American
Freedom Train Built for the Reading Co. by Bethlehem Shipbuilding (Wilmington, DE) in 1922, car #1332 became Springmaid Special car "Stimulator" -- seen here in a brochure put out by the Lancaster & Chester Railway. Image: Keith Muldowney collection |
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Coming from the L&C, the cars of the Springmaid Special were measured for the AFT Foundation. The measurements appear on a drawing that shows the skirting the cars used to wear on the Reading RR. Image: John Finnin collection |
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Photographed at Minneapolis. Image: John Hill collection |
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In one vestiblue of the car was a pen and watercolor picture by Harrison Fisher circa 1900. It measured 12"x15". Shown at Pittsburgh, PA July 1976.
Image: William Brandon, photographer. George Elwood scan. |
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Former AFT car #204 as BC Rail "Discovery" at North Vancouver, BC. Jerry LaBoda alerted us to this picture on the web and did the leg work getting permission to post it here. Thanks go to both Jerry and Claude Prutton, the photographer. Click on image for a larger version. Image: Claude Prutton June 6, 1980. |
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Later sold to BC Rail (Canada) for use on their steam program and later as part of their business train. BC Rail renamed the car "Discovery" as part of the British Columbia Provincial Museum Train -- and added a bar to the interior, very similar to the one the 203 had while on the AFT. The car, painted medium blue with thin white and red stripes and lettered "Discovery", can be seen throughout an episode of Paramount Pictures television series "The Sentinel". Click here for more on the brief Hollywood career of AFT cars #201 and #204 in UPN's "The Sentinel" episode #006, "Night Train", originally aired May 1, 1996. Since 2002 the car has been owned by the Squamish Lions Club and is kept at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish, BC Canada. Presumably it is the first former AFT car with satellite TV (the Lions enjoy the occasional hockey game). Former AFT #204 with Lions Club 'tail herald' -- and satellite TV. Image: Todd Schannuth, August 2006. |
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Former AFT #204 is owned by the Squamish Lion's Club near Whistler, BC Canada. It sits at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. The park's other project is the restoration of one of the Royal Hudson steam locomotives. The car was repainted in 2012 into a deep red color and lettered West Coast Railway, LIONS CLUB. Image: Todd Schannuth, August 2006. |
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