| Keokuk Junction Railway 1 at Flippin, Arkansas on an unknown day in November 2000, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. As best I can tell, this car was built by Pullman in 1927 and named EMBASSY, a 1 Drawing Room, 26 seat Parlor car (Lot #6065, Plan #3957B), ice air-conditioning applied December 7, 1934. It was sold to the Wabash Railroad on December 31, 1945 and was renamed CITY OF WABASH, refurbished by Pullman. It was reconfigured by Pullman for the Wabash in May 27, 1954 (Plan #3657J), painted Wabash Blue with gold leaf lettering. It may have been conveyed to the N&W upon merger in 1964. At some point it was sold into private ownership and then to to Keokuk Junction Railway as #1, and named CHIEF KEOKUCK (there was an actual Chief Keukuk, note the spelling difference), later to New Orleans Public Belt LOUISIANA. At some point it picked up PPCX number 800014. Apparently, the story of the LOUISIANA on the NOPB had a political twist of interest. Three private cars were obtained by the NOPB and named the LOUISIANA, the CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, and the BIG EASY. Approximately three million dollars of public funds were used to renovate the three cars, and the BIG EASY was not completed when the issue came to light. An audit dated September 22, 2010, stated: From October 25, 2002, to June 30, 2010, the Public Belt Railroad Commission for the City of New Orleans (NOPB) paid approximately $3,094,204 to purchase and restore three antique Pullman train cars (business cars), including $1,005,547 on a car not yet completed. According to Jim Bridger, former general manager, the cars were purchased to educate clients, businesses, and the general public about the Public Belt and to promote the well-being and economic development of New Orleans and Louisiana. From January 6, 2007 to May 22, 2010, we were able to identify at least 299 business car trips in which the NOPB directly incurred costs totaling $147,590 for catering and liquor charges. James Bridger resigned September 13, 2010. The three cars were offered for sale, and on March 12, 2011 an article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune by Michelle Krupa stated the following: The lone bidder this week for the Public Belt Railroad's trio of expensively refurbished antique Pullman railcars wants the quasi-city agency to know that its offer, which is $2 million less than the public investment in the cars, is about as good as officials can expect. In an e-mail message Thursday to The Times-Picayune that was copied to Public Belt interim Executive Director John Morrow, the president of Greenbrier Express Co. of Pottstown, PA, explained that the tepid market for such equipment, along with the difficulty of moving it cross-country, makes his bid virtually a gift..."relative to the real market value of these cars, our bid of $759,614 was VERY generous and represents top dollar for this equipment," wrote Ross Rowland, a former stockbroker who is credited with creating America's Bicentennial Freedom Train, which toured the country in 1975-76. The bid was rejected and the NOPB will attempt to lease out the cars hoping to recover some of the investment. |