La Cuesta
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See the sign in English & Spanish: click here.
La Cuesta, formerly known as La Condesa, a 1926 Pullman observation open platform car was donated to the museum by member Gordon Crosthwait in June of 2006. Formerly Santa Fe no. 1512, it was one of five cars built as cafe-observation cars. As far as we know the car continued in this configuration for it's entire service life. La Condesa was purchased around 1966 by Finley Fun Time Tours and sold to Gordon Crosthwait, a school teacher from Los Osos, in 1969. He renamed her La Condesa and, for nearly 20 years, she was a private excursion car leased to charter groups. The car was first based in Fresno and then later moved to Fullerton near the Amtrak Station. She slipped into semi-retirement in the early 1990s when Amtrak issued its new private car standards. In June 2006, Mr. Crosthwait donated the car to the Railroad Museum. In February 2007 he passed away, knowing that he had found a loving home for his car. The car was then moved in 2007 to Santa Maria Valley Railroad until the museum could finish its display track as a long term home. In Santa Maria, the car was used by the SMVRR as a business car and museum members worked on rehabilitating the car. In June of 2014 the car was moved to the museum's display track in San Luis Obispo, where it now sits adjacent to the Museum platform and is available for viewing.
1926: Built by Pullman Car Company for AT&SF as Caf /Observation car #1512
1950s: Modernized by AT&SF
1966: Purchased by Finley Fun Time Tours and renamed "La Margarita del Oro"
1969: Purchased by Gordon Crosthwait of Los Osos and renamed "La Condesa" and used as a chartered private excursion car
1990s: Slipped into semi-retirement due to new Amtrak private car standards
2006: Donated to SLORRM
2007: Moved to Santa Maria Valley Railroad and used as a railroad business car
2014: Moved to the Museum display track in San Luis Obispo
2015: Car is christened "La Cuesta" on SLO Train Day
In Sacramento.
More information about La Cuesta's history and mechanical systems is in this history summary.
In Oakland.
Other related pages:
May 22, 2014: La Condesa moved to the Museum
June 28, 2014: Member Wine Reception
November 19, 2014: Renovation update
November 22, 2014: On the Friends' Tour
May 9, 2015: The car is christened "La Cuesta" on SLO Train Day
Not long after it arrived at the SLO Railroad Museum in 2014.
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