the new york susquehanna & western Technical & historical Society inc.

Car #530 is one of the most popular cars on the train, and  is host to thousands of passengers every year.  For the past 11 months, the car has been undergoing a restoration. Everything from coupler, to coupler, has been inspected, updated, and rebuilt.

We started with the interior, replacing the old rubber floor, as well as any rotted flooring below it.  Ripped seats were reupholstered, interior paint touched up, and a new carpet installed.  With all seats replaced, the interior was completed. Next came the exterior.

The reason the floor rotted out was due to the fact that the window gaskets leaked.

All windows received new gaskets.

Many months were spent removing rust, sanding and repairing holes with body putty.

Finally, a coat of primer, and a beautiful top coat were applied..

The color is historically accurate for the Susquehanna. Interestingly enough, they are the exact colors of the  Stevens Institute of Technology. This was the alma mater of the Susquehanna's Trustee, Walter Kidde, and his choice for the color scheme.

Great pains were taken by CMO Matthews to ensure that the lettering was historically accurate as well.

This was the first car in the fleet completed, and plans are in place to continue the work on the other cars as well.

The work on #530 was completed with a generous grant from the John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE RESTORATION PICTURE ALBUM