To the Doniphan Branch Railway

Hello Elvin

Your email to Barron Selig was sent to me for a reply.

The MP cab we have is 12070, which I believe was originally a T&P car dating from 1929.

In the early 1980's I was escorting sleeping cars that had been sold to Mexico.   Most of the trips (11, altogether) involved the MP in one way or another.   Usually, I routed the cars via Dupo. IL to Corpus Christi although we did one or two direct to Laredo via MP.   Some were via New Orleans but most were via Dupo.

It was on those trips that I got to like the MP cabs.   They were classic cabs from the 20's and 30's (until those last ones were built) with Nice big windows in the cupolas, etc.

So, when MP began to retire them, I bought six of them (2 groups of three) and moved them to St. Petersburg, FL and hung "For Sale" signs on them.   There was a lot of interest and I sold five.   One is part of a school in St Pete, one is a dentist's waiting room in Plant City, FL, one was sold to an individual who made it an office, one was scrapped later by the man who bought it from me and I donated one, the 12070, to the FGCRRM. It was the first car they got to start their collection and now serves as a ticket office/waiting room.

I don't have the list of number here in front of me but I think one was the 12151.

Incidentally, I rode these cars from New Orleans to Tampa when they were delivered in 1981-82.   If I can find some slides, I'll scan them and email pics to you.

Hope this answers your questions.
-Jim Herron
President - Florida Gulf Coast RR Museum
also: Owner of Herron Rail Video     http://www.herronrail.com

ps- Have you seen our video "Glory Machines Vol 4"?   Its mostly St Louis railroading in the 1940's with a nice segment of MP steam & diesel trains.

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