The Quebec - Rosenberg, TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 29° 33.623 W 095° 48.465
15R E 227957 N 3273363
The Quebec is a 1879 railcar. It has three bedrooms with a dining room on one end, and a parlor/office on the other. Each end of the car has an observation deck, which is a rare feature for a business car.
Waymark Code: WMVQAJ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 05/17/2017
Views: 10
Rosenberg Museum
The Quebec was built in 1879 by Northern Railway of Canada for use as a passenger coach until it was bought by the Canadian government in 1922. The car itself was originally constructed entirely of wood, a practice that is no longer allowed, due to safety concerns. After the Canadian government purchased the Quebec for use as a business car, the entire structure was reinforced with steel plating, and the layout of the car was changed from a passenger car to that of a business car.
In 1962, after 86 years of riding the rails, and nearly 40 years of serving as an official government business car, carrying prime ministers and dignitaries across Canada, the Quebec was retired to a rail yard in Winnipeg and scheduled for demolition.
On the very day Quebec was laid on her side to be burned, she was discovered by American rail enthusiast Arthur E. LaSalle. After pleading with officials in Canada, he managed to purchase the Quebec for $1,500. She was flipped back onto her trucks, and shipped via rail to LaSalle's hometown in North Carolina, where LaSalle used it as an office.
By 1964, Quebec was moved to Florida as part of a railroad exhibit there. In 1972, she was sold to a park in New Mexico as the centerpiece of a planned museum in Carlsbad, which never materialized. Ironically, on her trip from Florida to New Mexico, Quebec passed through Rosenberg on the BNSF line, going past what is now the location of the Rosenberg Railroad Museum. Due to a lack of security during her time in New Mexico, Quebec was badly vandalized.
In 1981, she was purchased by the George Ranch Historical Park in Richmond, Texas. However, the George Ranch never followed through on plans to display the Quebec, and in 1993, they decided to auction her off. At that time, the Quebec was purchased by the Rosenberg Railroad Museum as one of our first artifacts. She was restored to the full glory of a late 19th century business car, and opened to the public on 6 June 2009.
Museum hours:
Wednesday - Saturday 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Sunday 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.