Unusual stretch limo

[Earl Marischal]

For company execs presumably.

steve

 

[Chuckyg1]

It has no tires and looks like in rides on rails. Also both ends have the front sections. I'm probably completely wrong, but it looks like it's used to transport workers to/from a work site

[Little Timmy]

The hood has been extended a bit, but I don't think there's a "big" motor under there.

Running on rails is probably a good thing, there's no way you could drive around town . How would it turn a corner ?

 

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Little Timmy
Typo

[mr moto]

Being on rails, it's designed to driven in either direction without being turned around. Possibly might have an engine in only one end.

[Brian Austin]

I know of that car.  According to a book of unusual railroad equipment, this car shuttled workers along a 26-mile line between the US Gypsum plant and its mine.

 

This blog entry has another image of the car.

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/06/plaster-city-1947-but-what-heck-is.html

[Earl Marischal]

Is it based on a pair of Cadillacs possibly?

steve

[unclescott58]

4 hours ago, Earl Marischal said:

Is it based on a pair of Cadillacs possibly?

steve

It looks a ‘53 Chrysler New Yorker to me.

[NOBLNG]

9 hours ago, Brian Austin said:

I know of that car.  According to a book of unusual railroad equipment, this car shuttled workers along a 26-mile line between the US Gypsum plant and its mine.

 

This blog entry has another image of the car.

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2010/06/plaster-city-1947-but-what-heck-is.html

From a link on that site…some more neat rail cars.?

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/11/inspection-cars-for-railroad-inspectors.html

[espo]

Most Railroad Lines around here use 3/4-ton pickups with drop down wheels so that they can be operated on the rails. They are equipped with a set of wheels and tires for the road with a narrower track than stock and allow the road tires to contact the rails and provide the power to get around. 

[Brian Austin]

The Gypsum plant line was narrow gauge, so Hy-Rail trucks wouldn't have worked there.

[Bainford]

Another image from the link above. Shows why the hoods are extended.

[NOBLNG]

Jeez…all that work and they couldn’t extend the side trim.?

[vincen47]

12 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Jeez…all that work and they couldn’t extend the side trim.?

I was thinking the same thing!

[rattle can man]

It was cobb led up by the RR shops using what they could get their hands on.

[FoMoCo66]

On 6/17/2024 at 7:41 PM, rattle can man said:

It was cobb led up by the RR shops using what they could get their hands on.

Kind of like the Galloping Gooses of the Rio Grande Southern.

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 11/21/2023 at 8:14 AM, NOBLNG said:

Jeez…all that work and they couldn’t extend the side trim.?

What's more surprising is that they bothered to paint it all the same color(s).

Cobbled together expediency like this wasn't known for its detail work, was built as cost-effectively as possible, and was often rough as a cob close up.

The sheetmetal work looks surprisingly good for the conditions it was probably built under, but I can guess what the shop foreman said to the body-builder when he wanted to get trim parts to finish up the look: "Sure, if you pay for the parts out of your own pocket, make it as pretty as you want to".

 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 hours ago, FoMoCo66 said:

Kind of like the Galloping Gooses of the Rio Grande Southern.

Yup, fascinating engineering-of-expedience, or necessity-is-a-mother.

RGS geese were based on big torquey town cars or limos, Buick and Pierce-Arrow.

No two were the same, and they usually evolved through several iterations resulting from damage, or the need to replace worn out engines and/or running gear.

Several railroads and shortlines built equally unusual railcars adapted from automotive chassis and engines.

Even Mack (the truck company) got into the act:    

 

 

Edited June 24, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy