The 1964-1965 Montana Centennial Train

Equipment Roster of the 1964 - 1965 Montana Centennial Train

*	*	This list is a work-in-progress -- and probably always will be. Any additions or corrections, please email.
#	LOCOMOTIVES	NOTES
*	*	Various locomotives pulled the train, supplied by whatever railroad it happened to be traveling on. The train had a power car, three horse cars, a vehicle car, three exhibit cars, and an office car on its big round trip to New York with a long string of passenger cars (mostly sleepers) in April/May 1964. The first nine cars were from the 1963 West Virginia Centennial Special train. When the cars were sold to Montana, the bill of sale listed the seven display cars as originally N&W 130, C&O 78, 79, B&O 452, C&O 80, N&W 126 and B&O 457, not necessarily in the order listed here.
*	CARS	NOTES
1		Power-Utility Car #1 was originally a New York Central 60' Baggage Car with a 125 kW Caterpillar generator to supply electricity to the horse cars. , Donated by the railroad to the West Virginia Centennial Special. Sold to Montana Centennial Train. On the MCT the car usually stayed with the horse cars any time the train was broken up on the round trip to New York.
2		Horse Parlor Car #2 was originally a 6-axle C&O baggage-RPO car, donated by the railroad to the West Virginia Centennial Special. Sold to Montana Centennial Train. On the other side of the car, the mural of Charlie Russell was replace by a mural for the Oil Industry. The car carried some of the 72 horses that made the round trip to NY. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was a supporter of the MCT from the beginning, and when the car returned to Montana in 1964 it gained the number CB&Q 505. The car survives today at Wibaux, MT.
3		Horse Parlor Car #3 was originally a 6-axle C&O baggage-RPO car, donated by the railroad to the West Virginia Centennial Special. Sold to Montana Centennial Train. The car carried some of the 72 horses that made the round trip to NY. Murals on both sides of the car were identical. When the car returned to Montana in 1964 it gained the number CB&Q 502.
4		Horse Parlor Car #4 was originally a 6-axle C&O baggage-RPO car, donated by the railroad to the West Virginia Centennial Special. Sold to Montana Centennial Train. The car carried some of the 72 horses that made the round trip to NY. When the car returned to Montana in 1964 it gained the number CB&Q 503.
5		Vehicle Car #5 was originally a 4-axle N&W BeK(?) baggage car, donated by the railroad to the West Virginia Centennial Special. Sold to Montana Centennial Train. The car had end doors and was used to carry a Conestoga wagon, a surrey and an early automobile, among other things. When the car returned to Montana after the World's Fair in 1965 it gained the number CB&Q 506. Today the car is still in Montana and serves as the home of the Alberton Railroad Museum.
6		Exhibit Car #6 was originally a 4-axle N&W BeK(?) baggage car, donated by the railroad to the West Virginia Centennial Special. Sold to Montana Centennial Train. On the road, this car was the entrance, with visitors entering through the end door. At the World's Fair, it was not the entrance. Murals on both sides of the car were identical. When the car returned to Montana after the World's Fair in 1965 it gained the number CB&Q 501. Today the car sits at the Hardin, MT depot with three new (2007) and different murals by new artists.
7		Exhibit Car #7 was originally a 6-axle B&O baggage car, donated by the railroad to the West Virginia Centennial Special. Sold to Montana Centennial Train. Murals on both sides of the car were identical. When the car returned to Montana after the World's Fair in 1965 it gained the number CB&Q 504.
8		Exhibit Car #8 was originally a 6-axle B&O baggage car, donated by the railroad to the West Virginia Centennial Special. Sold to Montana Centennial Train. Murals on both sides of the car were identical. When the car returned to Montana in 1964 it gained the number CB&Q 507.
9	Dormitory Car	Dormitory Car #9 a.k.a. the 'Office Car' was originally built in 1925 by Pullman-Standard as a 12-section, 1-drawing room sleeping car for the Pennsylvania Railroad and named URBANA. Leased by the PRR to the West Virginia Centennial Special in 1963. Leased by the PRR to Montana Centennial Train in 1964. To Penn Central 8965 and retired in 1962. To Penn Central MofW 27420. Now at White Deer, PA. On the MTC the car had sleeping accommodations for some paying passengers as well as the entire National Guard military contingent traveling with the train for protection of its $1,000,000 in gold. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in 1964. Shortly thereafter it returned to New York to be part of the Montana exhibit at the World's Fair through the end in fall 1965.
10		Sleeping Car 10 was for paying passengers. (Tickets for the round trip were $500 and nearly 300 people participated.) This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964. The sides of the sleeping cars were adorned with murals, just like the exhibit and horse cars - some 150 murals on the entire train (presumably 75 identical murals on either side of the train).
11	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 11 was for paying passengers. Also used by the Indian Dancers traveling with the train. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
12	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 12 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
13	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 13 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
14	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 14 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
15	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 15 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
16		Lounge Car 16 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964. The car had a piano, among other amenities.
17	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 17 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
18	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 18 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
19	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 19 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
20	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 20 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
21	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 20 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
22	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 20 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
23	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 20 was for paying passengers. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
24	Sleeping Car	Sleeping Car 24 (Coffee Shop Car?) - Only three bedrooms were used - by James Langston and family and by Grover Schmidt and family. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
25		State Official's Car (Observation/Business Car?) 25 - Only three bedrooms were used - by Howard Kelsey, Kim Kelsey, and 'Uppy' Upshaw. This car made the trip from Montana to New York City and return in April/May 1964.
*		Seven Cars of the Montana Centennial Train at the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair.
*	*	Acknowledgments
*	*	Research resources include: Montana Historical Society, Alan Byer, Mary Jayne & John Z. Rowe. Many thanks to all who have contributed to keeping track of the histories of the equipment of the 1964-1965 Montana Centennial Train!