CHICAGO — Historic Pullman Foundation is gearing up for its second Pullman Railroad Days, set for May 20-21 at Pullman National Historical Park. It will be the first such celebration since Pullman gained National Historical Park status at the beginning of the year.
As was the case last year, one facet of Railroad Days will be weekend displays of Pullman-built cars of different eras at the 111th Street/Pullman station on the Metra Electric line, thanks to partnership with Metra and the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners. Scheduled to appear this year are New York Central No. 3, built in 1923; observation car Royal Street, built in 1950, and Blue Ridge Club, also built in 1950.
New York Central No. 3 is a classic heavyweight, brass-railed observation car, originally owned by Harold Sterling Vanderbilt, third-generation descendent of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. It has been largely restored (save for the fireplace it originally featured), with elaborate woodwork and an elegant dining area.
Streamlined observation car Royal Street was built as a Louisville & Nashville’s contribution to the New York-New Orleans Crescent, and later ran on the New Orleans-Jacksonville, Fla., Gulf Wind.
Blue Ridge Club was built for Chesapeake & Ohio’s Cincinnati-Washington, D.C. George Washington, and was originally configured as five-bedroom observation-lounge. Converted in 1961 to a three-double-bedroom (dormitory) kitchen-diner-observation, it survived into the Amtrak era before its conversion to a private car.
“We are again excited to be part of this annual event and to host these historic railroad cars at our 111th Street/Pullman Station,” said Metra CEO/Executive Director Jim Derwinski. “Our Metra Electric Line is still the fastest, most convenient and most affordable option to get to this event and to visit Pullman National Historical Park.”
The weekend will also feature the foundation’s 50th anniversary exhibit, marking the group’s work preserving, interpreting, and promoting Pullman’s history; a virtual-reality experience on advanced railroad technology, hosted by Norfolk Southern; guided tours of the Historical Park grounds; activities; food; and entertainment.
The event will be a mix of free events and those requiring a single-ticket entry; advance purchase tickets receive a 20% discount and will receive early access each day from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to the railcar display. Day-of-admission tickets will be $30. Purchase information is available here.
More information on the Foundation and Pullman Days is available at the Foundation website.
Share this article
