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PULLMAN PASSENGER CAR
VRIC 7
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Pullman originally built this car at Calumet City, IL in June and July of 1923. The car originally named the MOUNTIAN VIEW was built to Pullman plan 2521C, Lot 4690. There were twenty cars built to this plan know as the "Mountain" series. All of the car names start with the word "Mountain". The cars were assigned as follows: five to the Monon RR, four to the Pennsylvania RR, three to the Santa Fe RR, six to the Baltimore and Ohio RR, and two to general service. The cars were built as 10 section observation lounge cars with and open observation platform.
In 1937, the MOUNTIAN VIEW returned to Calumet for rebuilding into a solarium observation car, as were many Pullman open platform cars at that time. In Calumet shops the car was given a complete overhaul which included the addition of air conditioning. Major interior changes were the addition of a buffet kitchen area in the center of the car, a porter’s room and the reduction of the sections from ten to eight. All carpet and upholstery was updated and the car rolled out of the shop with a new plan designation of 4025H, an 8-section buffet lounge observation named KITCHI GAMMI CLUB. Only one other car in Pullman history had the same 4025H designation, the CARLTON CLUB formerly the MOUNTAIN CITY soon to become known as NKP Business Car #6.
After the KITCHI GAMMI CLUB rolled out of Calumet shops in 1937 it was assigned to service with the Nickel Plate Railroad. The Nickel Plate assigned it to trains 9 and 10, operating between Cleveland and St. Louis. It ran on these trains throughout the 1940’s and the early 50’s. Normally, it served as the only Pullman space available on these trains. In 1953 the Nickel Plate purchased the car from the Pullman Company and sent it to Nickel Plate’s Calumet shop for conversion into Business Car (2nd) #7. This conversion saw the removal of section #8 and the installation of a closet housing a hot water boiler so that the car would have heat when operated on freight trains for inspection purposes. It remained in office car service until the merger with the Norfolk and Western Railway in 1964. At this time it was used on the old Nickel Plate system for a few official occasions but not to the extent as when the Nickel Plate had it as a company business car.
In 1967 the car was sent to Chicago to replace the Chicago wreck derrick outfits’ wooden dining car. The KITCHI GAMMI CLUB lost it name and simply became know as NW 521417, Wreck Diner-Bunk car. In derrick service it was once again "remodeled". This time section #2 was removed and a small foreman’s office was installed in its place. Section #7 was also removed and three wash sinks were installed. The original men’s bathroom and lounge was converted to a shower. Last but not least, the observation lounge was converted to an eating area with the addition of wooden booths and tabletops. It was a sad finish to a truly historical piece of equipment.
The car remained in Chicago until 1988 when it was retired as surplus and shipped to Roanoke, VA for disposition. This is usually when cars are sold to scrap dealers, however the scrap dealers would never get to use their torches on this car. In 1989 Virginia Rail Investment Corp. purchased the KITCHI GAMMI CLUB and was moved to Lynchburg, VA for work to determine the soundness and probability of restoration. After complete removal of all the old and outdated equipment underneath and inside the car, it was sandblasted and primed. After careful inspection, the car was found to be in excellent condition and restoration was started. The car moved from Lynchburg to Roanoke, then on to Evansville, IN where the majority of the work was accomplished.
Briefly this restoration included:
- Replacement of all windows with red mahogany frames and thermopane shatterproof glass.
- Complete new kitchen where the old shower was located.
- New buffet area in old section #7 area.
- New bathroom in the old boiler closet area.
- New bathroom with a stainless steel shower located in the old foreman’s office area.
- Complete new electrical system with 5 ½ miles of new wire and components throughout the car.
- New air conditioning system
- New electric heating systems
- Completely new water system with stainless steel water tanks holding 400 gallons of water and all new copper pipe.
- Addition of new water pressure system.
- New sewage treatment system.
- New and complete overhaul of the trucks to meet Amtrak specs.
- New tightlock couplers
- Complete overhaul of the air brake system
- The addition of a new Duetz diesel 40kw generator set with fuel tank to power all these systems.
- Addition of 480 volt HEP to meet Amtrak specs.
We hope you have enjoyed the brief history of our car. As you can see, an enormous amount of time, money and hard work went into bringing the KITCHI GAMMI CLUB back to life.
The KITCHI GAMMI CLUB is available for charter anywhere in the United States and Canada and we hope you will ride with us the next time your travel plans permit.
You can contact us at the address and phone numbers below:
Virginia Rail Investment Corporation
5061 Broad Street Road
Louisa, VA
Office - (804) 457-3277
Fax – (804) 457-3738
E-Mail –
cjensens@verizon.net
varail@msn.com
kitchigammiclub@virginiarail.com
csjensen@rbnet.com
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