgia & History > Chessie (B&O) commuter train at Washington Union Station

May 1978
Passing one of the Washington Terminal RS1 units, a Chessie commuter train is leaving the station with a Chessie B&O GP9 leading (with a steam boiler ?).
An interesting consist including the last three - ex-B&O heavyweight cars.
The first two lightweight ones were ex-C&O ?
The cars were owned by Railroad Passenger Cars Inc. and leased for commuter service.

TO member ClubCar is the expert on the history of these cars and maybe he will have better info than I do.
Gary

 

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gcm Wrote:
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> May 1978
> Passing one of the Washington Terminal RS1 units,
> a Chessie commuter train is leaving the station
> with a Chessie B&O GP9 leading (with a steam
> boiler ?).
> An interesting consist including the last three -
> ex-B&O heavyweight cars.
> The first two lightweight ones were ex-C&O ?
> The cars were owned by Railroad Passenger Cars
> Inc. and leased for commuter service.
>
> TO member ClubCar is the expert on the history of
> these cars and maybe he will have better info than
> I do.
> Gary
Thanks for the compliment, Gary, but I am no expert.  But, yes, those cars were owned by Railroad Passenger Cars, Inc. known as RRP from Baltimore and leased to the B&O Chessie System.  The lightweight cars are not ex-C&O but appear to be two of the ex-Phoebe Snow Cars that wound up on the Long Island Railroad as commuter cars, then were retired and purchased by RRP, refurbished, then served in the Chessie Steam Special Train in 1977 and again in 1978.  In between the steam special trips, the cars did run in commuter train service.  RRP continued to lease cars for the Chessie Steam Safety Express in 1980 & 81, then most of their cars were sold off during 1982 when the Maryland DOT finally purchased their own ex-Pennsylvania R.R. "Clocker Cars" for the commuter service.  RRP closed down in 1995 due to the lack of excursion rentals and the high costs of insurance.  RRP sold all of their cars with the exception of two former B&O cars, coach 3587 and club lounge car 3302, and an ex-Seaboard Car rebuilt into a lounge/snack bar car 2066.  All three cars were donated to the B&O R.R. Museum in Baltimore in 1995, when RRP closed down.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Two excellent views.
Bob

Thanks John for the detailed info.
Gary