Re: Question on D&RGW

John,

Photo is from our website. If you go to the roster section for "other railroads" the roster listing for the 552 is linked to the photo.

The car was built in 1891 by the Pullman Place Car Co. That is well after the D&RGW began changing its gauge. We don't have any other information up about the history of the car.

In one of the photo books about the Rio Grande there is a photo of the 552 on one of the branch trains. It was later sold to M-G-M studios and used in such pictures as "Harvey Girls." More information should be in The Movie Railroads. One of our members bought the car at the M-G-M prop auction and donated it to the Museum.

The car was actually built for the Rio Grande Western in April 1891. One of two combination cars built on order Lot #1822 to plan 926C. The two cars were numbered 93 and 94 and then renumbered to D&RG 551 and 552. [This information from Early Pullman Car Freight and Passenger Car Production complied by Eric A. Neubauer and published in pdf format on CD. see: Eric's Railroad Car History.]

Also see Robert Wayner's book reproducing Rio Grande folio sheet diagrams. He reproduces the drawing for the 552 and some history information.

Brian Norden