My grandmother used to tell me about the times we traveled from Odessa to Dallas when she went to market as a buyer for a department store in Odessa. Unfortunately, I don’t remember one trip.
I started seriously thinking about buying a ‘car’ 5 years ago, but I didn’t have a clue where I’d put it or what in the world would I do with it. I knew I didn’t want to put it on the tracks to travel or lease it out, but again, what was I thinking.
After 12 months of research, I was ready to make an offer on the first train. Then, I started asking about the estimated costs of doing the exterior and interior work. I was flabbergasted. Yikes, I needed to lower my budget for buying a car.
It took 3 various offers before I was the proud owner of a 1946 Budd Built Hiawatha Coach Car. Did I realize what I had bought, Absolutely Not! I didn’t even go to look at my ‘new baby.’ I trusted ‘the broker’ and whatever he said, he must be right since this was what he did!
Surprise, almost nothing was per the website including the ‘trucks’ and ‘ready to go’ and what a wonderful decision I had made. Every day for 6 months was a new learning experience. The transportation from ‘the North’ to the ‘South’ was a nightmare. The stories that my car could be stopped anywhere along the way because it did not meet certain inspector requirements and it might possibly even get lost -- WHOA - sell the car for parts -- I’m way over my head -- this was the most ridiculous and insane project I had ever jumped into!
When I finally got to walk through and see what I had purchased -- she was absolutely beautiful. There was this incredible insignia -- The Hiawatha -- etched into the wood on each end of the seating area. I fell in love and knew this was beyond anything I had expected. The glass, lounges, woodwork, hardware, etc -- I truly was at a loss for words.
I have since learned as much as I could find on the history of the Hiawatha -- books, pictures and so forth.
We are currently working with a gentleman who has done a number of renovations on various rail cars and now waiting to hear what the estimated costs will be, starting with cleaning out the interior, determine what can still be used; what I need to look for and then……………..
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