Mystery 2800 series cars? Get a load of this

Lirrmike, Nova 55 and myself took a trip to New Jersey last week and we came across two LIRR 2800 coaches, one of which still has LONG ISLAND written across the top of the coach. We concluded that these two coaches were taken out of service during the electrification of the mainline during the late 80's, but we were uncertain of their life after being retired. Were these cars always in Jersey? Another guy taking pictures of these cars when we were there said those cars have been there for at least 15 years. The siding location is near Morristown, adjacent to the Morristown & Erie mainline. If anybody is familiar with that area, Erie Mining Co. ALCo #7216 is laid up right next to these coaches along with a nice looking Southern coach coupled up to them. Coach reporting marks are RNTX #2806 and 2843. Peeked inside the 2806 and discovered that it still had the reversable blue seats as well as some surplus seats piled up throughout the car. If these cars were there for 15 years, the interiors are in very good condition. So anyone have background behind these coaches? A Google search turned up only ONE relevant website after searching many, here:

http://www.westword.com/issues/1994-06- ... e16_5.html

Scroll to the bottom of the site and read the small excerpt. Apparently RNTX is a company that refurbishes railcars (RNTX Corporation). The address is

RNTX Corporation
1444 Wazee St.
Denver, CO 80202

The article on that website is close to 12 years old, so who knows if this place is still in business. Considering I can't find any websites on it, I tend to think it's not around any more.










Joe

The cars you saw were sold after the Mainline was electrified to KO in 1987/88. They were deemed surplus and nolonger needed.

For awhile, they were stored in AH (Calverton) to about 1989, then due to people living in them they were moved to Hillside prior to it's re-opening, later to Fresh Pond then finally they were stored in Yard A. They were in Yard A until around '91 (maybe someone knows the exact timeframe) and finally moved off the Island.

Something I would like to ask...did you notice that all or most did not have bathrooms?? When they were taken out of service, the LIRR kept almost all the bathroom equipped cars for diesel service and did not take any Electric Heats out of service.

These cars when in srvice were classified as T72 MU trailer. According to an article in the Keystone magazine by Mike Boland they were part of a group # 2801-2836 delivered 155 and 2837 - 2844 delivered 1966. They were reclassisfied in 1971 as PT72A.

Regards,

Ray Jensen
Ft. Myers, FL.

Interesting to see that the interiors were refurbished, and the seats weren't in these cars.

Those green seats were the original seats that were in those cars. The only refurbishing done was a carpet like material that was put on the walls to cut down on the noise, a kind of soundproofing. The original design of those seats was to be able to slide the top sections so people could sit facing the direction the train was going. Some time in the late 70's the railroad welded the seats in place so they could not be moved. They had half the car facing one way, and the other half facing the other way.

Obviously, some unknown benefactor is holding them for RMLI's return to steam.

Yeah . . .

That's the ticket!!

DAve

I pass by that area everyday to and from school. For those who don't know the area, the LIRR cars are parked on a industrial freight siding off Jefferson Rd in Cedar Knolls and can be viewed from northbound Interstate 287. They have been there for at least 3 months, don't know the reason. Perhaps Morristown & Erie Railway had purchased them and were planning to refurbish them for passenger excursion or charter service.

Car 2843 should have a bathroom. Odd number coaches had bathrooms.

They've been down in New Jersey for at least 10 years. Other equipment that was with them at the time belonged to URHS. They are probably leftovers from the batch bought by NYS&W.

Jay

Nice pics emfinite I saw those cars in Jersey a long while ago. I forget the town, but it wasnt the location that you said. I can't believe it still has LONG ISLAND decaled across the top of the coach, that is how they all were one time. Hay Jay which coaches were bought by NYSW and when? Were the NYSW cars back from when the main line was electrified or when all the old diesel equipment was sold?

bodhisattva,

There is a thread about the NYSW coaches back a few pages. They are currently laid up in Syracuse just west of the Amtrak station; one, 2974 I believe was the number, retains its LIRR livery.

I LOVE those P72 cars they are the best. I miss them alot especially with the GP38's

NYS&W purchased a bunch of the 2700 and 2800 coaches back when Ronkonkoma was electrified, and they became surplus. The better ones were restored into what is now the NYS&W T&HS excursion train that they run out of Phillipsburg with the 142. (Susquehanna sold the steam engine and the coaches to the historical society when CSX & NS told Walter Rich he'd have to pony up a lot of insurance money to run excursions on the Susquehanna.) Additionally, one car is owned and restored by a NYS&W employee into the Good Vibrations, which is now running out of Scranton.

The 2900 cars up in Syracuse I believe might have been purchased (or leased) by the historical society. Those coaches were retired when the fleet was retired a few years ago and first belonged to the Central NY Chapter, NRHS.

The cars LIRR disposed of in the late 80's were all 2700 and 2800 cars. No 2900 cars were decommisioned then.

There's a bunch of ex-LIRR coaches also sitting down in Cumberland, MD belonging to the Western Maryland Scenic. Those cars were decomissioned in the late 1980's as well, and in better condition than the ones in Jersey.

Jay

where is the Susquehanna 142 steam locomotive now? I though it was running as recently as 2005 with the Ex LIRR pullmans.

What came after the P-72's (they were both in electric & diesel service)? How many did the LIRR get, & when? What happened to them? As always, thanks!