This is a request for those of you who have various copies of Equipment Registers to please help me out a little.

In late 2002, a steel-framed wood-bodied combine was gifted from Museum of Transportation to Thronateeska Heritage Center in Albany, Georgia. The file information at MOT indicated the car was owned and operated by the Georgia Northern Railway at some time during the 1930s and 1940s. I am trying to narrow down the time-frame a little bit, and I think the Registers might help. Unfortunately, I do not have access to any issues old enough to be of help.

Here's what we know:

The car was built by AC&F at the Jackson & Sharp plant in 1914 for the Charleston & Western Carolina as No. 38. This seems fairly certain, as I have a builder's photo of C&WC 37 which appears identical to 38. There is no date referenced in the builder's photo, but the first reported listing of the car is in the 1915 Register. I have not personally verified this.

At some time in the 1930s the car was apparently sold to the Georgia Northern Railway, where it retained the number 38. There is some indication that the car might have gone to Atlantic Coast Line before arriving on the GN Ry, or maybe repairs of the car were made by the ACL while owned by C&WC. (This is more likely.) In any event, I have no definitive dates for the change of ownership.

In the mid- to late-1940s the GN Ry apparently sold the car to the Alton & Southern, which used the car in work train service until donating it to MOT in 1968. If the car remained in revenue service on the GN Ry I would hope it would be listed in the register until such time as sold to the A&S.

Any assistance in identifying listings for this car would be very helpful. The car is soon to go "under the knife" and I am working up as complete a history as possible. I will post more information here as things develope.

Thanks in advance. Please feel free to post here or contact me "off list" with information or questions.

Stephen Syfrett, RR Projects Manager
Thronateeska Heritage Center
Albany, GA


ssyfrett@bellsouth.net