# Ex-Iowa Pacific / Pullman cars for sale



## crescent-zephyr (Mar 5, 2021)

If anyone wants a private car, the Ed Ellis / Pullman Rail Journeys / Iowa Pacific Cars up for sale now. Full domes, all deluxe sleepers, lounge cars, and everything in between. 

I’ve got my own on a particular rail car... I really shouldn’t go down that road right now though! Haha.









Digest: Bankruptcy trustee begins sale of equipment from Iowa Pacific affiliate - Trains


More Tuesday morning rail news: Bankruptcy trustee places former Iowa Pacific equipment on sale More than 100 pieces of historic rolling stock, both passenger cars and locomotives, are up for sale as part of bankruptcy proceedings resulting from the receivership of Iowa Pacific Holdings. The...




www.trains.com


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## railiner (Mar 6, 2021)

Some nice equipment in their holdings. Some "junk'...



http://railfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ownership-Chart-for-Rail-Cars-copy.pdf





http://railfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Ownership-Chart-of-Locomotives-copy.pdf


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## railiner (Mar 6, 2021)

railiner said:


> Some nice equipment in their holdings. Some "junk'...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I had a brief ride in the 'Caritas', when Clark Johnson owned it....splendid car, and one of the most traveled PV's all over North America.


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## jiml (Mar 6, 2021)

Paging @Seaboard92. Your train awaits.


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## Seaboard92 (Mar 6, 2021)

jiml said:


> Paging @Seaboard92. Your train awaits.



Its funny four of the cars listed are within a 40 minute drive of me. I'll be making an appointment to look at them. Of course I know they are junk from the stories I've heard but still worth a visit. 

There are some really good cars in there. I really would love to get my hands on the entire roster of "Inn" cars.


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## Palmetto (Mar 7, 2021)

Seaboard92 said:


> Its funny four of the cars listed are within a 40 minute drive of me. I'll be making an appointment to look at them. Of course I know they are junk from the stories I've heard but still worth a visit.
> 
> There are some really good cars in there. I really would love to get my hands on the entire roster of "Inn" cars.




Eveything's possible with a loan. Just kidding.


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## railiner (Mar 7, 2021)

Seaboard92 said:


> There are some really good cars in there. I really would love to get my hands on the entire roster of "Inn" cars.


I wonder if there are any 'bargains' in that list, or are the 'value prices' a fair indicator of their respective condition?

If I had a place to park one, I might even purchase one, along with an E-9, just for fun...
I would not plan on ever operating them, but maybe use as a 'vacation cabin'....


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## Seaboard92 (Mar 7, 2021)

railiner said:


> I wonder if there are any 'bargains' in that list, or are the 'value prices' a fair indicator of their respective condition?
> 
> If I had a place to park one, I might even purchase one, along with an E-9, just for fun...
> I would not plan on ever operating them, but maybe use as a 'vacation cabin'....



I think getting one of the dead units would be fun to turn into a guest house or vacation house. Put the bedroom at the far end. Maybe if you pulled the floor up over the fuel tank you could turn that into some sort of a hot tub. But I would leave the cab intact because well who wouldn't want to play in that.


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## crescent-zephyr (Mar 7, 2021)

@Seaboard92 it seems like several of the nicer cars are in Santa Claus IN... what’s there? Were they being used there or just stored?


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## railiner (Mar 7, 2021)

I would like that dome sleeper listed for $50,000...wonder what kind of shape it's in at that price?

The best bargain is probably something like the "Pacific Rest' at $10,000...probably really rough, I'd imagine...


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## TrackWalker (Mar 7, 2021)

I recall reading in a Seattle newspaper in the early 1970’s about Amtrak’s local surplus sale of the passenger cars they had inherited. It included coaches diners, sleepers and domes, etc. Not sure if linens, flatware and china were included.

Average cost of the cars was about $10,000 each. I could have bought an entire “Vista-dome North Coast Limited” or "Empire Builder" for about $150,000.


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## jiml (Mar 7, 2021)

VIA had a similar "clearance sale" of the blue smooth-side ex-CN cars in the mid 80's. Sleepers and other cars with interior "hardware" were more expensive than coaches and baggage cars. Many found their way to tourist roads across North America - some still in blue paint with yellow stripes today.


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## Seaboard92 (Mar 7, 2021)

crescent-zephyr said:


> @Seaboard92 it seems like several of the nicer cars are in Santa Claus IN... what’s there? Were they being used there or just stored?



