I understand that the Central at one time had a dome car. I remember seeing a large scale model of it at the Southeastern Railway Museum when they were at their old location with the North Georgia Live Steamers. I think I remember the gentleman who built it telling me that the Central's dome car was an ex-Wabash car. Does anyone have any more info on this car? (Like when it was aquired, why it was aquired, what train it was used on, and what happened to it.) Thanks Richard

-- Richard Cole Jr. (raracole@prodigy.net), May 25, 2001

Answers

Dome-parlor #1602 was purchased from Pullman-Std. by Wabash in order to increase parlor seating on the streamliner Blue Bird, operating between St. Louis and Chicago. Dome-coach #1613 was also purchased from P-S as part of the consist of the UP-Wabash City of St.Louis, between St.Louis and Los Angeles.

-- Paul Coe (paul_coe!@yahoo.com), October 15, 2002.

http://trainweb.org/web_lurker/CofGCentralofGeorgia

-- web_lurker (web_lurker@webtv.net), June 06, 2002.

A correction... it was the 1613 and not the 1602 that was used on the Asheville train... though 1602 did see some use later on when the Southern ran fall folliage excursions between Asheville and Old Fort.

-- Jerry M. LaBoda (jmlaboda@yahoo.com), August 25, 2001.

According to the February, 1968, issue of "Ties" (The Southern Railway System Magazine), the dome made its initial run on the "Nancy Hanks II" on January 9, 1968. It makes no mention of operation of the car prior to that time. The article does mention that the car was leased from the N&W and had been renovated for service on the "Nancy".

Bob Hanson

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), May 31, 2001.

I believe that 1602 was first leased to the CofGa in 1967, then purchased in 1968. It is (or was at last check) owned by a private individual in Illinois and is slated for eventual restoration as a Wabash car.

CG 1613 came to the Central in 1970. It was most recently in service on the Quebec, North Shore and Labrador RR in Canada as their no. 13510.

-- Allen Tuten (allen@cofg.org), May 25, 2001.

The CofG bought N&W (ex-Wabash) dome car 1602 in Jan. 1968 for use on the Nancy Hanks. The car ran in N&W blue for a while, with just the road name painted out, and was then repainted in Pullman green. It was later relettered Southern 1602. After the Nancy's demise on 4-30- 71, if I recall correctly, the 1602 was next assigned to the "Asheville Special" between Asheville and Salisbury. It may have run also on the Atlanta-New Orleans segment of the Crescent for a while. SR also acquired a second ex-N&W dome for this latter service, 1613. Not sure of the ultimate disposition of either car.

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), May 25, 2001.