I am seeking information on the ACL modernized cafe-lounge "Augusta" and would appreciate any help. I would like to find a floorplan diagram, side elevation (drawing or photo of the kitchen side of the car (opposite side to that shown in the ACL Streamliner book. Can anyone help? (My interest is in building a model based on this car.)

-- Jerry Michael LaBoda (jmlaboda@hotmail.com), June 05, 2000

Answers

I have a photo of the "other side" of the Augusta. Where do I send it to?

-- Michael W. Savchak (Savchak @MNR.org), June 12, 2000.

Thank you for the help... I will be seeking out the book mentioned in the next week or so. Hopefully before long I will be able to report some sort of progress in regards to the kitbashing of it as a model.

-- Jerry M. LaBoda (jmlaboda@hotmail.com), June 07, 2000.

More information on the Augusta-plus a discrepancy! Looking at Wayner's Pulllman nad Private Car Pictorial, it shows a photo of the Augusta and states that the car was the 16 section "Folkstone" prior to its being reconstructed. Dave Randall's Book-"Selected Heavyweight Cars" shows internal shots of the "Ashland" and states that it was the Pullman 16 section sleeping car "Sagita" before it was rebuilt as the "Ashland" and that the "Folkstone" was rebuilt as the sister car, the "Lexington".

Take your pick.

In any event, the "Sagita" was a plan 2412C Lot 4304 car built in 1915 for Pullman general service, while the "Folkstone" was a plan 2412B Lot 4160 car built in 1913 for Pennsylvania RR service. Both cars were rebuilt as Plan 4018 Lot 6408 cars in April 1932 as 10 seat Parlor-Restaurant Lounge cars for service on the Louisville connection for the C&O's "George Washington". The "Lexington" became the "Palma Alta" in 1939 and was sold to the Nationales De Mexico in 1945, presumably after serving on it since 1939. The "Ashland" became the "Augusta" after it was sold to the ACL in 1944.

-- Michael W. Savchak (Savchak @MNR.org), June 07, 2000.

Further info on these cars is in the Passenger Car section of the forum under the "Goldsboro" item-where I went into some detail as to both cars. Go to it!

-- Michael W. Savchak (Savchak @MNR.org), June 05, 2000.

I forgot to add-interior floor plans of the car are in the ACL Conventional Car Diagram book available from the society-just go to the section on publications for sale on this web site.

-- Michael W. Savchak (Savchak @MNR.org), June 05, 2000.

The Augusta has an interesting history. It was constructed as a sixteen section sleeper "Folkston", by Pullman, the date which slips my mind. In 1932, it was converted by the Pullman Co. into the cafe/lounge "Ashland" for service on the C&O's "George Washington", where it ran from Asshland to Louisville Kentucky. In 1944, the ACL purchased the car from Pullman and renamed it "Augusta" replacing a Pullman owned car of the same name. It was joined by a similar car-"Goldsboro" which was previously the Pullman "Wayfarer". The Augusta was partially modernized in 1956 by the ACL, primarily by having its incandescent lighting replaced by fluorescent lighting. I have copies of the internal floor plans of the car when it was in C&O service. Larry Goolsby has excellent photos of the car in ACL service. Dave Randall, in his book "Selected Heavyweight Cars, has a series of interior photos of when the car was the Ashland.

-- Michael W. Savchak (Savchak @MNR.org), June 05, 2000.