Recently had the opportunity to pass through Anniston Alabama and was able to stop and find an ex NC&STL / Louisville and Nashville business car, identified by old lettering as car # 352 along the NS mainline on what would appear to be private property. The car has seen the effects of years of weather exposure along with vandalism, which has taken its toll on this all steel car. The car was lettered Chocoolocco & Hentooga across its letterboard, with the name "blue bonnet" at the corner of the car by the platform end.

Curious to know the history of this car, along with when the L&N likely sold the car, who bought it, and any of the unique specifics such as what were the plans when it was purchased along with why it suffered such hard neglect.

If anyone would like to see photographs of this neglected heavyweight, please shoot me off a note, and I will be more than pleased to send you some current photographs.

Dean Levin

That is a cryin' shame.

When I bought the sleeper "Florida Surf" from L&N in 1972, there were a lot of cars in Louisville that Amtrak had passed over, including just about anything L&N had operated (baggage cars, RPOs, sleepers, coaches, diners, louunge cars). One of them was a business car. I wonder if this was it? We paid $ 5,000 for the "Florida Surf" and once they had the payment, the car was sent to South Louisville Shops where it received an operable set of batteries (not a new set) then it was brought back to Union Station where it was given a full set of linen and blankets, placed on standby and, the following day, added to the rear of the southbound Floridian. We rode it home to Tampa.

I don't think any railroad could match L&N for it's great employees who went out of their way to make our little dream come true. We were told that we could have our choice of any car they had for the same price. I've wished many times that we could have also gotten that business car, too.

-Jim Herron

Speaking of L&N business cars, there is an L&N business car in California near Placerville. I can say for sure it is an L&N car from the truck castings and stamp on the frame. If I remember correctly, the car is L&N 354. It is complete in almost every detail, from the original pullman fold down bunk to the carbon arc voltage regulator and batteries! Even the galley and servants quarters are complete. However, I can't find any record of it on the web so I don't know anything else about it. It is on private property and has been maintained exceptionally well, having received a new exterior at some point. Any idea who's car this was and it's age?

The 352 is the former NC&STL 99, a Pullman product of 1914.

The 354 is a L&N homebuilt product, built in 1922 with a steel frame and steel ends but a wood body. I'd like to see pictures of the 354.

In the 1957 merger, the L&N picked up 3 ex NC&STL business cars. The L&N renumbered them into the series held by the older wooden cars, mostly retired by that time.

I'll try to post a picture. That makes sense that it was wood sided at one time. Today it has a beautiful copper exterior.