New York Central Sleeping Car Company (Signed by Webster Wagner)

Product Details

Historical Context

The New York Central Sleeping Car Company, founded in 1858 in New York City by Webster Wagner (1817-1882) in cooperation with Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, whose New York Central was the primary user of the four original coaches.

Wagner learned the wagon-making trade from his elder brother, with whom he formed a partnership. When that business failed, he become a station agent for the NYC in his home town of Palatine Bridge, New York, where he apparently came to the attention of the Commodore.

In 1869, the Gates Sleeping Car Company was absorbed and the firm reorganized as the Wagner Palace Car Company. Gates had been one of the earliest -- if not the earliest -- of the sleeping car companies. Its bunk-type cars had been in operation on the Lake Shore Railroad as early as 1858.

About 1870 Wagner negotiated a deal with Pullman to use its berths in the Wagner cars, with the understanding Wagner would confine its operations to the NYC. But in 1875, when Pullman’s contract with the Michigan Central (a NYC subsidiary) expired, Wagner persuaded them to switch to Wagner cars. Pullman sued. The suit went to court and testimony was taken until it became clear there was a great similarity between the seats in question and those used in 1843 by the Erie Railroad, at which point the suit was suddenly settled out-of-court.

Webster Wagner died in 1882 aboard one of his own sleeping cars in a terrible rear-end collision. The company nevertheless continued doing business, and in 1888 was in court again with Pullman, this time for having allegedly infringing Pullman’s vestibule patents. This time Pullman clearly won.

The Wagner Palace Car Company was one of the largest employers in Buffalo, New York in 1890. The factory was located at 1770 Broadway out at the east end of Broadway near Bailey. In addition to brass finishers, the company employed blacksmiths, car builders, carpenters, carvers, marble finishers, steamfitters and even a storekeeper. Most of these workers lived on the East Side of Buffalo.

The battles between Pullman and Wagner continued until, at the end of 1899, following Commodore Vanderbilt’s death, the directors of the Wagner Palace Car Company pulled the plug, and the company was sold to Pullman.

Webster Wagner

Webster Wagner was born near Palatine Bridge, New York. He developed a wagon-making business with his brother James. The business had folded by 1842, largely due to the Panic of 1837. After serving as an employee for the New York Central Railroad, Wagner invented the sleeping car and luxurious parlor car. He also perfected a system of ventilating railroad cars. His inventions were first used on the New York Central system and later spread to other lines. He founded the Wagner Palace Car Company, located in Buffalo, New York. Several legal battles with the Pullman Company hurt Wagner's business and he eventually sold out to Pullman.

He was married to Susan Davis, and they had five children.

He was a Republican member of the New York State Assembly (Montgomery Co.) in 1871; and of the New York State Senate from 1872 until his death, sitting in the 95th, 96th, 97th, 98th, 99th, 100th, 101st, 102nd, 103rd, 104th and 105th New York State Legislatures. He was killed in a rail accident while returning from Albany to New York City when two trains of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad collided in between the Kingsbridge and Spuyten Duyvil stations in The Bronx, two weeks into his sixth Senate term, on January 13, 1882.

The Webster Wagner House at Palatine Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

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