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The "Loretto II" Restoration Project
Background
"Charles Schwab's father, so the story goes, owned a livery stable at Cresson Springs, Pennsylvania, and sometimes rented horses to Andrew Carnegie, the founder of the Carnegie Company. During one of these visits, Carnegie heard Charles Schwab, who was then a young boy, singing. "When that boy of yours is ready to look for a job, you bring him to me," Carnegie supposedly told Schwab's father....Schwab's star rose quickly after his initial entry into the Carnegie Company. Within six months of being hired at the Edgar Thompson Steel Works--which was then the largest steel mill in America-- Schwab became its acting chief engineer. And within twenty years of his hiring, Schwab would be president of the Carnegie Company.....
...Charles Schwab, who first publicly proposed the concept of creating a new company by merger of two existing industry leaders....suggested that the public interest would be served by a strategic alliance between the Morgan and Carnegie interests. J.P. Morgan, who was in attendance, apparently saw the consummation of such a deal as an easy way to save face and acted upon the suggestion. The new company, United States Steel Corporation, would actually be a holding company which controlled 213 steel mills and transportation companies.... The (original) "Loretto" was ordered just a few short months after Schwab was named-- at the youthful age of 35-- as the first president of the newly-created corporation....Schwab took delivery of the (original) "Loretto" on March 15, 1902. He named the car after a town in Pennsylvania; though Loretto was not his birthplace, he had lived there since the age of five, and apparently considered it his home town. The car, built to Pullman 1735, Revision E, and designated lot number 2773, carried a price tag of about $40,000....In 1917, Schwab purchased a new car....Upon its arrival, the name "Loretto" was transferred to the new car; the 1902 car was renamed the "Bethlehem" to honor the headquarters town of Bethlehem Steel..." The original "Loretto" is currently at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. (information via The North Carolina Transportation Museum website at http://www.ci.salisbury.nc.us/nctrans/cars/10info.htm)
The new private railroad car, "Loretto (II)" was built in 1917 for steel tycoon Charles M. Schwab by the Pullman Company at an original cost of $150,000. It is 83 feet long, weighs 80 tons, is fully furnished, and includes a private dining room, sitting room, galley, and servant's area. The luxury car has marble baths, mahogany, and walnut inlays, and the original fixtures. The original furniture is intact. The interior had never been painted or altered.
Charles M. Schwab used the car frequently to travel between Loretto, PA and New York in the first half of the 20th Century. Prior to 1975, the car had been a part of the McGee Transportation Museum in Bloomsburg, PA. In 1975, Mr. Denny J. Bixler, Vice President and General Manager of Blair County Broadcasting saw an advertisement about the car in an issue of the Wall Street Journal and began checking on the situation.
Mr. Bixler felt that the railroad car had a special significance to the Altoona area because of the city's proud railroad past and the prominence of Charles M. Schwab in the area. He was interested in trying to "round up" $16,000 to buy the museum piece and to make Altoona its permanent home.
After Mr. Bixler and Mr. Fred L. Deichert, advertising manager of Gable's Department Store, assisted presented the bank handling the sale with a $3200 note, signed by the Railroaders Memorial Museum, Inc, backed by Miss Sherry D'george. to hold the car until a public solicitation effort raised the necessary money. An additional $9500 was required to move the car to Altoona.
Mr. Bixler pledged the support of his radio station, WVAM, for promotion of the solicitation of the $25,000.
continuing....
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Loretto History data from Magee Transportation Museum, Bloomsburg, PA. Altoona Railroader's Memorial Museum purchased Loretto from Magee following dormancy of Magee Museum after Hurricane Agnes of 1972, and subsequent death of Mr. Magee (Magee Carpet Mills). David Seidel Collection |
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4-5-75 Altoona Mirror Article "$150,000 Schwab Rail Car on Sale at $16,000" David Seidel Collection |
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4-5-75 Altoona Mirror Article "Local Group puts 'Hold' on Rail Car." David Seidel Collection |  |
Part 2 of the 4-5-75 Altoona Mirror Article "Local Group puts 'Hold' on Rail Car." David Seidel Collection |
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4-5-75 Altoona Mirror Article "All Aboard Because the Loretto is Coming Home" David Seidel Collection |  |
Part 2 of the 4-5-75 Altoona Mirror Article "All Aboard Because the Loretto is Coming Home" David Seidel Collection |
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4-10-75 Altoona Mirror Article "Loretto in Top Shape says Pennsy Retiree". David Seidel Collection |  |
Editorial in the 4-10-75 Altoona Mirror "Task isn't Raising Money, But the Car." David Seidel Collection |
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Altoona Mirror photo. 4-10-75. David Seidel Collection |  |
Altoona Mirror photo. 4-10-75. David Seidel Collection |
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Side A of a LORETTO fund-raising brochure. David Seidel Collection |  |
Side B of a LORETTO fund-raising brochure. David Seidel Collection |
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Editorial in the 4-9-75 Altoona Mirror. David Seidel Collection |  |
"Radio Marathon to Raise Money for Loretto"
part 1 Article in the 4-17-75 Altoona Mirror. David Seidel Collection |
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"Radio Marathon to Raise Money for Loretto"
part 2 Article in the 4-17-75 Altoona Mirror. David Seidel Collection |
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"Radio Marathon to Raise Money for Loretto"
part 3 Article in the 4-17-75 Altoona Mirror. David Seidel Collection |
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"Radio Marathon to Raise Money for Loretto"
part 4 Article in the 4-17-75 Altoona Mirror. David Seidel Collection |
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Thank you to the Altoona Mirror for allowing the use of their news articles and photographs.
For Further Information on The Loretto, The Loretto (II), and Charles Schwab, please visit:
The North Carolina Transportation Museum website at http://www.ci.salisbury.nc.us/nctrans/cars/10info.htm
NRHS and its
logo are trademarks of the National Railway Historical Society
Railfest is a
trademark of Railroaders Memorial Museum, Inc.
The logo for the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum is a trademark of the Railroaders Memorial Museum, Inc.
Photographs
are by Chris Behe unless otherwise noted.
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