Travel in Unparalleled Style on the Chapel Hill Railcar
World class service, beautiful landscapes and luxurious surroundings create an elegant traveling experience unlike any other.
Contact:Jeffrey McClorey, Owner
(513) 706-0264
DeWitt Chapple, Owner
(513) 267-0947
www.chapelhillrail.com
CINCINNATI – The Chapel Hill is the ultimate railcar traveling experience. Whether you desire a short journey to Chicago or a cross-country adventure to San Francisco, the Chapel Hill will deliver you and your guests in unequalled style. Embarking from its home station in Cincinnati, the Chapel Hill takes you where you want to go.
“Traveling by private railcar is a one of a kind event,” says DeWitt Chapple, owner of the Chapel Hill. “While enjoying the gorgeous, never ending landscapes of North America, you are treated to first class service creating a journey you will never forget. The Chapel Hill isn’t just a ‘vacation’ – it’s an experience.”
The Chapel Hill has been completely refurbished to its original, 1920s, pristine condition. Experience the history and tradition of railway travel with authentic touches such as the deep mahogany wood interior, original brass fixtures and vintage railroad china and silver.
Trip rates are customized based on destination choices, duration of travel and any special requests. The Chapel Hill travels throughout the United States including Chicago, Boston, New York City, Miami, Denver, Dallas and Los Angeles, among others. Visit our website at www.chapelhillrail.com to schedule your journey today.
Amenities
Every desire is granted upon the Chapel Hill. Enjoy gourmet meals created by your private chef and served in style by a personal staff. Relax with a cocktail in a leather club chair within the luxurious surroundings of a mahogany paneled observation room.
The Chapel Hill has four bedrooms, sleeping a total of six passengers in comfort. Each bedroom has many luxurious appointments including custom bedcovers, firm mattresses, 600 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and a private window to the world. Each room also has its own private washroom.
While painstakingly preserving the original condition of the railcar, Chapel Hill has also added modern amenities for the sophisticated traveler. The railcar features a GPS tracking system, Sirius satellite radio, flat screen TV and DVD player, and a professionally designed interior.
History
The Chapel Hill was originally built in 1922 for Post Cereals Heiress, Marjorie Merriweather Post, and stock broker and investment banker E.F. Hutton, at the St. Charles, Missouri plant of American Car & Foundry in Lot 9336 to Plan 2081. Originally christened the Hussar, the car was used for company business as well as personal travel between their winter and summer homes and their principal residence in New York.
The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway acquired the car in 1937, and renamed it their Office Car Number 3. Shortly after the car was acquired, a Pullman air-conditioning system, complete with roof ducting, was installed. In 1957, the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) modernized the entire window line. Other exterior changes through the years included roller bearings added to the trucks, a rebuilt open-platform and the service door relocated to the opposite side of the car, across from the kitchen and pantry. The car was updated and modernized, while it remained in active company service into the early 1970s.
DeWitt Chapple, Jr. purchased Office Car 3 from C&O in 1971. Chapple retained the car’s number, but added the name Chapel Hill after his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill.
In 1972, Chapple made his first private car trip aboard the now renamed Chapel Hill to Philadelphia on the rear of the National Limited. Since then he has accumulated over 250,000 miles aboard the Chapel Hill both in the United States and Canada.
The Chapel Hill has the distinction of being one of three private cars in attendance at the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners (AAPRCO) first private car convention in Chicago in 1978. DeWitt Chapple was also a founding member of AAPRCO and has served as its president for the maximum allowable term in 2004 and 2005. DeWitt has attended all 28 annual AAPRCO conventions since its inception, and the Chapel Hill has attended 25 of 28 AAPRCO conventions.
In 2005, Chapple was joined by partners Jeffrey and Tracy McClorey.
“We are proud to be associated with both DeWitt and the Chapel Hill, and respect the history and tradition of this railcar,” says Jeffrey McClorey, partner. “We look forward to maintaining its status as one of the finest private railcars in the fleet.”
The Chapel Hill continues its travels throughout the United States today logging thousands of miles annually.
For more information visit the Chapel Hill website, www.chapelhillrail.com.
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