Tuesday morning preservation and museum news:
NS donates historic ‘Marco Polo’ to Southeastern Railway Museum
Norfolk Southern, via Facebook
Norfolk Southern is donating private car Marco Polo, used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt while in office, to the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth, Ga. The car is scheduled to arrive at the museum at 11 a.m. on Nov. 14 and be part of a brief unveiling ceremony. The car was built by the Pullman Co., in 1927 as part of a small fleet of cars for charter by VIPs. Roosevelt used the car both as governor of New York and as president, using it on trips to and from Warm Springs, Ga. It was purchased by the Central of Georgia in 1944 and converted to an office car, becoming Southern Railway property in 1963 with Southern’s merger with the Central of Georgia. The car has been displayed at various locations, spending more 25 years at Washington, D.C., Union Station. “The Marco Polo is a critical piece of railroad history, and we are honored Norfolk Southern has entrusted us to help preserve the railcar and its story for future generations,” Sue Kelly, interim executive director of the Southeastern Railway Museum, said in a press release. More information on the museum is available here.
C&O Historical Society combines with Arts & Crafts Center for exhibit
The Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society and Alleghany Arts and Crafts Center in Clifton Forge, Va., will present an exhibit on the history of the C&O in the Alleghanies beginning Jan. 19, 2021. “Rails of Memory in Alleghany,” running until Feb. 28, 2021, will feature original artwork, posters, calendars, and maps, along with other material produced and loaned by local artists and collectors. It will feature work from photographers Chuck Almarez, Gavin Dressler, and Jeff Bartley, along with painters Joel Tucker and Alen Hickman and industrial artist William Rittase. For additional information contact the historical society or Arts and Crafts Center via their websites.
— Updated at 9:27 a.m. to correct build date on Marco Polo to 1927.
