MARK MARONEY/Sun-Gazette The Pullman sleeper/lounger rail car outside of the former Peter Herdic Transportation Museum is a showpiece of history that has been at the site since 2005. City Council gave permission to the city administration to issue a notice for sale advertisement for the rail car. Mayor Derek Slaughter noted it was not the sale of the car but an advertisement notifying potential buyers that it would be up for sale. SUN-GAZETTE PHOTO

Williamsport City Council has approved an advertisement for the sale of a Pullman sleeper/lounger railroad car that is behind the Bureau of Police patrol division at the former Peter Herdic Transportation Museum at Nichols Place.

The resolution on the sale of the city property was presented by Mayor Derek Slaughter and it is not the sale of the railroad car, he said, but rather the advertisement or notification of sale.

The advertisement will be up for 10 days as people can submit their bids for the rail car. A city solicitor had recommended this was the best way of completing this business with the rail car that has been at the location for quite some time. The River Valley Transit Authority documentation obtained by the Sun-Gazette upon request noted it was put there in 2005.

In fact, the car was the first major exhibit of what was then going to be the future Peter Herdic Transportation Museum. It made a dramatic entrance to the museum site on Sept.1, 2005.

The exhibit, a Pullman sleeper/lounger was manufactured in 1949.

Originally numbered 8416, it was that year considered to be one of two remaining Pullman sleepers in the country.

It was originally located at the Newberry Yard and was transferred by Allison Crane and Rigging Co., a move that took roughly four hours.

After World War II, the shortage of restricted materials ended and the production of post-war replacement rail cars began in 1946. In that same year, the Pennsylvania Railroad ordered eight, three-bedroom, one-drawing room bar/lounge cars.

Built in May and June 1949, these eight cars were named in the “Colonial” series and used in general service as mid-train lounge cars.

Pullman completed Pennsylvania Railroad car 8416 named “Colonial Houses,” a class P513L lightweight sleeper/lounge, on June 11, 1949.

In August 1955, the car was renamed “The Nicholas Firestone” and remained in service with the Pennsylvania Railroad until May 1964 when it was transferred to the Penn Central Railroad, reclassified as a “parlor” car and renumbered 7153. It remained with Penn Central until 1971. At one time, this rail car serviced the area.

The City of Williamsport and former River Valley Transit, before it was an authority and known as City Bus, acquired this rail car from Jeff Pontius, who then went into the process of refurbishing the exterior of the car as part of the transportation museum and trolley hub project.