Did the C of Ga have any "Jim Crow" cars? If so, How many and did any survive? Thanks, Ray Del Papa

-- Ray Del Papa (mrrratpp@aol.com), May 03, 2002

Answers

I have a photo of CG #388 which has the "center bagg." (what I call a Jim Crow car. #388 and #387 are in the 1954 CofGa Passenger Equipment book. I know by the photo that I have that #388 was still in use in Andalusia, Ala. on 3-3-1954. #388 was built in 1911 as #508. They both were Harriman type cars. They were 68'7" long with the Bagg. compartment being 18'3 1/8"long. The cars are shown with bench type seats and seating for 34. My book shows also that #388 still had Oil lighting as of 5-25-51 and #387 had Electric (who would have thought). Let me know if you need more info on either of these cars. don worthy

-- Donald Worthy (worthy57@accucomm.net), December 10, 2003.

The Southeastern RR Museum in Duluth GA has CofG modernized heavyweight coach 527 on a storage track. It's still wearing faded Chocolate and Orange IC colors from its days in pool service for the SEMINOLE, etc.

Although it's in sad shape and not open for display, the museum's equipment guide lists it as a partitioned coach for segregated service. I was able to verify this during my visit there last month; although the car was boxed in on both sides, making phototaking difficult. One hopes a restoration of this car is planned somewhere down the road.

-- Bob Venditti (bobvend@bellsouth.net), July 05, 2002.

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum has ex-Central of Georgia No. 528. This car was built about 1925 and was either built as or converted to a Jim Crow car at some point by the railroad. It is not a baggage- combine but a full length coach with Harriman style roof. It later became Southern Railway No. 906 and Tennessee Valley Railroad No. 906.

-- Alan Walker (awalker2002@comcast.net), June 28, 2002.

Since posting my original answer I have come across a Jim Shaw photo of a mixed train on the Louisville & Wadley RR taken in 1956. The power is a CofG Baldwin diesel switcher and the tail car is a center- baggage combine. The car is similar to the one Larry described with a typical "Harriman" roof line. Likely built or rebuilt at a Central car shop and possible at one time on the Central's roster. The number is indecipherable.

Bob Hanson

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), May 09, 2002.

I know the car body had no external lettering visible even when I photographed it in 1967 - so unless Rick found something on the inside or underneath, I doubt the number can be determined.

"Somewhere" I have a photo of a Wadley Southern steel Jim Crow combine taken on a WS mixed train in the 1950s - it is clearly a former CofG Harriman-style car. Have no idea though if the center baggage compartment was installed while the car was still owned by CofG or was converted to this configuration by the WS after purchase.

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), May 07, 2002.

Rick, did the car have a number on it?

-- Richard Cole Jr. (raracole@prodigy.net), May 06, 2002.

There was a traditional Jim Crow combine on CofGa marked trucks(Cast on pedestals) at end of Hartford and Slocomb. This was 10-15 years ago. I called H&S about trying to acquire and they rudely would not talk to me about it. I have to assume that it was scrapped with that end of RR when it was taken up. There is the remains of a center baggage "traditional" combine in a cement companies yard in Columbus Ga. Before anyone jumps up and wants to "save" it, the car is just barely there. Probably couldn't even be moved with a giant shovel as it is in such bad condition. I've been told it was from the Roanoke Rocket(Opelika to Roanoke Ala CofGA line) but never been able to verify. I was given 30 minutes one time to get parts off this car back in the 80's and it was in awful shape then. Parts went to Savannah with#2.

-- Rick Perry (RailsEnd@mindspring.com), May 06, 2002.

If you mean center-baggage combines, I can find only two, No.s 300- 301, in the 1912 passenger car diagram book. They are shown as being built in 1889, so I doubt that they survived, although it is possible.

Actually, any partitioned combine or coach is a "Jim Crow" car and the Central had more of these partitioned coaches and combines than conventional cars. No road in the South prior to the 1960's was without divided coaches because, like it or not, back then racial segregation was the law.

Bob Hanson

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), May 04, 2002.