| bring up the markers was New York Central Portland, a heavyweight open-end observation car built in 1928 for Harold Sterling Vanderbilt. It hung around as an officer car for the NYC, then was re-numbered as Penn Central #4 around 1968 and subsequently as Conrail #1 for their Office Car Specials. In 1978, the car was sold to a private railroad enthusiast who simply stored the car for 10 years. It was then purchased by a freight car rebuilding shop in Jacksonville, FL and was fully restored and upgraded mechanically in the early 1990s so as to qualify for 110 mph travel on Amtrak. It has undergone significant improvements annually ever since. The present owner obtained the car in 1992, and, with the aid of original Pullman builders photographs supplied with the car, remodeled it to "approximately 1930's appearance with Y2K mechanics and conveniences." The floor plan is as originally designed with the exception that the working tile fireplace in the dining room was removed during a major renovation following World War II. Since 1992, the car has traveled more than 300,000 miles, crossing the entire United States and Canada a number of times. |