Midwest Railway Preservation Society and The Catalpa Falls Group, LLC have reached an agreement for storage of the Chippewa Creek Pullman passenger car at our facilities during its' restoration. 

The Chippewa Creek, originally ordered by the Pennsylvania Railroad and numbered 8369 was delivered in 1949 for the Broadway Limited and is the only surviving car of its' kind of the 24 car Creek series built by Pullman. The car came fitted for 12 duplex single rooms and four double bedrooms. The Broadway Limited was at one time the flagship route for the Pennsy System and ran as an all-Pullman train until 1967. The Broadway Limited made its' last run on Amtrak on September 9, 1995.

The Catalpa Falls Group has a number of cars in its' possession, one of which, the Catalpa Falls, is fully restored and in service on excursion trips. The Catalpa Falls was another of the Pullman cars ordered after World War II and delivered in 1949 for the Broadway Limited. A bedroom lounge car, its' original PRR number was 8404. The Group has plans to eventually restore nine cars including a baggage car and hopes to one day operate a complete Broadway Limited excursion train.

Complete restoration of the Chippewa Creek is anticipated to take three years. Midwest will assist in the restoration by providing labor and services for sandblasting, painting and truck work to name just a few. The Historic B&O Roundhouse provides the perfect setting for this restoration because it is equipped with heavy lifting jacks and other ancillary equipment and Midwest personnel are highly qualified and have the experience to do the work. 

Volunteers continue working on the cab of 4070. One side panel has been removed and is being used as a template for construction of the replacement. The restoration is being done in sections to preserve the structural integrity of the cab. In order to expedite this project we are considering adding Wednesday work sessions to the schedule.

Parts in storage are still being cataloged for future reference in order to facilitate planning. There is also an opportunity for an experienced draftsperson to create drawings of some parts that may require an accurate layout of hole locations or cut-outs.

Anyone interested in helping out on this project can sign up online using Signup Genius. A link to the program is included in the weekly Saturday work email to members. If you are unsure of your abilities but want to help out, contact us and we will let you know how we can utilize your talents. 

Work continues on the "America" and continues to be a high priority for Midwest.

Wall panel repairs have been completed along with wallpaper repair and replacement in the dining room. The lounge interior walls are still undergoing repairs similar to those performed in the dining room where required due to water damage. Peeling paint has been scraped and the walls are being repainted. Upon completion the car will be given a thorough cleaning throughout.

The HVAC system was recently inspected to determine the necessary repairs. After pressurizing the system, the blowers became functional but it was then determined that there is a slow leak in the system causing it to fail. The leaks need to be found and repaired before the system can be recharged.

To continue making progress, it has been decided to remove stainless steel wall panels and mounting strips from the Amtrak dining car that is in storage for use in the kitchen. This process will save Midwest a few thousand dollars while fund raising continues for the purchase of new appliances. The panels from the kitchen car can be easily replaced when restoration of the Amtrak car is resumed.

Another big job yet to begin is replacement of the double window seals that have deteriorated over time causing the panes to fog up. The hope is that the windows can be cleaned and reinstalled with new seals without having to replace any window panes.

There is still much to do before the car is ready for private excursions. President Steve Emling and Executive Director Steve Korpos attended the annual RPCA Conference in January that was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico and networked with other private rail car owners for future partnering opportunities as well as pointers on marketing. 

The hope was to have all repairs completed this winter so the "America" could start operating on excursion trips this summer. At this time it is doubtful that the car will be ready. Funds are lacking, slowing down progress in areas where items need to be purchased.

Volunteer help is needed and will be greatly appreciated. Let us know if there is anything you can do to help complete this project with labor or cash donations.

William Fuehring was the founder of the Railroad Passenger Car Alliance. The organization was founded to foster and assist in the preservation, display and operation of rail passenger equipment and museums preserving the history of rail transportation in North America.

The William Fuehring Fund was instituted by RPCA to make it easier for young individuals to become active in the railroad industry. Every year the fund pays 100% of the cost of one candidate to attend the annual RPCA conference. The covered expenses include travel, hotel accommodations, attendance at seminars, the annual banquet and any additional activities.

Last year's awardee attended the annual conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico in January. Applications for next years conference, to be held in Spencer, North Carolina are available on the RPCA website. Applicants must be between 19 and 30 years of age, a member of RPCA or an organization that is a member of RPCA, have not previously participated in the program and submit an essay on why they should be considered for the program.

Applications must be submitted by November 10th and the winner will be notified by December 10th. Midwest has a number of members that qualify for consideration. Anyone interested can contact the office for more information or visit the RPCA website where the application form is available on line.