FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society has acquired Nickel Plate Road business car No. 1, a 1929 Pullman built for the Van Sweringen brothers, whose rail empire once included the Nickel Plate.
The historical society noted in a Wednesday social media post that the car was trucked from its longtime home at the former Indiana Transportation Museum to the FWRHS shop in New Haven, Ind. As confirmed to Trains.com, the car arrived via truck that evening at 9:00 PM in New Haven, and plans call to unload it Sunday (August 9) at Edgerton Rd., at the shop. “Initial relocation costs and seed money to begin the work have been granted by a private donor and the Olive B. Cole Foundation, Inc.,” the society said in a news release today. A comprehensive restoration is expected to cost at least $300,000.
The all-steel car, designed to accommodate up to 16 guests, includes private quarters for staff, a full kitchen, a dining room, and a lounge. Polished wood interiors and period details remain remarkably intact, though moisture intrusion has damaged portions of the lounge and private suites, requiring ceiling and window seal repairs. The mechanical, electrical, and HVAC systems date to the 1970s and require modernization…