Rail Car Grand Isle facts for kids
The Rail Car "Grand Isle" is a special train car that used to be a private luxury vehicle. It was part of the Rutland Railroad and later the Central Vermont Railway. This happened between 1899 and 1959. Today, you can visit the Grand Isle at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont. It's now a cool exhibit for everyone to see!
The "Grand Isle" Rail Car
A Special Train Car
The Grand Isle rail car was built in April 1899. It was made by the Wagner Palace Car Co. This company built fancy train cars. The car was made for Dr. William Seward Webb. He was the president of the Wagner Palace Car Company at the time. The Grand Isle was first known as Rutland RR 500.
Dr. Webb was a doctor, but his father-in-law, William Henry Vanderbilt, asked him to work in the railroad business instead. Dr. Webb became the president of the Rutland Railroad from 1902 to 1905. He lived in Shelburne, Vermont, for part of the year. From there, he could easily travel to New York City using his private train cars. The Grand Isle was one of several special cars Dr. Webb owned.
From Luxury to Museum Exhibit
The Grand Isle was a very fancy car. It had a parlor with mahogany wood panels. It also had an elegant dining room and private bedrooms. These luxurious features showed how important railroad leaders and rich business people were back then.
Later, Dr. Webb gave the Grand Isle to Edward Curtis Smith. He was a former governor of Vermont and president of the Central Vermont Railway.
When the Shelburne Museum bought the Grand Isle in 1960, it looked different. Its beautiful wood panels had been painted over. Many of its original fancy parts were gone. It had been changed to be used as a business car.
Dr. Webb's grandson, J. Watson Webb Jr., helped fix up the car. He made sure it looked like it did during its luxurious past. This helped remember his family's important role in the railroad world.
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