Sunday, September 4, 2011

Sir, Your Private Rail Car Awaits You


And here I thought private rail cars went the way of roll-up desks and spats. The Washington Post did a nice piece about the last remaining private rail cars in America. Particularly about Chuck Jensen and his prized “Kitchi Gammi Club” (http://www.virginiarail.com/)


It’s heartening to know that some irreplaceable pieces of Americana are not just preserved and put on display, but actually put to use.


I love the quote used on Mr. Jensen’s homepage:



As the socialite Eleanor Belmont said back in the 1920s, ‘Riding on a private railcar is not an acquired taste. One takes to it immediately.’



Eleanor could have been referring to her late husband August Belmont’s totally unique and one-of-a-kind, private subway rail car - the Mineola.


Inside the Apple describes it best:



It has, unfortunately, seen better days:


Image courtesy of robertwa via RailRoad.net

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