Arizona & Eastern #453
Technical Data
| Builder |
Pullman |
| Date |
1916 |
| Class |
SP 60-CB-1 |
| Length |
60' |
| Acquired |
February 2014 |
History
Built new as Arizona Eastern Railway (AE) #453; Became Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) #3176 after AE was absorbed by the SP on Dec. 31, 1924; Shopped in 1946 when the upper arched window sashes were plated over and painted Daylight scheme. Used 1946-late 1950’s on the Sacramento Daylight, trains 53-54.
California-Nevada Railroad Historical Society acquired the car in late 1961 or early 1962 according to Ed Graham. This car, along with the ADL (SP1975), was used in excursion service in the Bay Area until loaned to the PLA in 1970. Charles G. Heimerdinger Jr. reports that both cars arrived at Castro Point in early 1970 where roof repairs were made to both cars. Kyle Wyatt reports that the combine was leased to the Sierra RR in 1973 and may have been leased to Rail Town 1897 in 1971. After PLA ended their concession operation of Railtown 1897 in 1983, the car left the Sierra RR and returned to the care of the PLA. Charles G. Heimerdinger Jr. reports that the car was used on a trip over the McCloud River Railroad from Mt. Shasta to Ponderosa in June, 1962 behind the Yreka Western 19 and McCloud 25 steam engines.
On loan to PLA from CNRHS, March 1970 until February, 2014 when Cal-Nevada made a generous donation of cars to the PLA. The conveyance of two cars, AE 453 (aka: SP 3176; to which we plan to re-letter it) and SP 1975 was signed by Cal-Nevada on Feb. 1, 2014 by Dudley Westler, President; and acknowledged by PLA on Feb. 4, 2014 by Henry Baum, President. The Collections Committee approved the RFA (Request For Acquisition) to recommend to the Board the formal acquisition into the PLA collection (Priority A) at the Feb. 7, 2014. The RFA was approved by the Board of Directors at its Feb. 7, 2014 meeting.
After many years of service with the PLA, the car was removed from service in 2011 for extensive repair of the roof. In addition it is hoped that funding can be found to restore the original seat cushions for the car which are stored at Brightside. The cushions currently in the car are from a later period.
The car is currently lettered for the Arizona Eastern, but in its present configuration it would be more proper to have it lettered for the Southern Pacific. If you look at the ‘In Service on SP’ page for our articulated coach, SP 2473/2474 there is an article on that car shown in service on the Sacramento Daylight. The connection? Our 453, former SP 3176, was painted in Daylight colors for the inauguration of this short connecting train in 1946, and served until almost 1960. It's now renumbered to its original 1916 identity as Arizona Eastern 453 but one day we could operate our own version of the Sacramento Daylight using our articulated coach and this combine.
This is a 60' / Steel, Round Roof Heavyweight weighing 60 tons