Steamtown NHS is restoring the SAL #259 combine car. It was built in 1913 by pressed steel. It operated on practically every part of the Seaboard Air Line RR system. We are specifically looking for technical information on this car or a car similar to it. Any structural drawings, floor plans, builder's order forms, or spec. cards. Our goal is to restore it to a WWII era.

-- George Canavan (george_canavan@nps.gov), February 18, 1999

Answers

As a followup to my answer on Monday, while the 259 was never air conditioned, its interior would be similar to the cars which were. Basically, all that Pullman did was add AC to the car without making any interior changes other than adding air distribution grills in the clerestory in place of the opening ventilators. The lights, seats, conductor's cord, etc. were unchanged.

-- Michael W. Savchak (Savchak@MNR.org), December 15, 1999.

Interior shots of the car taken at Pullman in 1934 when it was air- conditioned are available in Dave Randall's "Selected Heavyweight Cars". That would be as close as possible to WW II.

-- Michael W. Savchak (Savchak@MNR.org), December 13, 1999.