Israel Putanm

About the Israel Putnam posted yesterday.  This is one of the many New Haven Railroad items I purchased over the years before refining my modeling period and location.  The prototype car was purchased from Pullman when it divested itself of most of its sleepers in the late 1940’s. Looking at NH Consist lists, which I have a few, but not an all-inclusive list by any means.  The earliest I have found the Israel Putnam listed is in 1942, still owned by the Pullman Company, and assigned to the Federal, train 172-173.  The train carried 6 12-1 Pullmans, all with ice a/c.  The next consist list I have is the spring of 1950 and it had moved over to the Montrealer, travelling between Penn Station and St. Albans. By 1952 it was listed as a spare with only two train carrying 12-1 Pullmans at that time, the Federal and trains 55-56, travelling from Grand Central Station and Springfield MA.  The only New Haven owned 12-1’s in regular service had mechanical a/c, cars with ice a/c were spares.

Demand for sleeping car accommodations changed after WWII, the demand for open sections dropped rapidly, single bedroom became much more popular, giving much more privacy.  The NH’s 14-4 Pullmans filled tis gap, 10-6 cars from the PRR and other railroads seemed to become much more the standard layout for new cars being constructed in the post war era.  The only thing that really kept any demand for the open sections was that for many government workers, that is all the government would cover for travel. This is the reason that the NH bought new cars with open sections in 1955, the 11 Beach series cars with 6 open sections.  The purchase of the NH’s 27 14-4 Point series cars pretty much doomed the 12-1 cars from most services. 

By the 1955 consist list, all the 12-1 ice a/c cars were set aside at Boston.  Only three mechanical a/c cars were in service, and only as spares. The 1957 list shows the same.  By 1962 consist list has zero heavyweight cars listed and 18 out of the 42 lightweight sleepers as spare.  This shows how much the demand had dropped.  This is the time frame that picture of NH cars show up on railroads such as the Rio Grande, trying to find a way to earn their keep.  By the end of the NH, many cars were leased to the LIRR for use as private room cars for day time service from NYC to the east end of Long Island.

So this long diatribe about post war sleepers on the NH.  My 1958 layout really has no need for the Israel Putnam.  I am not even sure if they are set aside, if they can be used on camp or troop movements.  The same with holiday movements were additional cars may be needed.  I car was pained in PRR colors along with a couple of other NH sleepers to match the PRR cars, this car lasted at least until 1955 in that paint scheme.  I am sure once I am finally operating the layout, the car will show up on the occasional extra camp train.