That is Ben Butterworth's shop. He is the man who actually managed the Hoosier State for IPH and he owns Mid America Railcar. He's a great guy, and always enjoyable to talk to. That is where a lot of the nicer cars have ended up. 



railiner said:


> I would like that dome sleeper listed for $50,000...wonder what kind of shape it's in at that price?
> 
> The best bargain is probably something like the "Pacific Rest' at $10,000...probably really rough, I'd imagine...



It's missing trucks. I looked at it already. Several of those cars are missing components usually bought to help keep the rest of the fleet operating. There is a Skytop lounge for sale. It's one of the Sleeper/Lounge ones too but it is way too high for it's condition. 



jiml said:


> VIA had a similar "clearance sale" of the blue smooth-side ex-CN cars in the mid 80's. Sleepers and other cars with interior "hardware" were more expensive than coaches and baggage cars. Many found their way to tourist roads across North America - some still in blue paint with yellow stripes today.



Trust me from experience you want a coach or a baggage car. The more interior hardware the more expensive, and the harder it is to do anything with. That being said I want a diner in the worst way. IPH has one diner I really want it even has a vestibule on one side.


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## railiner (Mar 7, 2021)

Seaboard92 said:


> It's missing trucks. I looked at it already. Several of those cars are missing components usually bought to help keep the rest of the fleet operating.


Which one of the two I asked about?


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## Seaboard92 (Mar 7, 2021)

railiner said:


> Which one of the two I asked about?


I'll have to look into that Budd Dome. I'll get back to you on that. But the Pacific Rest is what I was looking at. If I knew I could get a pair of OSH Trucks I would be all over that car.


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## crescent-zephyr (Mar 8, 2021)

Seaboard92 said:


> That is Ben Butterworth's shop. He is the man who actually managed the Hoosier State for IPH and he owns Mid America Railcar. He's a great guy, and always enjoyable to talk to. That is where a lot of the nicer cars have ended up.



Oh! That makes sense. Yeah I was trying to figure out where all those nicer cars were and how they ended up in Indiana. 

I’d love one of the tail cars and one of the full sleepers!


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## Seaboard92 (Mar 9, 2021)

crescent-zephyr said:


> Oh! That makes sense. Yeah I was trying to figure out where all those nicer cars were and how they ended up in Indiana.
> 
> I’d love one of the tail cars and one of the full sleepers!



It's doable. Some good/fair prices on the Amtrak certified ones. And because they are certified it's more of a one time cost instead of my car which is a ton of small costs adding up over time.


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## NorthShore (Mar 10, 2021)

railiner said:


> I had a brief ride in the 'Caritas', when Clark Johnson owned it....splendid car, and one of the most traveled PV's all over North America.



I had a unique trip on it about 15 years ago. 

The Milwaukee Road had an initial branch out of Chicago that never made it as far as Milwaukee. It didn't even get built past Evanston. But, it has an interesting history. 

The north end of the branch (that was, eventually, placed on embankment) became the north end of Chicago's L. But, before it got there, it passed a little coal yard on its row alongside where Wrigley Field now stands. This track is in many historic photos. 

That section of the railroad was abandoned many years ago. Yet, there were still a few freight customers along the easement. The last of which, a candy confectionary, finally closed in the early years of the new millenium.

The track remained owned by CP, which sold it to Iowa Pacific, which ran some freight car transfers from a local yard to Goose Island. But this portion of track hadn't seen service in a couple of years. 

Now, it so happened that 261 came into town for the filming of The Untouchables. And, behind it, the Caritas. So, it was decided that this car would make an inspection trip along the track; preserving their easement rights.

I got wind of it, and decided to see if I might get some pictures. But I couldn't find the train anywhere along tge line. Finally, late in the afternoon, I gave up and started to stroll to the bus stop. Wait, what's this? A headlight across the river bridge. Sure enough, a switcher engine pulling the Caritas was soon crossing. It came to a stop, with railfans lingering around. I saw some people on the train and yelled, "Hey, can I hop aboard? I'd like to ride the train." I was welcomed on the observation deck. Perhaps I am the last of the passengers on an historic route through the north side of Chicago!


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## NorthShore (Mar 10, 2021)

Where are these cars sitting around in Bensenville? I may have to trek out to see them if they're not sitting in the yard under the highway. (And, even if they are, I know people who can get pictures.)

