Fomer SAL business car "Savannah"

greenspun.com : LUSENET : ACL and SAL Railroads Historical Society : One Thread

Thought someone might find this intereasting as I found a Feb. 6, 1992 aricle from the Memphis, TN Commercial Appeal in my "stuff" today & thought I might pass on some pertinent portions:

"A slice of history has rolled into Collierville as part of the city's effort to preserve its image as a railroad town. A 1915 Business Car, "Savannah", purchased from a New Orleans company for $60,000, arrived in the Memhis suburb Jann. 27th after a three-day trip up the tracks from New Orleans.

"The train car was parked on an auxiliary track just south of the town square temporarily, but plans call for laying new track that will allow the car to be parked adjacent to a coboose which already anchors the south end of the square.

"The purchase was financed out of the city's general fund with money coming from a historic preservation fee. The car, an example of railroad travel's heyday, features its original mahogany interior, a propane powered air conditioning system and generator, a rebuilt observation platform with polished brass, three staterooms, an observation lounge, dining room, kitchen, buffett and crew room."

This car is still a beautiful thing to see. Don't know when the SCL sold it, I assume to the SRS, as it has been re-stencilled Southern. Tried to convince the Mayor of Collierville that it should be returned to its Seaboard stencelling but he is a big SRS fan and would not hear of it.

It is on static display along with a number of Memphis Transportation Museum passenger cars inluding old SAL, ACL & SCL.

-- David W. Rogers (daveandgailrogers@prodigy.net), February 11, 2000

Answers

In addition, as I recall the Savannah was assigned to Mr. Cooke, Gen. Mgr.-Trans. of SAL, who retired before SCL. Don't know who got it after that as I moved from Miami to Nashville and lost track of those things.

-- Dave rogers (daveandgailrogers@prodigy.net), February 12, 2000.

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