Recently, I purchased an old issue of the TRAIN SHED CYCLOPEDIA (#42) from Newton K. Gregg(publishing) it is a selection from the 1919 Car Builders Dictionary and Cyclopedia (9th);Roy V. Bright,ed. Simons-Boardman Publising.
Fig 333 was a photo of an 85’ steel passenger car, buildr was Barney and Smith Car Co. The car was lettered for the American Baptist Publication Society (GRACE(?)) and fig. 334 was an interior shot of a car belonging to the Catholic Church Extention Society.
I was blown away in all my years of modeling, reading and railfanning, I had never seen or heard of this aspect of the American experience regarding trains, railroading and religion. I thought that this topic would be worthy of linking here.
Hereis a link to a lengthy article about the Chapel Cars in America:
On the golf course you can see a chapel car “Grace” – I have not seen it in years but it was a stunning sight to come across it during a golf round. And by the way in keeping with the ownership of the course and nearby resort and conference center – no alcohol is served at the club house. But they have great sandwiches. Anyone interested in chapel cars, golf, fishing, and relaxation (and contemplation and Baptist worship of course) should check out the Baptist Assembly.
There was at least one article in Trains about 10 - 20 years ago on this kind of car. Unfortunately, I can’t quickly find it in the “Index to Magazines” this morning. I’ll keep looking - either there or in my stack of copies - have patience. In the meantime, I did find the articles below. There’s a fair chance I have the 1st 2 issues of the NMRA Bulletin, too.
Francis Clement Kelley (1870-1948), Bishop of Oklahoma and founder of the Catholic Church Extension Society of the United States, wrote
“From the crowd a picture came, in a flash of memory, of my first visit to Chicago, in the year of my ordination, eighteen ninety-three. I had gone there to catch a glimpse of the World’s Fair before receiving an appointment. From one World’s Fair came the flash of another, St . Louis. The crowd again, and then, something I had seen—a car, a Chapel Car in the railroad exhibit placed there by a Baptist missionary society. I had examined that car, and remembered talking with some man about it. That man had the history of Chapel Cars at his fingers’ ends. The original Chapel Car, he said, was that of Pius IX. It was used on the Pope’s train when he traveled about the Papal States. The Russians put the idea to missionary use on the Trans-Siberian Railroad. An American Bishop of the Anglican Church—Walker, I think was his name—saw this Chapel Car in Siberia, and had one built like it for his work in Minnesota. He called it “The Cathedral Car.” John D. Rockefeller took over the idea for the Baptists. The Anglican car was never a success, but a Baptist fleet of cars was. I remembered thinking at the time what excellent work could be done in scattered places along the railroad lines with a Catholic Chapel Car.”
I think I have heard of Chapel cars on trolley lines, especially those which would be in line to carry funeral mourners from a downtown church or funeral parlor to a more remote cemetary, the casket being in the baggage compartment of the car or an adjoining car. Sometimes these cars were just made up for the occasion, too.
Thanks for the links. As reviously mentioned, I had never heard of this particular type of car or how they operated. It is facinating to read of their place and role in the growth of the railroads and the country as it moved west and south. Rev. Walrath’s account is very illuminating as to how these cars were operated, funded and moved about the various railroads.
I wondered how the expenses for transport were worked out and this was explained (in part) in this clip out of the Reverend’s story;
GOD RIDES THE RAILS CHAPEL CARS ON THE NATIONS RAILROADS
by The Rev. Harry R. Walrath, M. Div
"…The story of free travel for Chapel Cars is best seen in the arrangement made for the Baptist cars. First, many members of the Syndicate were connected with the railroads. Though, “there was neither promise nor mention of the fact that their influence would assure passage.” Uncle Boston carefully described how the Chapel Car Evangel would be used and Mr. William Mellen, General manager of the Northern PacificRailroad issued the following order(emphasis mine): “You will pass Mr. Boston W. Smith and one attendant with Chapel Car Evangel over our lines. You will arrange to take the car on any train he desires; you will sidetrack it wherever he wishes. Make it as pleasant for Mr. Smith as you can.” Such an order no doubt accounts for the success of ea
The journal Railroad History has a very long article on the cars and the evolution of the idea for the cars pp. 7-76 Spring 1998
According to the article there were 13 Chapel cars that plied the rails in the U.S. from 1890 to 1946. (There were also a number of earlier churches on wheels but these were regular passenger cars that had been pressed into service). Of the cars specifically built to be churches on wheels Grace and St.Paul survive intact and there are pieces of several others in various churches across the U.S. As of the 1998 article the decaying shell of Messenger of Peace still existed on the Olympic Peninsula.
We recognize, however, that there are some people who cannot appreciate music. Moody could enjoy the words of a song, but he had great difficulty in distinguishing the tune of sacred music from the tune of Yankee Doodle. Some are like the banker who was attending a Wagner concert with a soapmaker. “Every man,” said the banker, “wants to do something outside of his own work.” “Yes,” answered the soapmaker, “I always wanted to be a banker.” “You wouldn’t be a good one. I am a successful banker, but I always wanted to write a book. And now here is this man Wagner who tries his hand at music. Just listen to the stuff. And yet we all know he builds good parlor cars.”
Where did you find that one ? And - so true, so true.
I’m reminded of the following from the ‘‘Quotes of the Month’’ column in the November 1982 Trains, if I recall correctly:
‘‘There are two kinds of people . . . locomotive engineers, and those who want to be !’’ - a lawyer who became a UP engineer, as quoted in the UP’s employee magazine then.
On page 82 of Mr. Rust’s book. Chapter VII Music Department.
I knew this joke was old but I didn’t know it was 105.
It seems that two young men came in from a neighboring town to attend a “show” in the opera house which is very near the Baptist church. Before going to the “show” they visited several saloons, and by eight P.M. were in anything but a gentlemanly condition. Being directed to the opera house, they by mistake got into the Baptist church building. Both structures were large brick buildings near the court house, and they could easily make the mistake when under the influence of liquor. They stayed until the close of the meeting and returned to their homes. When asked the next morning, “How did you like the show?” they replied, “Oh, we have seen better shows in our own town, but the leading lady was a fine singer.”
Yes, Paul. I wonder how many of our contributors know of both Wagner the composer and Wagner the car builder.
I never, of course, rode in one, but I am sure that Barney and Smith’s cars were much more comfortable (and less taxing on the energy of the rider) than Fred Flintstone’s car.
Honus Wagner, veteran Pittsburgh Pirate baseball coach who often is called “the greatest shortstop of them all” will throw the first switch when the Pennsylvania Railroad dedicates “Wagner Tower” at Carnegie, near Pittsburgh today.
At the risk of being verbally beaten up for ‘GRAVE DIGGING’.[#oops]
I have dug around in the FORUM vaults, and found this THREAD in response to a piece in the TRAINSNewswire of this date. (6/17/10).[tup][tup]
It is a story of a $50,000.00 grant from the National Trust for Prservation and The American Express Foundation. Made to the current owners of the Chapel Car ’ Messenger of Peace’ for it’s restoration. They are the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, Washington.
The Chapel Cars were an important adjunct to the movement of society Westward. They are a little known facet of early railroad and trackside life. Many of us were not aware of them or how they functioned about the countryside, being moved from place to place by the graces of concerned railroader and in some cases as a movement paid for by the cars owners. Mostly, it was done by the order of railroad officers and facilitated by their rail workers.
Hope that those that missed the original post will enjoy its resurection.[bow]
Linked here is the website referencing the Baptist Publication Society’s Messenger of Peace Chapel Car:
PROTOTYPE, BL ) |
