Telescope Disc Flatcar

New York Central S-499010 Telescope Disc flatcar. Corning Glass Works of Corning, New York produced a 200-inch diameter Pyrex glass disc for the Palomar telescope in California. The train used to transport the disc across country was known as the Glass Train. A special railroad car was built to safely transport it. The disc was padded with rubber sheets, encased in steel and transported upright for the trip west. Travel time was more than two weeks, as the train only traveled in daylight at no more than 25 miles per hour. The disc arrived in Pasadena, California on April 10, 1936. The O-gauge model above was built by D. Schwabe, using a Kusan drop center flatcar as a base.