Historic NYC subway car Found in Springfield

[sandyshoes]

I always wished Jax had a real "diner" in a dining car, like Angel's in Palatka and Orlando...and like the one in St. Aug.  (Last time we went, we heard it wasn't good anymore, had a new owner, no customers;  maybe somebody could buy the dining car and move it up here and start a restaurant.  Just a thought. 

[majormadmax]

Good news, car #983 has been identified as the one that used to be in the entryway of Nichol's Alley!  See the discussion on this thread:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/jacksonville/148758-gone-but-not-forgotten-jacksonville-43.html

One poster reports it was a NYC subway car. He worked for Nichols Alley and was sent to NYC to buy a scrap car. They put it on the back of a flatbed truck and trucked it down to Jacksonville.  Someone posted pics of it being removed (date unknown):



Mystery solved!

Cheers!  M2

[Timkin]

What about the one in Springfield.. I wonder if it could be purchased and refurbed.. I mean its already here.

[NYC983]

yes it available please call  me Byron 904 566 7576

[Ocklawaha]

I always wished Jax had a real "diner" in a dining car, like Angel's in Palatka and Orlando...and like the one in St. Aug.  (Last time we went, we heard it wasn't good anymore, had a new owner, no customers;  maybe somebody could buy the dining car and move it up here and start a restaurant.  Just a thought.

Angels in Palatka isn't a real railroad car, or at best one that has been completely torn apart and rebuilt MUCH wider then any rail car. As I recall back in the 60's someone there saying it was just a building that looks something like an old railroad car.

BTW, Jacksonville and the Orlando area both had 'Victoria Station' restaurants which were hacked into old railroad cars, mostly freight cars, and an occasional something else. The one in Fern Park actually had a valuable 'museum piece' Florida East Coast wooden, side door caboose. Ours was just off the Arlington Expressway.

To do the old Red Bird Subway car right, someone needs to go back to NYC and shop for a set of trucks (wheel sets and frames) so the car could be placed on a short piece of track... Displayed as God Intended it. BTW, the trucks don't have to be from the same class of car as long as the under frame clearances are close or the same.

Another possibility is remounting it on trucks and doing a historic restore on the car. Add a set of trolley poles (yes it was once a 3Rd rail electrical pickup type car but the key is ELECTRIC CAR) on the roof.  Thus the old bird COULD operate on a Jacksonville streetcar line. The short video shows another 'subway' car turned 'trolley' in action. This would make a hell of a WORKING-MUSEUM piece.

Imagine this running on the abandoned rail line from Norwood/Gateway Plaza - King Edward - Springfield Yard - Union Street warehouse - AP Randolph/Stadium station...

http://www.youtube.com/v/7TdIYBalF64?version=3&hl=en_US

Would this be cool or what?

[Timkin]

Ock.. Do you know what became of the Cars that made up the Victoria Station Restaurant that was on Arlington Expwy?

[iloveionia]

NYC.  Is this the car on 8th/Ionia?  The one in my profile pic?  I suppose the historic codes would prevent me from buying and placing on my lot? 

[Ocklawaha]

Ock.. Do you know what became of the Cars that made up the Victoria Station Restaurant that was on Arlington Expwy?

Sorry Tim, but ours was rather plain Jane, and the cars held no real historic importance. When they were converted for restaurant use, in many cases it involved irreparable damage, as a result I made no effort to follow these. Even the Fern Park location only got an occasional check-up to see if the old FEC caboose was still on the property. After living in South America and my return to the States, I lost touch with that location as well.

I would love to see the NYC car become a 'first piece' in a working collection of historic transit cars on a rebuilt Jacksonville Traction System - transit and tourism railway.

NYC, do you have a price tag or could it be donated for restoration?

OCKLAWAHA

[Timkin]

I was just looking for the Casselberry , Fl location .. Once a Victoria Station Restaurant , then converted to various night clubs,

Looking at Google Earth, the parking lot where they were is all that remains.  .

Hope the one in Springfield will be donated.  its neat but it looks like it needs a lot of love

[strider]

I think the "car" that is a restraint in Palatka is really an original diner trailer - the ones made in like the thirties as diners and just trucked into position.  I even think they have that info on the wall somewhere.

Has anyone called Byron yet?

[Bridges]

Good news, car #983 has been identified as the one that used to be in the entryway of Nichol's Alley!  See the discussion on this thread:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/jacksonville/148758-gone-but-not-forgotten-jacksonville-43.html

One poster reports it was a NYC subway car. He worked for Nichols Alley and was sent to NYC to buy a scrap car. They put it on the back of a flatbed truck and trucked it down to Jacksonville.  Someone posted pics of it being removed (date unknown):

Weird, I thought I had commented on this thread way back, but I guess not.  My dad is the one standing with his hands in his pockets on the right.  We owned the subway car for a while.  Tried to turn it into a transit museum in Orange Park but ran into a whole bunch of problems with the town of OP.  Then my dad moved it to Springfield back when we owned that property.