I'm going to pick (just for fun) the "Lion Gardiner", because it's a diner and in Lorain, Ohio; a community I have visited and remember well. And, I'll couple it with the "Country Club", because I like the idea of owning a sleeper/solarium: and this is the only country club I'll be allowed to enter!


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## Seaboard92 (Mar 10, 2021)

NorthShore said:


> Where are these cars sitting around in Bensenville? I may have to trek out to see them if they're not sitting in the yard under the highway. (And, even if they are, I know people who can get pictures.)
> 
> I'm going to pick (just for fun) the "Lion Gardiner", because it's a diner and in Lorain, Ohio; a community I have visited and remember well. And, I'll couple it with the "Country Club", because I like the idea of owning a sleeper/solarium: and this is the only country club I'll be allowed to enter!



They are next to the Willard E Schope Fire Station on Foster Ave. Can't miss them there is an E unit there half in the bushes. Have fun send us some photos. 

Not in a yard at all. Very much visible from the street. Have fun.


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## WWW (Mar 10, 2021)

Seaboard92 said:


> They are next to the Willard E Schope Fire Station on Foster Ave. Can't miss them there is an E unit there half in the bushes. Have fun send us some photos.
> 
> Not in a yard at all. Very much visible from the street. Have fun.


See what you can do with this Google Map LINK: pan and zoom

Google Maps


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## jiml (Mar 11, 2021)

WWW said:


> See what you can do with this Google Map LINK: pan and zoom
> 
> Google Maps


Found the E unit.


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## crescent-zephyr (Mar 11, 2021)

Seaboard92 said:


> It's doable. Some good/fair prices on the Amtrak certified ones. And because they are certified it's more of a one time cost instead of my car which is a ton of small costs adding up over time.



Yeah the Ponchatrain is a pretty good price if it’s in as good of condition as the last time I saw it! Such a beautiful car.


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## NorthShore (Mar 19, 2021)

Seaboard92 said:


> They are next to the Willard E Schope Fire Station on Foster Ave. Can't miss them there is an E unit there half in the bushes. Have fun send us some photos.
> 
> Not in a yard at all. Very much visible from the street. Have fun.


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## John Bredin (Mar 19, 2021)

To clarify for those who want to go see this equipment in person, the steam engine, tender, orange passenger car, and orange caboose aren't by the fire station, they're a "stuffed and mounted" display in a park across from the Metra tracks a couple of blocks west of the Bensenville Metra station, correct?


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## NorthShore (Apr 3, 2021)

I think it might be a combination of photos from behind the fire station and elsewhere. Someone I know got them, and definitely needed to be directed to the location Seaboard noted, as he wasn't aware of their presence in the area.


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## coventry801 (Jun 4, 2021)

Are these cars able to be attached to regular Amtrak trains?


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## Palmetto (Jun 4, 2021)

Some of them ran on the tail end of the City of New Orleans when Iowa Pacific was in business. I have no idea what condition they're in at the moment, but I'm sure they'd need some work to get re-certified for Amtrak operation.


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## jiml (Jun 4, 2021)

Our resident expert is "away at school" right now, but I'm sure he'll comment when he returns here. I know he'd planned to look at them.


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## cirdan (Jun 4, 2021)

I guess this puts paid to hopes that somebody might emerge and continue where Iowa Pacific had left off and build a small charter / private hire business.

How sad.


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## crescent-zephyr (Jun 4, 2021)

coventry801 said:


> Are these cars able to be attached to regular Amtrak trains?



Some of them, yes.


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## jpakala (Jun 5, 2021)

We rode the all-bedroom Pullman named Baton Rouge (and used the full-dome diner) behind the CONO from Chicago to New Orleans. It was in the IL Central orange & brown that IA Pacific had. We paid for upper & lower berths but had a bedroom suite because the hosts who met us (in the previous Amtrak first-class lounge) said there were no cars with berths on this run. The suite had a full-sofa bedroom & sofa-seat plus chair bedroom.


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## crescent-zephyr (Jun 5, 2021)

I rode in the Adirondack Club when I rode the Iowa Pacific Pullman - beautiful car!


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## Seaboard92 (Jun 13, 2021)

Do people want the complete list of what is Amtrak certified and what is not. I probably have it somewhere around here.


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## Palmetto (Jun 13, 2021)

Yes. That would be an interesting read.


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