I have been very lucky in my life to have been able to go to America and visit friends and family on several occasions. On one such trip to the West coast I took the opportunity to drive around in our hire car and visited places where there were signs of the Petaluma & Santa Rosa former existence. Also taking some time to drive to the Western Railroad Museum in Solano county to see their restored P&SR car number 63 running on the track they have there.
I can't recommend the museum too highly. Nice people, who were enthusiastic and welcoming. I was also able to access their research materials too.
This is the front of the Holman car that the P&SR used that survived to be restored. As you can see it is painted a bright yellow, and I understand from talking to people at the museum that the colours are based on what they found when scraping the old paint back to bare wood.
Front three quarters showing the vestibule end.
Now showing the combine baggage door end.
Provenance doesn't come any more solid than this builder's plate in the floor of the car.
The interior is nice and airy and one has got to love all that wood paneling. No plastics or vinyl overlays here.
No doubt Health & Safety would have a hissy fit today at the lack of ergonomics and safety features for the driver, but everything else is just there because it has a function. Spartan simplicity
One last shot of the driver preparing to drive away after changing ends. We stopped at the end of the line and got out, took our photographs before making our way back on a rather pleasant day reliving past interurban glories.
During our trip, mooching around and doing the usual tourist things, like visiting the Redwoods etc. and we ended up at Russian River, which is at the top end of the Bodeiga Bay area. I think we drove pass Bohemian Grove when we found these two box cars.
I took pictures and thought nothing more about the subject until I found a reference to these freight cars that said that they are actually old P&SR boxcars in the Northwestern Pacific Railroad Historical Societies magazine Headlight.
So how about that for serendipity?
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