Eastern Railroad Discussion > Info. needed: passenger car at restaurant Lederach,PA

There is a passenger car that is part of a restaurant at the Bay Pony Inn on route 113 in Lederach, PA. I would appreciate any information re. the car's history. It is lettered "Reading" but I don't know if that reflects the car's heritage or not.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/14 07:11 by birdman.

I saw it many years ago - a wooden car painted in yellow and green with a clerestory roof, turnbuckles and queenposts. I believe at the time I learned it was of B&O heritage. Somewhere I have a photo with some info posted. If I find it I'll be back.

It is not Reading

boejoe Wrote:
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> I saw it many years ago - a wooden car painted in
> yellow and green with a clerestory roof,
> turnbuckles and queenposts. I believe at the time
> I learned it was of B&O heritage. Somewhere I
> have a photo with some info posted. If I find it
> I'll be back.

Does anyone have a photo of it? This would help to identify the car.

I found my snapshot from 1988. Sorry, I do not have scanning capability to post here. The car was named "Harriman" at the time of my photo with Reading Company spelled out on the letter board above the windows. It appears to be an open end observation car with six wheel trucks and, as previously mentioned, has truss rods. I seem to recall that a restaurant employee, or someone else familiar with the car, told me it was ex-Baltimore & Ohio. It was also implied, at the time, that the car/restaurant was owned by Drew Lewis former US Secretary of Transportation and one time chairman of Union Pacific Corporation. He maintained a home in the area and was responsible for providing an ex-UP caboose to the Montgomery County Zoo in Norristown PA. He had two UP cabooses stored in Pottstown PA for many years (amazingly, they were not targets for graffiti artists) I think they were intended for his property but there could have been a zoning issue with local government. I think one of the cabooses ended up at PA Live Steamers Assoc. in nearby Rahns, PA

Many thanks for the info. If anyone else has information pertaining to this car, I would appreciate learning of it.

It is my understanding that Drew Lewis once owned the restaurant in question where the car resides today. Is it not a possibility that the car is of Union Pacific origin given that the name Harriman is on the side of the car and Drew Lewis was once at the helm of Union Pacific? Or am I assuming too much? Here is a photo taken by R. Maple



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/23/14 10:52 by birdman.

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I received a private message from someone who said that the car is definitely not of Union Pacific origin and is of the opinion that it is ex B+O.

The car was originally built for the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg (now the B&P) which was acquired by the B&O. I don't know when it was built. There used to be a cast B,R & P logo on the side. The car supposedly came to Lederach from Elverson, Pa where it sat on the former Reading Wilmington & Northern branch. It's origin is definitely not Reading and the name was not Harriman.

Dave Pfeiffer