Trains.com

"Jim Crow" cars preserved?

7881 views
9 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    February 2001
  • From: Poconos, PA
  • 3,948 posts
Posted by TomDiehl on Friday, June 4, 2010 4:41 PM

ZephyrOverland

 I believe there is a former SAL divided combine at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami.

Yes, there is. Some work was done on it at Steamtown NHS shops after some hurricaine damage several years ago. On a tour I was leading at the time, I casually mentioned and explained the "Jim Crow" features to the group. I thought the Ranger with us was going to have a heart attack.

http://gcrm.org/jimcrow.aspx#pagetop

 

Smile, it makes people wonder what you're up to. Chief of Sanitation; Clowntown
  • Member since
    October 2008
  • From: Calgary
  • 2,047 posts
Posted by cx500 on Friday, June 4, 2010 1:00 PM

 One found its way to Canada, I believe in the early to mid 1970s, and was used for a time on the railway at Fort Edmonton historical park.  They seem to have disposed of it a couple of years back, and according to the 2009 edition of the Canadian Trackside Guide it is nowlocated at a private residence north of Red Deer, Alberta. The guide describes it as built by ACF in 1913 as L&N 676.

Attached is a picture of it at the park in 1979.  I have no idea what shape it might be in now, 30 years later, and would not be too optimistic.

John

 

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: FEC MP334
  • 961 posts
Posted by ZephyrOverland on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 10:58 AM

 I believe there is a former SAL divided combine at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami.

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: South Central,Ks
  • 7,170 posts
Posted by samfp1943 on Sunday, May 9, 2010 12:35 PM

Jim Crow Combines were a manifestation of a system that lasted longer than it should hav. Another aspect of Segregation in the South was the ubiquitous water fountains with their signs. I always thought it was strange the Water Cooler Drinking Fountains were ALWAYS 'white'" (The chilled water side) while the ''colored" side was tepid water, they were out where they were kind of 'in your face'; restrooms were of course less obvious but equally offensiveAshamed.  

    Train Stations large, and small had seperate waiting rooms; similarly furnished, but somehow, the 'Colored' side, to me, always seemed somewhat more dowdy, run down, and looking like it needed a good sweeping and dusting and definitey paint.   And don't even talk about rest rooms- same thing, only much worse. Where they were concerned, seperate but equal, was laughable. My 2 cents 

Personally, I'm glad that era is history, and a bad memory. Remember it, but don't repeat it.

 

 

 

 


 

  • Member since
    May 2009
  • 798 posts
Posted by BNSFwatcher on Sunday, May 9, 2010 11:59 AM

Me, a "New Yorker", took my first ride on the "West Coast Champion" to Sarasota, FL ca. 1954.  I remember marveling at the segregated drinking fountains (with signs) outside the ACL station there.  Did anyone think of preserving them, and the signs?  My first experience with separate, but equal.

Hays 

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: Good ol' USA
  • 9,642 posts
Posted by AntonioFP45 on Sunday, May 9, 2010 11:05 AM

David, forget political correctness. It's just a historical fact of life. The sections you mentioned were likely labeled:  "White" and "Colored".   I have a number of Atlantic Coast Line "Jim Crow" conductor's count cards that I found at Tampa Union Station back in the 70s when the station agent let me explore a locked upstairs room.  From my understanding, the Coast Line and SAL crews had to enforce the Jim Crow seating arrangements when their trains were in the southern states. Diners actually had a "curtain".  But rules were often relaxed once the northbound trains were out of the "deep south". 

The ACL and SAL Budd Baggage-Dormitory cars were specifically designed for Jim Crow use. They survived into the Amtrak era. The ones I saw back in the late 70s "appeared" to be in good shape. Did any of those get preserved or are they in museum/tourist train service?  

BTW: Even during the tumultuous 60s, my late dad, a Black Cuban, rode on what I think may have been The Florida Special or The Champion from NY to Miami to do contract carpentry work.  He told me that he enjoyed the ride, the train was fast, and had no problems.  Now, in Miami he encountered one incident of segregation, though it was not railroad related. 

 

Great Bear 72000

      There is at the Gulf Coast Chapter NRHS/Houston Railroad Museum, a coach that was built in the late 1940`s, for the Missouri Pacific, that is a "Jim Crow" car.  The coach has a divider in it that sections off 6-8 rows of seats for the "other".  The car is not listed on the Museum`s web site but I know they still have as I saw it there 3-4 weeks ago.  Thanks!

                                                         David

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


  • Member since
    July 2009
  • From: Houston, TX
  • 22 posts
Posted by Great Bear 72000 on Friday, May 7, 2010 9:38 PM

      There is at the Gulf Coast Chapter NRHS/Houston Railroad Museum, a coach that was built in the late 1940`s, for the Missouri Pacific, that is a "Jim Crow" car.  The coach has a divider in it that sections off 6-8 rows of seats for the "other".  The car is not listed on the Museum`s web site but I know they still have as I saw it there 3-4 weeks ago.  Thanks!

                                                         David

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: rossville ga
  • 40 posts
Posted by bushhog8fan on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 10:43 AM

There is one at the Tennessee valley railroad museam in Chattanooga TN the use it on their missionary ridge local. I beleive it is an old Southern Railway car

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • 50 posts
Posted by JS_IN_KY on Saturday, May 1, 2010 3:25 PM

There's one sitting in Glasgow Kentucky in really rough condition, L&N 109.  If you go to this Wikipedia link there's a little info about it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow_Railway

It's going to be moved to the Historic Railpark in Bowling Green KY for restoration.  There have been some stories recently in the Bowling Green newspaper about moving it. Here's one of the more recent stories:

http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/daily-news-bowling-green-ky/mi_8107/is_20100424/rail-car-project-moving/ai_n53307897/

John

  • Member since
    April 2010
  • 18 posts
"Jim Crow" cars preserved?
Posted by RailProf on Friday, April 30, 2010 12:48 PM

 Hi all,

I'm trying to compile a list of all the preserved "Jim Crow" segregated passenger cars left in museums.  I now that the following have Jim Crow cars preserved but I'm sure there are more out there.  Many places have cars that would likely have been Jim Crow cars due to age and location but they aren't specifically noted as such.

The Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Georgia

Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven, Kentucky

Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo, California

 

Any more?

 

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy