A rare anthracite-region steel heavyweight office train car that was part of the ‘Paoli Local’ restaurant in Strafford for nearly three decades will be moved and restored, writes Dan Cupper for Trains.com. 

The only known surviving passenger car from the Lehigh & New England Railroad has been rescued by the Everett Railroad, which plans to use it for first-class service on its excursion trains. 

The 75-foot-long, 60-ton car No. 100 was built in September 1925 by American Car & Foundry. It served the Lehigh & New England road until it was abandoned in 1961. After that, the car was used to tear up the track by a contractor. 

The car was sold in 1964, when it became part of the local restaurant on the historic Pennsylvania Railroad main line. The owner painted the car and lettered it using the Pennsylvania Railroad livery. The insides were gutted and two holes were made on one side to give access from and to the main building of the restaurant. 

The owner sold the car in 1992 to Ed Metka, owner of the Vintage Electric Streetcar, who recently made it available for restoration. 

Read more about the car at Trains.com. 

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