Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society Acquires New York Central Empire State Express Cars
Raising Funds for Restoration and Future Excursions
The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has recently secured ownership of seven passenger cars originally built for the famous New York Central Empire State Express. Acquired from New York’s Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, these vintage cars will be utilized in the society’s Indiana Rail Experience operation and for future excursions.
The estimated cost to fully restore the entire fleet of cars is around $1.2 million. To begin the restoration process, the society aims to raise $160,000 to commission one coach for service by 2024. A fundraising campaign has been launched at greatsteelfleet.org.
Joe Knape, President of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, expressed his excitement about the acquisition, stating that it provides the organization with a dedicated fleet of equipment and strengthens their business model. He also acknowledged the Rochester museum’s commitment to preserving these historic cars, ensuring they continue to be enjoyed by countless rail enthusiasts.
The Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum decided to sell the trainset as it was deemed surplus to their collection. Otto Vondrak, the museum’s president, expressed pride in their preservation efforts and members’ anticipation for the future of these cars.
The Empire State Express originally operated between New York City, Detroit, and Cleveland. Its inaugural run took place on December 7, 1941, just hours before the attack on Pearl Harbor. After being repurposed for commuter service, six of the cars were acquired by the Rochester Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1987. A Railway Post Office Car was later added to complete the trainset. These cars underwent refurbishment by volunteers in the 1990s and were primarily used for fall foliage excursions until 2019.
The acquired cars include RPO car No. 5021, known as the Alonzo B. Cornell, and coaches 2566, 2567, 2568, 2671 (dubbed Hamilton Fish), 2572 (David B. Hill), and 2578 (Charles Whitman).
The acquisition of these cars was made possible in part by grants from the David A. Donoho Trust and the Central Indiana Foundation. However, extensive modernization processes are still required for the mechanical, heating, and electrical systems of the cars. Two of them have the potential to be converted into first-class dining or parlor cars, inspired by the original designs of the New York Central.
Prior to this acquisition, the Fort Wayne group primarily leased cars for their operations. However, in the past two years, they have acquired two former Pennsylvania Railroad coaches, an unrestored Canadian Pacific dome-lounge-observation car, restored a dining car and an open-air car, and transformed a baggage car into a power car. Kelly Lynch, Vice President of the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society, emphasized the value of owning operational cars to expand their train sizes, capacity, and variety of trips, thereby maximizing the impact of donations and ensuring the long-term sustainability of their operations.
The vintage cars are expected to arrive at the society’s restoration facility in New Haven, Indiana, by mid-September.