Seaboard Air Line coach observation #6400 was badly damaged during WWII (the story, taken from its gofundme page, is below). Unfortunately I found out today, as part of looking into what progress has been made, that John Owen, who was largely responsible for saving this car (that had been made into a diner in Charlestown, Indiana, that closed, and the city wanted it out) passed away a year ago at 62. An unheralded preservationist, he also was responsible for getting two cars out of ITM (an ex-PRR lightweight sleeper and an ex-W&LE wood executive car) until other groups were able to take them. All three cars would likely no longer exist if not for him. RIP.
"John Owen is organizing this fundraiser.
Help save Seaboard Airline Coach Observation from the cutting torch. Constructed by the Budd Company in 1938.
She appeared at the 1939 New York Worlds Fair as a part of the train of tomorrow. Departing the fair for Miami 2-2-1939 with much fanfare as the last car of the seven car Silver Meteor on its first run between New York and Miami.
Welcomed by a crowd of over 2000 people in Miami The Silver Meteor set the pace for modern train travel in the south. When the United States went to war in 1941 the Silver Meteor and the Seaboard Airline Railroad did too. Departing New York on June 14th 1942 the Silver Meteor with 17 cars and 514 passengers begin her fateful trip south running over an hour late she stopped at the tiny town of Kittrell North Carolina to receive orders her brakes locked. A south bound freight following behind her running in the fog not knowing the Meteor had stopped rear ended the Meteor. Car 6400 suffered the force of the damage. Four passengers were killed instantly including three US Army personal returning to Camp Blanding in Starke Fla when the boiler pipes ripped open on the steam engine upon impact a total of eight were killed and eleven injured all passengers in coach 6400. The trainmaster of this section of the railroad committed suicide upon hearing of the disaster which estimated many more dead outside his office in the Raleigh yard This was the second railroad fatality of World War Two which killed servicemen. Car 6400 the oldest survivor of such an accident.
Rebuilt and returned to service in 1943 this coach continued to move passengers until its retirement for passenger service in 1971 upon arrival of Amtrak. In 1972 she was converted to an instructional car by the Seaboard Coast Line and served in that role into the 1990's for CSX."
The caption for the below photo: "Louisville Railway Company Inc
November 21, 2021
Good news Seaboard 6400 now has a working airbrake system windows are getting reinstalled soon." I don't know what happened to the car after John Owen passed.
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