Railbus Plans

Discussion on the Diamond & Caldor Railway Tally Ho Railbus No. 10 has centered around the time period we select for the focus of our restoration. In 40 years of service to four railroads, the railbus has gone through three major configurations.

D&C master mechanic Arlie Smith built it in 1929 with no roof or projection from the elements (see photos from Ferrell's book below). Smith later added a steel roof, enclosed engineer's station and added fabric sides for inclement weather.

After Hal Wilmunder purchased it in the early 1950s, he first operated it on his private Antelope & Western Railroad at his Antelope, California home. He later used on the Camino, Cable and Northern Railroad in Camino, California from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. Wilmunder enclosed the sides and moved the entrance to the rear.

The railbus served back east during the late 1970s and through the 1980s. I believe it was with the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad Historical Society. They purchased the railbus from Wilmunder.

Dale Mace and Keith Berry discuss their approach to restoration of the railbus. We plan to restore the Tally Ho to its second major configuration. As much as possible, the El Dorado Western plans to restore the railbus to the configuration in the lower photographs. This is a page out of El Dorado Narrow Gauge: The Diamond & Caldor Railway, by Mallory Hope Ferrell (Pacific Fast Mail: Edmonds, Wash., 1990).

Keith and Dale have already began to make cut marks for Dale's welding torch. The remains of Wilmunder's CC&N logo is still visible.