The Norfolk & Western Business Car 300 Preservation Society announced on August 21 that it was raising money to acquire a former N&W power car from the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. The planned acquisition comes as the group, founded in 2019 to preserve N&W observation car 300, begins to expand its scope, with the eventual dream of assembling a complete business train. 

Bryan J. Lalevee, president of the group, said online that Power Car 409 will support the nonprofit’s expanded mission. The car was built by St. Louis Car Company in 1934 and then rebuilt as a power car in 1972. It was initially assigned to maintenance-of-way service before becoming the power source for Maintenance Instruction Car 401. The car also had a classroom area for air-brake instruction. 

While the nonprofit’s two other cars, Business Car 300 and sleeper Hollins College, have their own generators, they are noisy. Having Power Car 409 provide electricity to the other cars will improve the rider experience, Lalevee said. 

Norfolk Southern has already provided the nonprofit $15,000 for the purchase of the car, and the group needs to raise another $8,000. That will also help cover air brake work needed to move the car to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in Indiana. For more information, visit www.nw300.org/powercar.

—Justin Franz