Hello all,

As many of you know, I have an interest in WWII Troop Sleepers and Kitchen
cars. Vaguely, in the back of my mind, I recalled some cars that might
have been converted from these cars at the Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
in Calera Alabama...so we went over there a couple of weeks ago and here is
what we found!

The museum has 4 car, USAX G-53, G-64 and two numbers I failed to write
down or get in photos. I was told that these were "simulator crew cars".
The cars appear to be converted WWII troop kitchen cars (3 small windows,
left side), with express trucks, dual AB brakes, and some significant
modifications including large underbody fuel tanks. I took as many photos
as the situation and light would allow and they are posted in a new album
(USAX crew cars) on my photopoint site
(http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1312242). The paint scheme -
silver with the Strategic Air Command's lightning bolt fist logo is pretty
stunning! Obviously, with USAX markings, this paint scheme was applied
some time after the mid 1950s...

Does anyone know anything else about these cars? Would they have been seen
in trains, or were they pretty much fixed in place...I was told that two of
them are being used for housing for museum staff right now!

Happy Rails
Bruce

Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D.
Scott-Ritchey Research Center
334-844-5587, 334-844-5850 (fax)
http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin
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Bruce,
While in the Army form 77 to 87 I had the chance to spend some time
in Army troop cars on guard duty when transporting Army equipment by
rail. The cars I spent time in were rebuilt WW II cars and were like
the car you described, but ours didn't have anything neat in them.
The cars had been converted to self contained guard cars and had a
kitchen and dining area in one end and a shower, toilet and six bunks
in the other with a partition and door between them. Aft of the bunk
area in an enclosed room was a diesel generator and hot water heater
so the car did have a large fuel tank under it. They still had the
high speed trucks and signal and steam lines. I spent many nights in
rail yards in these cars and I'm sure the rest of the guys with me
couldn't figure out why I didn't mind my turn walking the train.
I've been out of the military for a long time but I'm sure they still
have and use a few of these cars. There is or was an Army Rail unit
at Ft. Eustis VA that may still do some work on them but I'm not sure.
Jim Butler
www.sa-com.org

--- In STMFC@y..., "Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D." <smithbf@m...>
wrote:

Hello all,

As many of you know, I have an interest in WWII Troop Sleepers and

Kitchen

cars. Vaguely, in the back of my mind, I recalled some cars that

might

have been converted from these cars at the Heart of Dixie Railroad

Museum

in Calera Alabama...so we went over there a couple of weeks ago and

here is

what we found!

The museum has 4 car, USAX G-53, G-64 and two numbers I failed to

write

down or get in photos. I was told that these were "simulator crew

cars".

The cars appear to be converted WWII troop kitchen cars (3 small

windows,

left side), with express trucks, dual AB brakes, and some

significant

modifications including large underbody fuel tanks. I took as many

photos

as the situation and light would allow and they are posted in a new

album

(USAX crew cars) on my photopoint site
(http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1312242). The paint

scheme -

silver with the Strategic Air Command's lightning bolt fist logo is

pretty

stunning! Obviously, with USAX markings, this paint scheme was

applied

some time after the mid 1950s...

Does anyone know anything else about these cars? Would they have

been seen

in trains, or were they pretty much fixed in place...I was told

that two of

them are being used for housing for museum staff right now!

Happy Rails
Bruce

Bruce F. Smith V.M.D., Ph.D.
Scott-Ritchey Research Center
334-844-5587, 334-844-5850 (fax)
http://www.vetmed.auburn.edu/~smithbf/

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" -

Benjamin Franklin

__
/ &#92;
__<+--+>________________&#92;__/___

____________________________________

|- ______/ O O &#92;_______ -| | __ __ __ __ __ __ __

__ __ |

| / 4999 PENNSYLVANIA 4999 &#92; |

||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||__||

|/_____________________________&#92;|_|___________________________________
_|

| O--O &#92;0 0 0 0/ O--O | 0-0-0 0-

0-0