Restoring Pheobe’s coach.
A new chapter for a historic railcar at Buffalo’s DL&W terminal.
Tucked away on a stretch of track just 50 miles from Buffalo, NY, is an important piece of rail history that was nearly lost. Once part of the DL&W’s flagship passenger fleet, the vintage coach car pictured here was vandalized, burned, and slated for scrap. But thanks to a shared vision and a bit of luck, it’s now on track to become part of the DL&W rehabilitation project at Buffalo’s waterfront.
From Pullman to Phoebe Snow
Built by Pullman Company in 1949, the car was one of 25 coaches ordered by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad to modernize its postwar service. These steel-bodied coaches ran on all of the railroad’s named trains, including the legendary Phoebe Snow, connecting Buffalo to Hoboken in comfort and style. After surviving the Erie Lackawanna merger and a stint in New York City commuter service (and a few other interesting stops along the way that we’ll share in the future), the car ended up in the care of the Medina Railroad Museum. There it remained unused and unrestored until it was purchased by Savarino DL&W Development LLC.
An interior of the original DL&W rail car, now dubbed Phoebe’s Coach, being restored for use at the DL&W project in Buffalo.
Phoebe’s Coach returns to Buffalo’s DL&W
Today, the same car begins its journey toward new life at its original home: Buffalo’s DL&W terminal. Now affectionately called Phoebe’s Coach, the car was acquired in October 2024, just in time to save it from the scrapyard.
Phoebe’s Car will be restored, lifted to the terminal’s second floor, and put to use as a static structure that has not yet been determined (perhaps as a sound booth, green room, or outdoor bar to support the project’s future as a hub for live music, outdoor events, and a public space for everyday gathering).
“It is rare to find rolling stock that can be certified as belonging to the Lackawanna Railroad,” said Cody Catlin, Conductor and member of the Car Department at the Medina Railroad Museum. “This car was vandalized several years ago and is in bad condition. It was slated to be scrapped. We are very excited to know that it will be restored and put to use at its true home: the DL&W terminal in Buffalo.”
An interior view of a Club Car in use on the Phoebe Snow rail line; Library of Congress.
A symbol of renewal at the Buffalo waterfront
Though a fire destroyed the unit’s original interior, the car’s frame and body panels remain structurally sound. With the windows replaced and the interior cleaned, Phoebe’s Coach will support creative reuse.
An image to provide inspiration for use of a refurbished rail car from our partners at Local Projects.
The care and effort required to restore Phoebe’s Coach mirror the larger work happening at the DL&W project itself. The long-dormant train sheds that once hummed with activity are being carefully repurposed, with plans to reopen the building in 2027 as a public market and entertainment venue.
While the first floor will host the final stop of the NFTA’s Metro Rail line, the second floor will come to life with a food hall, pocket grocery store, local retail, a waterfront restaurant, and flexible space for indoor and outdoor live music, not to mention a rich calendar of free and ticketed programming. (Learn more about the project’s progress here.)
Like the terminal it once served, Phoebe’s Coach has weathered neglect and near-demolition. Its return to Buffalo is more than symbolic, it’s a signal that history still has a role to play in the future of entertainment and public life on the waterfront.
Stay tuned for updates on Phoebe’s Coach and to learn more about the creative ideas Savarino’s team and consulting partners have planned for the project.
