Northern Pacific Railroad Dining Car Preservation Project - Tacoma WA

A historic preservation project, dining car No.1663 is the last remaining of fifteen wooden dining cars built in 1910 for the Northern Pacific Railroad by the Barney and Smith Car Company of Dayton, Ohio.

This particular car served on the North Coast Limited run, (Seattle to Chicago) from 1910 to October 1949, where it was retired from service at the old NP shops in South Tacoma. The car was saved from the scrap yards when two Northern Pacific carpenters purchased the car and had it shipped over the mountain pass to Easton, Washington to serve as a diner in that small railroad town located at the foothills of Stampede Pass.

Since this video was made, Project Coordinator, Dave Burns, raised the necessary money needed to have the car safely transported back to Tacoma, Washington. The group is now hoping to find a covered storage facility in which they can begin restoration work. The State of Washington has offered up to $50,000 in matching funds to help kickstart the project.

The Tacoma Historical Society, a non profit, 501 (c) 3, tax exempt organization has offered to sponsor the project. The goal of the project is to have the old dining car on public display to help tell the story of Tacoma's early railroad history.

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[PoetryETrain]

This has been added to our history playlists here, and on facebook, thanks...

[g1u2n3z4]

I can't imagine the expense that will be required to bring the interior and exterior back to like-new condition. GOOD LUCK!

[Leto150]

Wow, so that's where they took that car... Had been sitting there all my life.. Glad it is being taken care of. Still odd to see the space where it sat empty.

[MUEagle2002]

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to see NP history preserved!! My grandmother who passed away in Butte, Montana in October 2009 loved to ride the North Coast Limited. She told me stories when I was growing up about riding the NP to Seattle. She loved taking the train. So I'm excited to hear about this project!!

[MUEagle2002]

What is the status of this project? I'm a member of the NP Historical Society...have you gone to them for help?

[the1909house]

If you turn this car back into a diner, try to furnish it with NP china. Put the waiters in replica uniforms, update one of the old menus etc. (I know, that means a LOT of work and money)! But wouldn't it be FANTASTIC! I just feel bad that my good wishes are all I can afford to send. Dale Jones, Eltopia Wa.

[bodryn]

I enjoyed the experience of eating in diners during 1960's rail travel. I ate more than once in the Northern Pacific diner in August, 1965. The elegance of tablecloths on tables and of fine food choices still resides in my memory. Ordering was always done by writing with a stub pencil on a pad.

[HunterMann]

Thanks for such a well-produced video about this classic dining car. Dave really is articulate and I think his talk about the car & the importance of preserving & restoring it will bring more interest & support of this vital project. I think if there was more passenger train travel in the US, more people would support the restoration our great trains. Off-topic: Patron tequila company has a beautifully restored train car on the tracks now. I think it's the Patron Express.