Colonial Crafts

Description:

The Colonial Crafts was built by Pullman-Standard in 1949 as part of a 95-car order placed by the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was one of eight Colonial-series cars which also included Colonial Cabins, Colonial Flags, Colonial Arms, Colonial Houses, Colonial Lanterns, Colonial Scouts, and Colonial Doorways. The Colonial Crafts is the last surviving car from the series that is still in operating condition.

 

The car retains almost all its original Pullman features, including the original floor plan of three double bedrooms, a drawing room, a buffet kitchen, and this spacious buffet lounge area. The lounge seats 27 people and the bedrooms sleep 10, including one in the porter bunk.

 

Colonial Crafts served much of its career on Pennsylvania Railroad trains such as the Spirt of St. Louis, Manhattan Limited, and Northern Arrow. In 1969, the Pennsy sold Colonial Crafts into private ownership, and it was moved to the Arden Trolley Museum outside of Pittsburgh.

 

In 1986, a second private owner moved the car to Los Angeles where it was used extensively in charter service along the West Coast. In 2017, it was sold to private owners on the East Coast and moved to Philadelphia where it remains today.

 

During its long career in charter service, Colonial Crafts has hosted some notable passengers. In 1960, presidential candidate Richard Nixon used the car for a whistle stop campaign in his race against John F. Kennedy.

 

In March 1960, none other than the King himself rode this car as he returned from military service in Germany. That’s right, folks! Elvis and his entourage rode from New Jersey to Memphis so ‘The King’ could return home to Graceland.