Yesterday's photo piqued interest in this closed and boarded up antique store. A look on Google provided no viable information to add to the story. So more pictures of this old train car will have to suffice.
Oh Boy......do I love this.....I hate that its not open and running as some kind of business....but I love the idea..........and can see its infinite possibilities......personally the used, re purposed or antique business would be my first pick.......of course.
One of six observation cars built in 1950-51 by American Car & Foundry for The Great Northern Railway, #1293 "Cathedral Mountain" was decommissioned and sold to a private buyer by Amtrak in 1972. How many times it changed hands before arriving in Walla Walla is anybody's guess. I wonder how intact it is inside? Since it's not sitting on trucks, it would definitely cost a pretty penny to turn it back into rolling stock. Moved to the right location, it might make an interesting vacation rental.
I am deeply moved by the fate of this fine antique shop originally owned by my Father-in-Law (Charles G Nelson & "Kay" Nelson) with my Brother-in-Law (Richard Wright). The Cathedral Mountain car was acquired by Charles G. Nelson upon his retirement from decades of work on The Great Northern Railway and brought directly to Walla Walla where this shop was built to attach to the car. It is set on rails properly (only the length of the car) and originally had a set of working tower signals on each side of the car near the front. My in-laws had many happy years running that store, with a fine reputation in the antique circles up & down the west coast. Charles G Nelson passed away 1983 and Kay Nelson passed in late 1989. I see that the property was sold in 1990, and has been held by that owner since then. I have photos of the shop, car, and even a few interiors from 1975 when it was completed as a working store with the reproduction station (a Pennsylvania station in honor of my Mother-in-Law, I believe) having a basement that was set-up for restoring of antique furniture.
Nice collection of photos of the old train. Be interesting if someone decided to do something with this relic.
ReplyDeleteI love the way the train windows act as mirrors for the surrounding scenery.
ReplyDeleteI think the place would need a good deal of work to bring it back. There's potential there, though.
ReplyDeleteOh Boy......do I love this.....I hate that its not open and running as some kind of business....but I love the idea..........and can see its infinite possibilities......personally the used, re purposed or antique business would be my first pick.......of course.
ReplyDeleteI love that sign. I could imagine a cute diner in that old train!
ReplyDeleteOne of six observation cars built in 1950-51 by American Car & Foundry for The Great Northern Railway, #1293 "Cathedral Mountain" was decommissioned and sold to a private buyer by Amtrak in 1972. How many times it changed hands before arriving in Walla Walla is anybody's guess. I wonder how intact it is inside? Since it's not sitting on trucks, it would definitely cost a pretty penny to turn it back into rolling stock. Moved to the right location, it might make an interesting vacation rental.
ReplyDeleteI am deeply moved by the fate of this fine antique shop originally owned by my Father-in-Law (Charles G Nelson & "Kay" Nelson) with my Brother-in-Law (Richard Wright). The Cathedral Mountain car was acquired by Charles G. Nelson upon his retirement from decades of work on The Great Northern Railway and brought directly to Walla Walla where this shop was built to attach to the car. It is set on rails properly (only the length of the car) and originally had a set of working tower signals on each side of the car near the front. My in-laws had many happy years running that store, with a fine reputation in the antique circles up & down the west coast. Charles G Nelson passed away 1983 and Kay Nelson passed in late 1989. I see that the property was sold in 1990, and has been held by that owner since then. I have photos of the shop, car, and even a few interiors from 1975 when it was completed as a working store with the reproduction station (a Pennsylvania station in honor of my Mother-in-Law, I believe) having a basement that was set-up for restoring of antique furniture.
ReplyDelete