"Cuyamaca"
Built in 1908, by the McKeen Motor Car Company in Omaha, Nebraska, the San Diego Destined “Cuyamaca” was the 31st railcar built by William McKeen Jr. in cooperation with E.H. Harriman, President of the Union Pacific.
William McKeen and his experimentation, funded by Harriman, strongly influenced Harriman’s “Common Standard” which was developed to make the Harriman controlled railroads more efficient. McKeen’s work in the big picture includes popularizing all Steel Construction, Semi-Monocoque railcar design, Internal Combustion, the Removal of the Clerestory, as well as other features like Drop Center Vestibules.
2 McKeen Motor Cars survive from the original 152 or so built, and our car, being the oldest, is even more special on it’s own. We are producing a Youtube/Patreon Series to build confidence with our viewers, and encourage donation to a large undertaking.
How you can Help
Sharing our Project with your friends, Donating, and Following our Project on Patreon, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram are the best ways to help.
We are a Certified 501c3 Non-Profit Organization with the IRS.
EIN 81-3144870.
As a result, Donations are 50% Tax Deductible.
100% of Donations go to either of our 2 projects, the Restoration of the McKeen Car “Cuyamaca” or the Preservation of the Southern Pacific McKeen Trailer Car T-16.”
We helped produce this video, and goes over much of the major points regarding the innovation and history of the McKeen Motor Cars.