SCL observation

Bob Yarger · **Posted:** Tue Oct 28, 2003 11:48 am

Seaboard Coast Line observation car "Richmond" at Mansfield, Ohio on the Ashland Ry. Not sure if formerly ACL or SAL, but typical of so many of the passenger cars we've saved. Will we ever get them all restored?

http://www.morscher.com/rr/2002/20020511_23.jpg
ryarger@rypn.org

Ted Miles · **Posted:** Tue Oct 28, 2003 1:05 pm

The answer about restoration is yes and no. The cars have to be saved, perhaps for the next generation.

I am involved with electric traction so let me site a couple of examples there. The Western Railway Museum is doing a heavy rebuild and restoration to the 1930s of car Sacramento Northern 1005. The museum bought it is 1951, so it waited about 50 years to get a turn. There are a number of passenger cars and freight motors on the property that will wait just as long.

The Seashore Trolley Museum is in the late stages of rebuilding and restoring Cleveland Railways 1227 from a stripped car body. And next in line is a matching trailer. Seashore has a century worth of cars waiting for skill, parts and most of all money.

I guess that there are a lot of mainline cars waiting too. Either wooden ones like the passenger car that the Mid-Continent Railway Museum just did or steel ones from any museum you can name.

Preservation of Industrial size objects is not natural; mostly they have ended up in the junk heap or scrap pile. What all of us are doing is an up hill battle, but one well worth the struggle!

ted_miles@nps.gov

JOHN BALDWIN · **Posted:** Wed Oct 29, 2003 5:44 pm

> Seaboard Coast Line observation car
> "Richmond" at Mansfield, Ohio on
> the Ashland Ry. Not sure if formerly ACL or
> SAL, but typical of so many of the passenger
> cars we've saved. Will we ever get them all
> restored?
This car was one of many Seaboard Biz Cars and does deserve conservation, if at all possible. It would be nice to know the interior condition, as many of the cars had fine wood work. It would also be helpful to know the pullman lot number, as it would validate the cars history and construction background. The side photo shown would indicate a std-biz car floorplan. Your input would be most welcome. Good Luck.

JBARRYBALDWIN@YAHOO.COM