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WABASH

On February 26 1950, Wabash discontinued their existing heavyweight trainset and inaugurated a new streamlined Chicago-St Louis "Blue Bird". The consist included 3 dome-coaches and a dome-observation, with the cars built by Budd.

In 1952, Pulman Standard delivered a parlor car. Tucked under the dome was the "Blue Bird Room", available, like Santa Fe's "Turquoise Room"s, for private parties or as a first-class lounge. This car was added to the "Bluebird", and a freed up dome coach was then switched to the consist of the "City of Kansas City".

In 1958, PS delivered an additional coach (along with an order to UP), the last delivery of new domes ever built. The car was an observation and was a "pool" share (in UP colors) to make the "City of St. Louis" a 2-dome train. These final cars were the only curved-glass short domes ever built by PS.

Both 1601 and 1602 were assigned Pullman "Plan #'s", as they were staffed by Pullman Corp employees.

All domes were leased by N&W after takeover, and like other Wabash assets, all except 1602 operated in original colors and full Wabash titles until stored 8/66 at Roanoke VA.


WAB 200 - (Budd-1950) coach, N&W (lease-1964), N&W 1610 (8/66), Amtrak 9560 (1971), Gus Novotny (1985) (800065) "My Car" - sent to Illinois Transit Assembly for addition of open platform, work terminated and car taken by ITAC. To Les Kasten 2002. Sold 5/04 to Tom Hazlett of Novato CA - car remains at ITAC for work and then eventual relocation to Novato for completion of finer details and operation.


WAB 201 - (Budd-1950) coach, N&W (lease-1964), N&W 1611 (8/66), Amtrak 9561 (1971), Don Williams Cincinnati OH - later Conyers GA (5/93) "Wabash 201" - stored at former New Georgia RR shops - Atlanta.


WAB 202 - (Budd-1950) coach, N&W (lease-1964), N&W 1612 (8/66), Amtrak 9562 (1971), Cape Cod Railroad (5/93), Don Williams Conyers GA (5/97) "Wabash 202" - stored at former New Georgia RR shops - Atlanta. Listed for sale 3/06.


WAB 203 (pool car) - (PS-11/58) coach for City of St Louis - delivered in UPRR colors with Wabash road name, leased to N&W (1964), sold to N&W 1613 (3/66) - remained in UP colors with N&W road name applied - repainted for N&W after City of St Louis cancelled in NW Blue with Aluminum roof and yellow/gold lettering-no stripes, Central of Georgia (10/70), Southern (1971) - after 4/31/71 end of CofG passenger service car repainted from N&W/CofG blue to Pullman dark green remaining 1613. Car sold during 1979 to Quebec North Shore & Labrador repainted boxcar brown as 13510 - re-painted 1993 into silver/red scheme - car in service at Sept Iles PQ.


WAB 1601 - (Budd-1950) observation-lounge, N&W (lease-1964), N&W 1601(not applied-1966) - stored, Amtrak 9310(1971). Featured in TV production "Ridin' the Rails with Johnny Cash" 1974. Sold to Pete Smykla Pine Bluff AR (1985)"Susacapajo" (first 2 letters of each of his kids' names) - used on Cotton Belt Hist Society and Boston Mountain Excursion trains. To Don Williams Conyers GA (1/98) - stored at former New Georgia RR shops - Atlanta.


WAB 1602 - (PS-1952) parlor-drawing room, N&W (lease-1964), N&W 1602 (applied-1966), Central of Georgia (lease-1967), CofG 1602 (1968), Southern 1602 (1971), NS 1602 (not applied) (1982) - stored in Spartanburg SC car shops (1979), sold 1982 to John Marino/Charlie Lapp - Hillsdale County Ry - car moved to long term storage in Pleasant Lake IN on their Indiana Northeastern Ry, re-sold to Chuck Weisner Burlington WI Fox River Railcar Co as FRRC1602 - car moved to storage at the Kendalville IN Air Force Base along with the Ft Wayne Society's cars, to Illinois Transit Assembly (1999), Bill Kennedy/Kennedy Metal Company Taylorville IL (9/99) - plans to upgrade car to Amtrak standards and repaint it as Wabash 1602.


Please e-mail us any additional info or corrections.

Additional info: Roy Wullich, PTJ












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