| Built in 1949 by P-S in Lot #6805 to Plan #7571A as SP 48 seat chair #2395, 1 of 8 such chairs (#2384, #2386, #2388-#2389, #2393, #2395, #2397-#2398) built in that Lot for the SHASTA DAYLIGHT, which was ordered in June 1946; these 8 chairs were delivered in June 1949, and were built with the vestibule located in the rear. Delivered concurrently were 6 chairs (#2382-#2383, #2387, #2391-#2392, #2396) which were built to Plan #7571 with the vestibule located in the front, also with 48 seats. This order also included 4 chairs which were delivered in June 1947: 2 chairs (#2381, #2390) built to Plan #7569 with 46 seats and a news stand; and 2 chairs (#2385, #2394) built to Plan #7570 with 38 seats and a crew room (locker). In 1960, 2 of the Plan #7571A chairs (#2388, #2395) were increased to 52 seats. In 1973, 1 of the Plan #7570 cars, 4 of the Plan #7571 cars, and 4 of the Plan #7571A cars were sold to Amtrak as #7503-#7504 and #7506-#7512. Amtrak also acquired 1 of the Plan #7569 cars as a parts source. This sale included the #2395, as #7511. The #7511 was retired in 1976 and sold to Rail Service Industries in Mira Loma, CA. This car was 1 of 7 DAYLIGHT chairs that were later acquired by the Sierra Western RR Company, either directly from Amtrak or from other parties. 6 of these 7 cars (the 3 cars from the 1953 order and 3 of the 4 from the 1946 order) were placed in service, including the former #2395. The former #2387 was used as a parts source. In the case of the 1946 cars, Sierra Western renumbered them by removing the first digit 7, hence the #7511 became #511, with the name STANISLAUS applied. These cars were used on the NORTH COAST DAYLIGHT excursions which ran over the former Northwestern Pacific up to Eureka, which at the time was operated by the Eureka Southern; at that time all cars were returned to the DAYLIGHT paint scheme. But in the 1982-1983 timeframe, at least 3 of these cars, including the #511, were painted in a faux NP Loewy scheme, as seen here, and leased to the McCloud River RR for use with #25. After the washouts on the former NWP, these cars were stranded up and down the line, with 4 of them, including the #511, located in Willits. Sometime in the 2000's, 3 of these 4 cars were damaged by a fire set by vandals; the only car which was not damaged was the #511. In 2008, Jon Clark acquired the #511, and the 3 damaged cars were scrapped. In 2011, Jon Clark also acquired the 4 other cars, 3 of which had been stranded in Scotia (the 1953 cars), and the 4th in Healdsburg. In 2013, Jon decided to retain the #511 and 1 of the 1953 cars, and listed the others for sale on Ozark Mountain Railcar. Scanned with an Epson V550 from a Kodachrome original 35mm slide. Exact date is approximate. Photographer is currently unknown. |