THE PULLMAN PROJECT

Pullman Lightweight Pool Cars

Copyright 2001 – 2010 Thomas C. Madden

 

In its heyday, Pullman built large numbers of heavyweight cars for General Service. These were unassigned , or "pool" cars, which Pullman used to meet seasonal or temporary traffic demands. Construction of General Service cars greatly decreased as heavyweight construction wound down in the early 1930s. Of the last 421 heavyweight Pullmans built, only nine were for General Service.

 

PULLMAN PREWAR LIGHTWEIGHT POOL CARS (in order of construction)

This trend continued with the change to lightweight car construction. With 15 exceptions, Pullman's prewar lightweight cars were built for specific assignments. The fifteen are listed below, along with any name changes that occurred while still under Pullman ownership.

  • 4068 Roomette 1 (later Moses Cleaveland)
  • 4068G Roomette 2 (later Robert de LaSalle)
  • 4082 American Milemaster (later Lark 400)
  • 4069D Imperial Banner (later 220, later Golden Trail)
  • 4069D Imperial Clipper (later 217, later Golden Fleece)
  • 4069D Imperial Guard (later 218, later Golden Dial)
  • 4069D Imperial Throne (later 219, later Golden Cavern)
  • 4072B Cascade Banks
  • 4072B Cascade Basin
  • 4072B Cascade Bluff
  • 4072B Cascade Boulders
  • 4072B Cascade Gully
  • 4072B Cascade Locks
  • 4082 Muskingum River (later Lark 401)
  • 4100 Duplex Roomette 1 (later L. S. Hungerford)

Pullman also built several cars for display or demonstration that were later used as pool cars:

  • 4028 George M. Pullman
  • 4057 Forward
  • Articulated set 4050 Advance & 4051A Progress (later Bear Flag and California Republic)

All postwar lightweights were railroad-owned upon delivery.

Thirteen of the 19 passed into railroad ownership on 12/31/45, as did all of the assigned prewar lightweights. Six remained Pullman property. Their dispositions:

  • Bear Flag and California Republic were sold to the Purdy Co. for scrap in August 1956.
  • Cascade Banks was retired in November 1966 and sold to Butterworth Tours.
  • Cascade Basin was stored in July 1967 and retired the following year.
  • George M. Pullman was sold to the CGW in October 1952.
  • L. S. Hungerford (formerly Duplex Roomette 1) was sold to the Pickens RR in December 1965, then resold to the NdeM in October 1967 where it was renamed "Paricutin".

References

  • Pullman's Master Lot List
  • Original Pullman Car Construction Records for the above cars

Home

 

Tom Madden

pullmanboss (at) yahoo (dot) com