Pullman sleeper AL 1040
AL 1040 was built in 1901 to the design of the Pullman Palace Car Co. for use on overnight mail trains throughout NSW. In the 1930s it was converted to a mobile dental clinic and carried on in this service until an onboard fire in the 1960s. Restoration commenced in earnest in 2002, to restore the carriage to original condition.
The restoration of AL 1040 has been a remarkable achievement, thanks to a handful of volunteers headed by project leader Bob Hall. Very little photographic evidence has survived of the AL sleepers, requiring painstaking research over many years. With most of the carriage’s original fittings removed in its 1930s rebuild, the 1040 team have turned to modern solutions, including manufacturing replicas of the pressed metal ceilings in fibreglass and producing some of the old brass fittings with 3D-printed designs.
AL 1040 offers visitors an experience that few, if any, other museums in the world can boast: the chance to look through an original Pullman sleeping car, as it would have looked when delivered over 120 years ago.
Major achievements thus far include:
- A near-complete reconstruction of the original interior
- Manufacture of new end handrails for the north balcony
- Reproduction etched crown lights
- Two THNSW grants to help with the upholstering of seats
- Gold scrollwork applied to the exterior of the car
- Replica Bunks in men’s compartment manufactured and installed
Future tasks include:
- Reinstating the original canvas roof covering
- Completing the upholstery
- Replicating original washroom fittings
- Reconditioning and overhauling the bogies
