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COURTESY TOM MCCARTHY
Kauila No. 6 was the first locomotive purchased and used by Oahu Railway & Land Co. The coal burner was built in 1889 by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia.
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Ben Dillingham, founder of Oahu Railway & Land Co., built Parlor Car No. 64 in 1900 for his personal use. With a price tag of nearly $4,400, it was the company’s showpiece. Fluted awnings and ornate iron grillwork adorned the double-size rear observation platform. The interior was constructed of gleaming oak, mahogany and bird’s-eye maple.
Amenities included a galley, lavatory and cushioned chairs. Among the dignitaries who rode in the car were Secretary of War William Taft and Alice Roosevelt, the eldest child of President Theodore Roosevelt. They were Dillingham’s guests in July 1905, five years before Taft was elected president.
Car No. 64 was cosmetically restored around 1959 for display at the newly opened Ala Moana Center. When the second phase of Ala Moana was built in 1966, the car was moved to Pier 40.
From 1967 to 1976, Car No. 64 was at Bishop Museum, where it was displayed outdoors with a locomotive (No. 12) and a regular passenger car (No. 2). The locomotive and coach were moved from the museum to an ammunition storage facility at Lualualei in 1976, then to HRS’ train yard in 1978.
Car No. 64 remained at Bishop Museum until 1985, when HRS acquired it. The car underwent a $12,000 restoration between 1983 and 1994 (minor work was done when it was still at the museum).
Locomotives Nos. 6 and 12 and Car No. 64 were placed on the State Register of Historic Places on Sept. 28, 1992. Nos. 6 and 12 have been cosmetically restored and are on display at Hawaiian Railway. Coach No. 2 is awaiting restoration.