On Mar 11, 2021, at 9:36 PM, TIM ANDREWS <ANDREWSTIM@...> wrote:



Charles Powell should be able to tell us if it was still green when it came to TVRM or whether it was already black.  

On Thursday, March 11, 2021, 09:04:21 PM EST, Robert Graham <rgraham2@...> wrote:

Been preoccupied with family concerns and not able to comment much lately, but do have a good shot of SOU heater car HC-50 in service I thought I would share; a Ken Douglas shot from my collection. The HC-50 is on what looks like train #41, the Pelican at Bristol VA on Sept 4 1960, based upon the sun lighting on the car and the schedules of that time period. SOU HC-50 is still in what I suspect was its original paint livery after conversion. While a B&W photo, chromatic differences indicate the HC-50 was painted similar to a SOU B-unit, sylvan green/imitation aluminum lower band/Duco dulux gold 2" stripe and lettering, but with lettering and a large SOU medallion that was more indicative of a boxcar. This is the only shot I have of one of these express boxcar to heater car conversions.

Bob Graham

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From: "Bill Schafer"
To: "main@southernrailway.groups.io"
Cc:
Sent: Thursday March 11 2021 6:14:39PM
Subject: Re: [SouthernRailway] Heater Car 50 at TVRM?

Here’s what they looked like in service. The conversion to passenger service came fairly late in the game - 1951, at Hayne. They were converted from 50’ freight boxcars built by Mt. Vernon Car in 1938. A free TIES Magazine to the first person who posts a photo of one of these behind steam in Southern Railway regular service. 

—Bill

On Mar 11, 2021, at 18:05, George Eichelberger <geichelberger@...> wrote:

The trucks, and length of Sou 960600 point to it being one of the Southern’s 50’ express box cars 3275-3299. All were standard 50’ box cars modified for express service and eventually restored as box cars. I cannot locate the records on them but I’m reasonably sure all were un-modified when they returned to general freight service.

That makes the car at TVRM really (!) unusual. It still has express car trucks and even the marker light holder on the corner (closest to the camera in Tim’s photo) that confirms what it was. It is possible a pair of express trucks were put back under the car for its time in heater service but that does not seem likely.

Tim….what other “gems” does TVRM have hiding out in the woods at Enterprise South?

Ike

One of the newest gems at TVRM is NS office car 8, ex Southern OC-21, ex Pullman Point Richmond. It is about to go into the shop at East Chattanooga to be updated (electrical and holding tanks) and backdated to its 1956 appearance…including Southern green paint, of course. “Modeling” rolling stock in 12” - 1’ scale take s a lot of effort and money. Please consider making a donation to TVRM to help with all its preservation and maintenance work. If people don’t help, things like OC-21 and 960600 will eventually become unwanted scrap.

On Mar 11, 2021, at 4:10 PM, TIM ANDREWS <ANDREWSTIM@...> wrote:

Charlie's memory is pretty good.

Here is the car in storage in Chattanooga

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If you look closely you can see the old number under the new:

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On Thursday, March 11, 2021, 10:08:45 AM EST, Charles Powell <charlesspowell@...> wrote:

If my memory is correct, when the heater car first showed up in Chattanooga and was loaned to TVRM for supplying steam to the cars that were stored at Terminal Station it was HC-50. At some point  it went to the Chattanooga Diesel shop and renumbered into a 900000 number. 960600 maybe? There was one diesel powered trip to Huntsville that the car was used on in the 70s.
Charlie

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<SOU heater car HC 50 09-04-60 Bristol VA KenDouglas photo-BobGraham coll300dpi001 copy.jpg>