Were is the private railcar that FDR used for his trips to Warm Springs, GA?
I think it is on CSX property. [:D][:o)]
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Originally posted by rhabney
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…What was the name of it…Think I did know but for the life of me now, can’t think of it…Maybe we can locate it by entering it’s name, etc…
“Ferdinand Magellan”
…Thanks, that is what I was thinking but wasn’t sure…Checked out the web site and it sure is a good one for describing the car and where it is. Good info.
…Visited a private Presidential railcar located at Strasburg RR in the early 80’s and if I remember correctly it was one used by Harry Truman…Have photos I took but not in front of me now.
Correct, the Ferdinand Magellan is at the Gold Coast RR Museum in Miami, FL.
LC
POTUS? [:o)][:D][:)]
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Originally posted by Modelcar
Hmm…i thought the "Ferdinand Magellan " was owned by the Smithsonian. there was a story on this car about 3 or 4 months ago on the history channel, seems it’s still governement propery and could be used by a president, if he wanted to. but for security reasons probably never would be again.
BTW, did you know it has a secret door in it to facilitate the escape of the president (I belive Truman added this)? and that it was the first rail car to encorporate an elevator for FDR’s chair.
No on the door & no on the elevator. I know on the FDR airplane used though they also installed a elevator. [:o)][:I]
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Originally posted by SteamerFan
i remember it did have the escape hatch in the roof as well as a secret door in either the bathroom or corridor that lead out of the car. And i believe it was a chairlift, not a true elevator.
edit: according to http://www.goldcoast-railroad.org/magellan.htm ,it had “Two escape hatches were built into the car, one in the ceiling of the observation lounge and one on the side wall of the shower/bath in the Presidential bathroom, near the center of the car”.
and in terms of the chairlift they say “At the Navy Yard, a special elevator was installed on the observation platform at the rear of the car to aid the president in boarding the car while in a wheel chair. This elaborate device was removed from the railroad car after the death of President Roosevelt, however, photos of it are on display in the lounge.”
spbed…Isn’t any rail car the President travels in identified as “POTUS”…Simply, “President Of The United states”…
Are there still presidential railroad cars kept in storage off Hemphill Street in Fort Worth? And no, this isn’t a Hemphill as we know of MWH, there really is a Hemphill street in Fort Worth. Or is the Federal Storage Facility off of McCart?
Yes I believe so just like whatever plane the Prez is on is AF 1[:p][:)]
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Originally posted by Modelcar
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…And that is correct…AF-1 in whatever he is on…
Thanks actually when I replied I thought POTUS became the name of the car whenever the prez was on board! [:p][:)]
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Originally posted by Modelcar
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any military vehicle the president rides in becomes that braches number 1. So an army vehicles is Army 1, a Navy one(except a ship, which retains it’s fleet name) becomes navy 1, the helicopter that the prez uses is Marine 1, a coast guard vehicle would be coast guard 1, if he ever used one.
outside of the military vehicles, it is POTUS.
A group of private railroad cars used by the president would make a good traveling museum. I would love to see them. [:D] It would make a good promotion for Amtrak too.
For those that are intersted one of the other railroad cars FDR used, the Roald Amundsen, is available to be toured in Scottsdale, AZ at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. The park is free and the tour is I believe $1. The Roald Amundsen was used by each President from Hoover to Ike.
…Jim: I like that suggestion of making up a traveling exhibition of Presidental rail cars as a promotion for Amtrak…Someone with the proper experience in doing such things could really make that work and noticeable…and effective…A good idea.