Question about Pullman 12-1 cars color and lettering in Meteor service

Discussion in 'Heavyweight Cars' started by jonusgrumby, May 26, 2025.

  1. jonusgrumby

    jonusgrumby Member

    I know that several Pullmans were leased to the Frisco for Meteor service. There are pictures of some of the cars available on this site and several others but I haven't found much on the 12-1 Pullman cars. I'm asking about Passenger cars , not MOW cars. I have not found any source that says any of the 12-1's were painted red and silver. I have read that some 12-1 cars were briefly used in coach service then returned back as sleepers. Were any repainted and lettered for the Frisco or did they all keep the Pullman name?
     
  2. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    In short, none of the 12-1 cars received the Red and Silver paint

    The following Pullman cars were painted Red & "Silver":
    P. G. T. Beauregard, 111/112, 8-1-2
    Robert F. Hoke, 111/112, 8-1-2
    Magdalen Tower, 3/4, 8-3-1
    Rathaus Tower, 3/4, 8-3-1
    Villa Peerless, 9/709, 10-3
    Villa Superb, 704/10, 10-3
    Drake University, 3/303
    Norwich University, 304/10
    Amherst University, 105/106
    Drury College, 105/106, 10-2-1
    Smith College, 105/106, 10-2-1
    Trinity College, 105/106, 10-2-1
    Clover Point, 805/806?, 8-5
    Clover Slope, 805/806?, 8-5
    Clover Vale, 805/806?, 8-5
     
    Last edited: May 27, 2025
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  3. jonusgrumby

    jonusgrumby Member

    Thank you!

    Do you know if any of the 12-1 Pullmans were lettered for Frisco or did they retain the Pullman lettering? I know the Red and Silver cars were lettered for Frisco, but I've never seen any of the 12-1 cars in anything but Pullman or MOW.
     
  4. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    Just a bit of clarification in very broad terms...
    From Utah Rails:

    "During 1940, the United States Department of Justice filed an anti-trust complaint against Pullman Incorporated in the U. S. District Court at Philadelphia (Civil Action No. 994). The government sought to separate the company's sleeping car operations from its manufacturing activities." Ignoring the gory details of this suit, we can skip ahead to 1948.

    "June 11, 1947
    Proposed sale of The Pullman Company to a consortium of 53 railroads for a reported $40.2 million was filed with the federal district court. (New York Times, June 12, 1947)

    June 30, 1947
    The Pullman Company, a new company jointly owned by 59 railroads, was organized to assume control of the interests of the former Pullman-owned company. (New York Times, June 27, 1947)

    June 30, 1947
    Pullman, Inc., formally transferred ownership of its sleeping car business, The Pullman Company, to 57 railroads. The change would put sleeping car operations on the same basis as diners and day coaches, which were already owned, operated and maintained by the railroads. The value of the deal was reported as being $74 million, including $35 million paid by the railroads to Pullman in 1945 for 600 of the company's lightweight sleeping cars. (New York Times, June 27, 1947)

    The New York Times article shows that the railroads in 1945 purchased 609 lightweight cars from Pullman with a depreciated value of $34.9 million, and that they had an option to purchase 3,994 heavyweight standard cars, at a depreciated value of $15.8 million. Also, the western railroads had options to purchase 2,209 tourist cars, at a depreciated value of $4.4 million.

    December 31, 1948
    Pullman sold all of its heavyweight cars to the member railroads, and the cars were immediately leased back to Pullman for operation."

    The Frisco's 1948 Annual Report notes that the road purchased forty-one, heavyweight sleepers. Unfortunately, the report doesn't separate the purchase costs from other passenger -related expenses, neither does it provide information about how the purchase was financed, i.e., bonds, equipment trusts, or cash.

    The TRRA Historical and Technical Society's Summer of 2015 Bulletin, does list the general car prices (there was some variation within each Pullman Plan):
    12-1 Cars $2792.77
    10-3 Cars, $2758.13
    10-1-2 Cars $2800.51
    10-1-2 Cars $2822.67
    8-3-1 Cars $2787.16
    8-1-2 Cars $6762.38
    8-5 Cars $8397.33
    12-2 Cars $2897.76
    10-2-1 Cars $2752.52
    Cars not placed into passenger service were converted to company service or placed into storage.


    Thirteen of the cars were placed into government storage, and they were never used by the Frisco. They were removed from storage during the spring-summer of 1962, and scrapped.

    Eight of the cars were used as coaches between between 1949 and 1951; Three of the cars were used in coach service between 1959 and June 1963. These cars were numbered in the 1800-1810 series. There is a photo of the 1809, car name East Cooper, and the Pullman letter board had been painted over.

    As Pullman traffic declined, the Frisco and Pullman discontinued each Pullman Line, and then withdrew the car from lease (to Pullman). Some cars were converted to company service cars, and others were burned and scraped.

    Source:
    Utah Rails
    The Complete Roster of Heavyweight Pullman Cars by Wayner Publications, 1985
    TRRA Historical and Technical Society Summer 2015 Bulletin
    Frisco Annual Report 1948
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2025
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