Quick Facts
Name | Camp Car |
---|---|
Manufacture Date | 1926 |
Other Names | “Thendara,” B&O No. 4723 |
Railroad Of Record | Baltimore & Ohio Railroad |
Manufacturer | Pullman Company |
Rolling Stock Type | Camp Car |
Description
In 1926, the Pullman Company built the No. 7460, a class S-14C sleeper car equipped with a clerestory roof, 12 bedrooms and 1 drawing room (a larger sleeping quarter with a private restroom). In 1948, No. 7460 was given the name “Thendara” and placed into B&O passenger service. The car’s title was removed in 1954; in 1956, the heavyweight sleeper was converted into a 62-seat parlor coach and renumbered as B&O No. 4723.
The No. 4723 continued to operate on B&O passenger lines until 1965, when it was refashioned to serve as a Maintenance-of-Way (MOW) camp car. The car was renumbered as B&O No. X-4056 and painted red, the color of the MOW fleet. In 1983, the No. 4723 was renumbered as B&O No. 911559 to match the department’s numbering system.
The Maintenance-of-Way department served a vital role on the B&O Railroad. MOW crews were responsible for maintaining hundreds of miles of track. They used camp cars like the No. 911559 as mobile offices, workshops, and living quarters. When a crew’s work was complete, they would board their camp car and ride down the tracks to their next assignment.
In 1988, the No. 911559 was brought to Somerset, PA, where it served as an office, lounge, dining space, and storage facility for MOW crewmen. The car was finally removed from service in 1996, and it was delivered to the B&O Railroad the following year. It has since been restored, repainted, and renumbered as B&O No. X-4055.
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Did You Know?
Railroads made possible the standardization of time in the United States.