HARRISTOWN, Ill. (WAND) – It is a small piece of Illinois railroad history and the owner has a decision to make - scrap it or find someone to take it.
The body of a vintage Illinois Terminal Railroad sleeper car is parked outside of the old Illinois Terminal Depot in Harristown. It’s been there since 1988.
The car has a wood frame and a metal skin. Years of rain and weather conditions have caused the rail car to rot and fall into disrepair.
“I’m hoping there’s someone out there that can take it and bring it back to life,” said owner David Lee Allen.
Allen and his wife bought the depot, now known as the Harristown Depot, three and a half years ago. The railroad car came with it.
They have made a big investment renovating the depot, which was built in 1910, and simply don’t have the time and resources to deal with the rail car. So, David has placed a post on Facebook offering it for free to anyone who wants to move it. Otherwise, it will head to the scrapyard.
“We were hoping to do something once we acquired the depot,” Allen told WAND News. “After renovating the whole depot, it appears the means will not be there for the train car.”
His Facebook post has been picked up on the Illinois Terminal Railroad Fans page and has apparently gone viral.
An internet search shows the car was built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1911. It was renovated into a sleeper in 1930 and operated as a sleeper until 1941.
