ACL's two 4 Roomette, 5 Dbl. Br, 1 Comptmt., 4 sec. sleepers "Camellia" and "Gardenia" (built for the DIXIELAND in 1954) were renamed by SCL as "Everglades" and "Okefenokee" repectively. Assuming they received full SCL lettering and round heralds, can anyone tell me what style lettering was used on the new nameboards. Was it the same as the earlier ACL? Thanks!

-- Bob Venditti (bobvend@bellsouth.net), November 14, 1999

Answers

As an aside, I delivered both of these cars to NdeM at laredo, Texas in 1981 or 82. They had been bought from Amtrak by Anbel Corporation and refurbished ( Mexicanixed) in the former Lehigh Valley shops at Sayre, PA. I rode them from Sayre to Laredo and turned them over to N de M officials. They had been painted dark green. I'm not sure if they still exist. They were part of an order of 9 cars built for The Dixieland in 1954. 7 of them went to Mexico, including the Florida Surf, which I owned from 1972-1980. The remaining 2 cars, FEC's Jamaica and Scott M. Loftin (now named Florida Sunrise) are at Tampa Union Station. I own the Fla Sunrise.

-- Jim Herron (hrvideo@mindspring.com), June 24, 2000.

All SCL passenger cars,lettered as such, had slanted letters in the nameboard,with car name or number in block letters.

-- Joseph Oates (jlosal@gte.net), November 18, 1999.

Good question,Bob. I, like Larry,don't know if they were ever lettered SCL.It did start me thinking.I remember seeing SCL lettering on LW as well as HW cars that was slanted,not block type.Guess I'll have to start looking to make sure I'm right.

-- Joseph Oates (jlosal@gte.net), November 15, 1999.

Bob - based on SCL practice as per all photos I recall seeing of other SCL-relettered lightweight cars, I assume the car names would have been in ACL's extended Gothic. On many SCL cars the font was not the super-extended style, as used on ACL cars as delivered, but a condensed version so as to fit onto the nameboard.

I don't know for certain if the 5-1-4-4s were ever relettered for SCL. One photo shows Okefenokee, renamed (with the name in ACL Gothic) but still with ACL on the letterboard. (This also happened with the ex-SAL Sun Lounges, which were quickly renamed from the Beach to the Sun series but still carried SEABOARD on the letterboard for some time.)

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), November 15, 1999.