Illinois Railway Museum Blog

 

      The Illinois Railway Museum is announcing the  major acquisition of a Pullman ten section buffet lounge solarium.  This complete heavy weight sleeper has been donated to the museum by Roger Kramer.   The Name is the    Mt.  Harvard   and it was built in December, 1923 by Pullman Works here in Chicago.  Originally, designated a Sleeper-Observation it had ten sections, a lounge, a women's lavatory, a men's  smoking room and lavatory, and  the observation platform.   At 1923 prices it cost $32,587.00.   Our car, the Mt. Harvard, was one of fifteen cars named in this Mt. series.   It was built to Lot 4742, Plan 3521.  These fifteen cars were built for general service and not assigned to any specific railroad.  In 1935 the car was equipped with air conditioning at the Chicago plant.  Again in 1939 its original floor plan was revised and rebuilt to Plan 3521-L with the enclosure of the open observation platform.  In addition, a small buffet [kitchen] was added and the lounge was updated and enlarged.   This work took nearly three months at a cost of $13,383.00.  To my knowledge this is only one of three cars left in existence in this configuration.  Mt. Baxter and Mt. Broderick  being the only other sleepers left in this lot.          It now is identified as a 10 section Buffet Lounge Solarium Observation.  It has only one vestibule entrance, next to that is the ladies' lavatory, then comes the ten sections[five on either side], the men's smoking room and lavatory, the small buffet, an lastly the 15 seat lounge solarium observation room.  That room included a table for four, a settee for two, and another nine chairs separated by four tables for lamps.        I purchased this sleeper at the Mid-Continent Railway Museum,  North Freedom, Wisconsin auction May 2, 2015.    In a May 11, 2015 letter addressed to the museum was the offer of donation and at the May 16  BOD meeting the museum accepted my donation.       Now you can help Irm with a contribution to the newly established  fund called, you guessed it, MT. HARVARD.      I will tell you why your $ are  so very important to this unique piece.   First, the  MT Harvard is not, I repeat, not an incomplete sleeper.   This is a complete piece with all walls, berths, windows and support appliances.    That is why this car is so important to the collection.   Irm will be able to operate this car in conjunction with our other heavy weight pieces  with a  minimum of effort.   It needs a very good cleaning and some parts reinstalled but it can be done this season!       The major problem is that it must be trucked out within three months of the sale.  It has friction wheel bearings and no US railroad will except this odd technology on their lines.    Just the estimated cost for cranes and trucking to Irm is between  $25,000.  and $30,000.  We must raise this amount to move it.  I believe with your help we can reach this goal in that time frame.   This is definitely a worthy piece to save and appreciate.   I look forward to your questions and comments.   Please, consider this project for your museum!!  The opportunity to save a complete sleeper of the "Golden Age of Railroading" does not come very often.           Thank you       Roger Kramer