PGE Pullman Troop Sleepers

TROOP SLEEPERS #990231/990114

These cars were built by the Pullman Company during World War II to alleviate the shortage of sleeping cars used to transport troops in the US. They were built with" Allied Full Cushion" high speed trucks and were designed to be converted into baggage cars thus ensuring a ready sale once the war was over.

Built as standard US Army Troop sleepers by Pullman in 1944 for troop train service these cars were declared surplus 1949. The two cars in the West Coast Railway Heritage Park collection saw service on the Alaska Railroad during the latter days of World War II. A number were acquired by the Pacific Eastern Railway. No 722 was converted to a Baggage /Express combination and painted standard PGE coach red. It was used in passenger service out of the Squamish Dock station in the early 1950's. It later was painted orange and green and used on the mixed trains out of North Vancouver once the southern extension was completed. In 1964 the car was converted to work train service and assigned No. X-231 and renumbered British Columbia Railway No. 990231 in 1972. When it was converted to work train service its high speed trucks were removed.

No. 990114 was converted directly into a Work train Bunk car and never went through the transformations of its sisters to Baggage/Express, then Snow service and finally work train service. It retains its high speed trucks and is exactly as it was in work train service.

The two cars in the West Coast Railway Heritage Park collection are all that remain of the once extensive Pacific Great Eastern fleet. It is intended to turn No. 722 into an interpretative display showing sections as it would have looked as a Troop sleeper, Baggage /Express car and in work service.

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