ELHS and ELDCPS NEWS - 2011/2012

There has been a lot of speculation over the last year as to the sale of former-DL&W Phoebe Snow Diner 469. For most of that time, we’ve remained tight-lipped as we investigated the car, the condition it was in, and what options we had to possibly acquire the car. Thankfully, we can now make the announcement we’ve been holding under our hats for several months: ELDCPS is the very proud owners of DL&W Diner 469!

This is an exciting development for the Society. This diner is the most original and most complete of all three of our dining cars - the kitchen and dining area were last in use in March of 2009. Our inspection of this car shows that is in excellent mechanical condition with only a small punchlist of items that will need to be corrected in order to move the car directly to Scranton. The biggest issue is that one wheel set has a gouge out of its axle and must be replaced. We have purchased a replacement wheelset and the required bearing box. This will need to be shipped to Memphis for installation, along with a small assortment of other replacement parts.

We are grateful to our anonymous donor who covered the purchase price of this car along with the seed money for these repairs. Our top priority is to raise enough funds to get the car back to Scranton, and once there the cosmetic work - painting the exterior back to its Lackawanna colors, proper chairs and tables, stocking the car, etc. We have started a new donation program called the DL&W 469 Club to support getting this car up and running as quickly as possible. We would appreciate your consideration as part of your year-end giving plans. More details can be found on our website at http://www.eldcps.org/pages/donation_adopt.html#dlw469

We are also waiting for our newly acquired "Comet I" commuter coaches to be moved to Scranton. Our thanks to NJ Transit and Norfolk Southern for donation of the cars, and transportation to the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad. While these are not long distance coaches, they do represent the last cars purchased specifically for use on the EL, and will allow us to operate trips and carry enough passengers to generate needed revenue.

For all the latest information, please visit our website at http://www.eldcps.org

From all of us at ELDCPS, have a happy holiday season, and a happy new year!

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http://trn.trains.com/en/Railroad%20New ... 20car.aspx

Brief fair-use quote:

A Scranton-based preservation group has purchased Delaware, Lackawanna & Western dining car No. 469 to preserve it. The car has been on display in Collierville, Tenn., since the 1990s.

No. 469 is in excellent condition, and was used as a full-service restaurant until last year. The Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society said it plans to paint the car into its historic DL&W colors and move it to Scranton for excursions in the Pocono Mountains.

For futher info on the ELHS: http://www.erielackhs.org/ELHS/ELHSJOIN.html

Any chance you guys might pick up that former EL RPO that sitting just outside the fence at the NYC railroad Museum in Elkhart, IN?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nictd1000/5412279500/
Above is a photo link to the car, I shot it just the other day from the Amtrak platform.

The Erie Lackawanna Dining Car Preservation Society is delighted to report Diner 469 is once again polishing the rails heading home to Scranton, from Memphis, TN via Chattanooga, Roanoke, and the Shenandoah Valley Line, bound for Slateford Junction.

ELDCPS is looking for photos of the car in transit to use on our website and in our publications. Please contact [email protected] if you are able to get a photo of the car.

For those following the 469 Diner, here is your chance:
ELDCPS TO HOST DINNER ON THE DINER EVENT DURING THE STEAMTOWN RAILFEST: Labor Day weekend draws thousands of visitors to the Scranton area with two large events—Steamtown's Railfest and La Festa Italiana. If you are planning to attend either of these events, join ELDCPS on Saturday, August 30 for a Dinner on the Diner event, to benefit DL&W Phoebe Snow Diner 469, which will be held in the recently-restored dining area of the 1949-vintage Budd dining car. Reservations are now being accepted for this unique experience. This evening of great food, service and conversation, will be catered by City Café of Scranton and will support the restoration and operation of The Phoebe Snow Diner, Diner 469. Seating times will be at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. For more information, including the complete menu and location information, visit our Events page at http://www.eldcps.org/pages/events.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Dave Mackay
Director