QUICK FACTS

Model: baggage car
Built: February 1961
Builder: ACF Industries, Berwick, PA
Past Railroad Owners: Union Pacific, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Current Owner: TOYX, Inc.

Baggage car No. 1701 was built in February of 1961 by ACF Industries as Union Pacific baggage-messenger car No. 6304. This six-axle car was one of the last passenger cars built with six-wheel trucks in the United States (ACF lot 12-5529, reference section 3151). It was used throughout the Union Pacific system for baggage and parcel service on passenger trains until 1975. In that year, the car was withdrawn from passenger service and placed into work train service, renumbered as Union Pacific No. 904807.

In 1995, the car was acquired by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, renumbered to RBBX No. 60017, and reconfigured to transport elephants between shows. The car was extensively rebuilt, with all of the exterior steel “skin” replaced with aluminum to prevent rust. It was later adopted for horse transportation before the retirement of the entire Ringling Brothers railcar fleet in 2016. The No. 60017 was donated to the Dining Car Society in 2017 and was transported to Scranton, Pennsylvania. The car was moved to Port Jervis, New York on April 21, 2022 and was renumbered to TOYX No. 1701 in 2023.

The No. 1701 is used for toy capacity on Operation Toy Train’s annual Toys for Tots collection train, and work has already begun to renovate the interior for toy service. On December 15, 2024, the car was named “Jack W. Pellington” in recognition of one of Operation Toy Train’s most instrumental original volunteers.