Collinsville Inn - restoration and revival -

Collinsville Inn - Restoration and Revival, which was first published in June 2016, is about the history and restoration of DCNRHS’ 1949 Budd Company-built rail passenger coach Collinsville Inn. The car was restored and returned to the main lines of America last year through the efforts of our dedicated volunteers and supporters. The book is 8” by 11”, with 43 pages including 36 photographs plus drawings and other artifacts, printed in full-color, and available in both hardcover and softcover. The book actually tells two stories interwoven. The first covers the history and operation from when the car was first built by the Budd Company in 1949 as a sleeper, reconstruction by the Pennsylvania Railroad as a coach for the 1964 World’s Fair, and later service on commuter railroads in Michigan, New York, and Maryland until retired. Included are original 1949 and 1963 floorplans, pictures from the car’s operation on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and photos in Southeast Michigan Transportation livery and finally in MARC colors. Relevant ephemera from the World’s Fair and a Budd Company advertisement are also included. The second story details DCNRHS’ acquisition of the car and takes the reader through the restoration. This includes pictures of volunteers working on the restoration, provides a list of those volunteers and supporters who made the project happen, shows before and after photos of the car, and includes images and information from operations in 2015 in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. The author, DCNRHS Member James W. (Jim) Lilly, wrote it as a tribute to the generosity of DCNRHS’ men and women volunteers and donors, past and present, and says “The book is ultimately a tribute to their generosity, spirit, service, and talent.” The book captures the history of the car and shows how it takes both money and people to make a project like this successful. 100% of the net proceeds from the book will go to DCNRHS’ programs.