There are a number of former ACL and SAL Office cars on static dispaly. Does anyone know the history of the one at Fernandina Beach at the old SAL station and the one in Jacksonville at the convention center? Is there one on static dispaly in Tallahassee, Florida? Are there any others?

-- Dick Kearns (rhenryk3@att.net), June 03, 2000

Answers

There is no office car on display in Tallahassee, FL.

-- Riley Kinney (rkinney@admin.fsu.edu), March 12, 2001.

The South Carolina RR museum at Rockton has a Business car with SCL letterboard in its collection.Unfortunately,most of their equip- ment on display(including the SCL car) is in poor condition.

-- Paul Coe (paul_coe@yahoo.com), March 11, 2001.

Dick, the car at Fernandina Beach came from the Clinchfield, and I think was their "White Oak" although I would have to unearth some notes at home to be sure I am remembering that correctly. As for the car at the convention center in Jax, I have asked several times and have been told no one is quite sure of the history. It was in MofW service when donated. I may remember hearing that the observation platform was added when it was donated but again am not sure from memory.

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), June 05, 2000.

In response to Mr Hanson's post, I believe "Superb" carried SCL#301 but was numbered 101 during it's ACL & C&WC days. It is open as an exhibit at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth.

Additionally, the museum is home to ACL office car #307 also on display.

-- Randy Pirkle (Rpirkle1@bellsouth.net), June 04, 2000.

ACL 304 exists, and can be seen, but is not necessarily "on display" next to an animal hospital in Morrow, GA. This was originally a Wilmington & Weldon car, built around 1894.

ACL 301, a former C&WC business car, is owned by the Atlanta Chapter, NRHS, and is being restored to its Pullman PV identity "Superb" (the identity it had prior to being purchased by the C&WC. This car is at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, GA.

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), June 04, 2000.

The Fort Myers Historical Museum (located in the ACL depot)has the ESPERANZA on display. The car was built in the late 1920's for a private owner, with the name ALICIA. It was sold to another private owner and renamed ESPERANZA, resold and renamed the HELMA. It then went to the West India Fruit and Steamship Company as the SEA LEVEL II, to the Seaboard Air Line as the MIAMI, to the SCL as MIAMI. It was on the campus of Florida Southern University as MIAMI, then came to Fort Myers as the ESPERANZA once again. Sorry I cant give dates or owners names.

-- Bill Donahue (BillD53A@aol.com), June 04, 2000.