has anyone heard of a C of G business car at the Whistle Stop Ranch at Flint (Near Tyler) Texas? I talked to the owner yesterday, and he seemed like he might be getting on in years, he told me the car was built about 1875, steel frame, wood structure, wood sided, *LATER* sheathed with steel, car had been a part of the Judge Hofheinz collection in Houston, along with Columbus. I'm told there was a business car "macon", it doesn't show up survivor lists, maybe this is it, or, maybe it's another wood inspection car like #2. BTW, the photo here of the interior of Columbus is actually the interior of #2. Columbus exterior restoration is coming along nicely, come see us in Savannah if you get the chance. Thanks Rudd Long, Savannah Shops

-- rudd long (rudd@cogdellmendrala.com), March 20, 2002

Answers

Alan, thanks for the info, we are trying to find someone out that way to take pictures and measurements. The owner told me that the car had steel sides that were "put on later over wood framing". Not sure if he knows what he's talking about, Columbus is steel sided over wood framing, standard Pullman HEavyweight practice AFAIK. Do know that some wood sided cars were later sheathed with steel though as well. The existance of "Macon" was something that Robert Edgerly told me about, so I defer to you on this one. He said there were four cars, I don't know where he got his information. Bob, I don't think we are talking about the same car, as this car was purchased from a collection in Houston that had been around for many years, and it is my understanding the owner had it moved directly to the Tyler area. Wish I had known about that car though, I grew up in Ft. Worth.

-- rudd long (rudd@cogdellmendrala.com), March 27, 2002.

There was, a few years ago, a former Georgia & Florida Railway business car that was part of a bank complex in Ft. Worth, TX. It was the 100, was of 1880's vintage and was, at one time, steel sheathed (though this had been removed when the car was restored for display). On my last visit to this area the car was no longer at this location. Could it have been moved to the Tyler area?

Bob Hanson

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), March 26, 2002.

Rudd,

I'm not familiar with that car. Records of cars from that era are sketchy at best, but the only wooden "business" or "office" cars that I know anything about are the five inspection cars (most built late 1800s), Officer's Car 97, 98, 99 [1st](renumbered to 95 in 1918, and 100 (renumbered to USRA 73 in 1918, then to CG 99 [2nd] in 1920.

Inspection cars 1 and 4 are known to have been in Roadway service in the late teens. Inspection car 2 is obviously at the Roundhouse in Savannah.

Officer's Car 97 is now at the California State RR Museum as the Gold Coast (was sold to Ga Northern as their 100, then sold to Beebe and Clegg and named Gold Coast.) Officer's Car 99 [2nd] is shown to be in roadway service in the late 1940s.

I do not know of any wooden office cars that the Central may have added steel sides to, but it could have been done after such car had left CofGa ownership.

Also, to my knowledge, there was never an office car named "Macon." I don't think that names were used until the Columbus (had been 100 [2nd]) was named in the late 1940s / early 1950s. The Central's sleeping cars were named, but the wooden cars were named for rivers, and I don't remember seeing any reference to a steel car named "Macon."

Do you have a photo of the car?? The window arrangement, dimensions, trucks, etc. may help to determine if it is indeed a former CofGa car.

Allen Tuten

-- Allen Tuten (allen@cofg.org), March 20, 2002.