Steam & Excursion > TVRM --- CoG Combine 390 (or 726?)

(Information from a Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum facebook posting)

Original Central of Georgia Railway combine car has been refurbished by TVRM:

Car 390 was built in 1947 by American Car and Foundry for Central of Georgia’s train "the Nancy Hanks II". It has now been released from overhaul by the TVRM shop into its as-built Central of Georgia paint scheme. The car has an interesting history: After its acquisition by Southern from the CoG, the car was painted, lettered and renumbered by the Southern Railway to car 726. It was used throughout the Southern and first Norfolk Southern Steam excursion programs as a “recording car” where passengers could collect audio on reel-to-reel or cassette tapes of the steam locomotive pulling their train. For many years it carried the name "William J. Purdie" in honor of the retired Master Mechanic Steam.

It was retired in 1994 at the end of the first Norfolk Southern steam program and sold at auction to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad in 1994. It served the WMSR until sold to TVRM in 2018. Upon arrival in Chattanooga during 2019, it was realized there would need to be extensive bodywork to repair corrosion around the side sills and along the roofline. Much of this damage was the result of the rubber window gaskets leaking water into the car body. That work began in 2019 (after the car was used briefly in Summerville, Georgia, for Christmas train rides) and was largely completed this past summer. The car received new window gaskets, windows, microphor toilets, tanks, floor tile, upholstery, and more. Funding for the iconic paint scheme came from several generous donors.

The car’s generator is a unit made by Stadco, the gold standard for passenger car generators. It received a factory overhaul before the car was shipped from Cumberland. It generates 480 Volts and will power itself and several other cars, which will reduce the use of several single-car generators. The hushed generator sound should also make for a more enjoyable customer experience. The car provides improved ADA access for our trains utilizing the baggage compartment doors and will provide power for additional cars in the consist due to the large generator installed under the car. Plans are to roll this beautiful new addition into service for the 2020 North Pole Limited season.

TVRM purchased the car from the Western Maryland Scenic Railway. The later trade that sent three RDC cars to WMSR for two coaches was a separate event, however, all of the passenger cars traveled together to Chattanooga. Additionally, TVRM expects to do bodywork and repaint sister CoG cars #661 and #907, into the same blue and gray Central of Georgia scheme in the future. The pace of that work will depend on funding (all donations are welcome) and the availability of shop space and time.

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What a beautiful restoration!
Bob

refarkas Wrote:
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> What a beautiful restoration!
> Bob
I agree 100%.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Yes, that's a beautiful job.  Congratulations to the people at TVRM.

I remember the "726" well from Southern and NS steam excursions.  Not only was it a recording car it was a high capacity passenger car (for a combine) with maybe 50 plus seats.  The lighting was unusual too, with the fixtures over the windows.  All in all a very nice car.

Jim

Very nice!  Where did they get the rubber for the windows, would you know off hand?

Jimbo Wrote:
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> Yes, that's a beautiful job.  Congratulations to
> the people at TVRM.
>
> I remember the "726" well from Southern and NS
> steam excursions.  Not only was it a recording
> car it was a high capacity passenger car (for a
> combine) with maybe 50 plus seats.  The lighting
> was unusual too, with the fixtures over the
> windows.  All in all a very nice car.
>
> Jim

The mention of high capacity seating in this car makes me wonder if this could be considered a "Jim Crow" car, intended for black passengers?

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

agentatascadero Wrote:
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> The mention of high capacity seating in this car
> makes me wonder if this could be considered a "Jim
> Crow" car, intended for black passengers?
>
> AA

Probably because the Nancy had reserved seats for white passengers only. Since the Nancy was an intrastate train, that practice sadly lasted into the sixties.

The text implies that there is some sort of accommodation at the small baggage door. Is there an extra high level platform for loading?

Posted from Android

NKP779 Wrote:
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> The text implies that there is some sort of
> accommodation at the small baggage door. Is there
> an extra high level platform for loading?
>
> Posted from Android

Might you  be thinking of that venerable and humble baggage cart?  

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA