COLLECTION NAME:
NNRy Equipment and Building Roster
Record
Title:
"Cyprus" (second)
Category:
Passenger Cars
Service:
Passenger
Disposition:
Unknown
Date Sold:
April 1943
Disposition Description:
Sold to the U.S. Army for $29,500 for use as a hospital car.
Passenger Car Category:
Private Cars
Builder-Pass:
Pullman
Build Date-Pass:
April 30, 1914
Rebuild Date-Pass:
1943
Construction:
Steam heat, electric lights, gas lamps.
Passenger Car Service Notes:
Built by Pull to plan 2807, lot 4241. Consigned to D.C. Jackling. Purchased by the NNRy December 1935 and jointly owned by the NN (40%), Bingham and Garfield (40%) and Ray & Gila Valley RR (20%). Used as a private car by D.C. Jacking, president of all three railroads. The car was the second to be named the "Cyprus." Sold to the U.S. Army for $29,500.00 in April 1943 for use as a "hospital car". It was stripped at East Ely and rumored to have been shipped overseas, perhaps to North Africa. In reality, it never went to North Africa or anyplace overseas. It was one of 38 existing cars converted to ward-dressing cars during World War II for domestic service. American Car & Foundry accomplished the conversion of the former 2nd Cyprus into ward-dressing car USA 89033 at their St. Charles, MO facilities. It was scheduled for delivery to the Army on 03 December 1943 and for subsequent shipment to the New York Port of Embarkation. Official Army records indicates an additional $24,462 was spent on the conversion plus $4,581.65 to add a kitchenette for a total cost of $58,543.65. It was further modified (again by ACF) later in the war by removing two tiers of bunks for the installation of a buffet kitchen. In 1946 all of the converted ward cars and ward-dressing cars were completely gutted and refitted to serve as mortuary cars. Windows were covered with sheet steel, special locks installed in all doors, and all were fit with racks for caskets and a full-length overhead I-beam with a rolling chain hoist. USA 89033 was one of 26 former ward-dressing cars still on the Army roster in the mortuary configuration and available for service in 1950 at the outbreak of the Korean War. That is the last definite information available on the former 2nd Cyprus. A few of these cars were used on various military posts for local purposes, including the Army Transportation Center (Ft. Eustis, VA) and the Crane Naval Weapons Station (Crane, IN). Most have been sold and cut up for scrap. But there is always a chance it is sitting on a forgotten siding on some Army post.
"Cyprus" (second)
