The historic 1917 Pullman rail car that has been a part of the Marietta Square for almost 40 years is now being dismantled. The railcar sat adjacent to the Marietta Welcome Center and, according to the City of Marietta, became “both a safety hazard and an eye sore.”

The rail car’s current owner, Michael Thomas, purchased the car last year and had plans to move it to New York. Those plans changed after his mechanic looked at the nearly century old railcar. “Based on his report, the car superstructure is rusted and while it was perfectly OK for a static display the cost to get the car to operational condition would have been prohibitive,” Thomas wrote. He then offered the car to the city, asking “Would the city of Marietta be willing to take the car? Do you want it? I would consider donating it with say $2,500 to spruce it up. If not the car will have to be scrapped.”

Marietta Railcar Demolition

Marietta Square Railroad Car at the Welcome Center

Marietta Square Welcome Center Railroad Car

8 COMMENTS

  1. Thoughts on the Scrapping of the Railcar at Marietta Georgia

    I hoped it wouldn’t occur and would be saved.
    Well the destruction and removal of the railcar has begun, hope the City of Marietta will be happy now!
    Saw footage of the demolition company cutting the side out of it on channel 2 news on Friday 10/16/09.
    I just hope that the city council, the one that was worried about second hand smoke and imposed a smoking ban in Glover Park, didn’t put the public’s health at risk by forcing the owner to cut it up!
    I have heard no one mention or seen evidence that the ASBESTOS has been abated from it before it was sawed open!
    Back when this car was built in 1917, the way they were insulated was with asbestos in the walls and ceiling and under the car around its piping and anything else that needed insulating.
    Not much was known about how harmful the effects were, so it was used everywhere, even in ceiling tiles in my school.
    When this car was retired, sold to an individual and moved to Marietta, the dangers of asbestos were just starting to be recognized.
    In the later years, when railcars had major renovations it was usually removed, but only if it was to be disturbed, but this car had no such overhaul.
    However unsightly, this car was not harming anyone in Marietta until the city forced the car to be opened up disturbing the asbestos inside it.
    I was at the car on September 27, and no dismantling had been done inside or outside the car at that time.
    It is quite an undertaking removing asbestos properly from a railcar as I have been personally involved in doing it PROPERLY on many occasions.
    Also it is very costly (more so than restoring the car) and time consuming because the fibers of asbestos have to be encapsulated and bagged before they are disturbed.
    All the people involved have to wear special suits and masks and the area of removal has to be enclosed (usually with a plastic booth) to prevent the asbestos fibers from becoming airborne.
    The close proximity to the square and all its functions is where my concerns lie.
    As the city is only closing the sidewalk and street beside the car, the public is very near this operation and what about if there is wind or even when the CSX trains stir the air.
    This would concern me if I was anywhere near Marietta, even for months to come.
    So in conclusion, it seems to me that the City of Marietta is in such a big hurry to bully someone about a rather small issue that really doesn’t matter, that they are not looking at the big picture of protecting the citizens of Marietta, and in this day and age of “health” consciousness!

    For more Info go here:

    http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/pass/TuscaroraClub/TuscaroraClub.htm
    (Go to the middle of the page)

    Sincerely,
    Concerned Railroader

  2. We are very sad to see this train car go. It had a long and noble history and influenced many people. The saddest thing is that if we had started petitoning to save it just a few years ago, it might not be gone today. The Pullman car should serve as a reminder, and hopefully we won’t let something else, like the Pullman, fall by the wayside.

  3. What a shame, i had gone up there about a month ago to take some pictures knowing it was on borrowed time, but they had wrapped the underframe in black plastic, ruining my photos. The car was not doing any harm sitting there, it was a beautiful addition to the square and on a sunny day it still added a splash of color even in its faded paint. There are many cabooses that sit on display, welded up and the same thing could have been done here, i and many other railfans would have happily helped give it a new coat of paint. Asbesto’s removal has done more harm than good in many cases, asbestos is given a bad name by a certain variety, not even that common, most asbestos is harmless and was better fire retardant than many commonly used materials today. Atlanta has lost so much railroad history, two grand stations and countless other irreplaceable things, i had hoped we were past the age of blind destruction of historic objects, but clearly not. Shame on the city of Marietta for this needless destruction.

  4. im from ky and when we rode threw there it catches the eyes of kids and myself it always sad when apart of our past took away for no reason part of history is what u have to pass on to others to take it away is sad anyhing that can kids to ask question about history is also a plus to bad u took it away

  5. I brought this Pullman car up from Atlanta, Georgia in the seventies and set it off in Marietta, Georgia while working as a flagman for the L&N Railroad. We were working a local train from Atlanta to Ballground, Georgia. I still work as an Engineer on the CSX Railroad and travel through Marietta. I hated to see it being destroyed.

  6. wow! I just saw this information. I can’t believe the old train is gone. I moved to Georgia in 1987 and stumbled upon Marietta by accident and stayed for a couple of years. I worked on the L&N dining car as a waitress when it was called Georgia Smoke. As an African American woman living (I lived at the Stanley House! Can you believe it? I did. Another special memory), and working on the Square in those days, I was something of a small sensation. I was from Chicago, so it was culture shock for me … and one of the happiest periods of my life. I loved that time of my life. Okay, I’m crying right now. I felt privileged to walk into that history every day. As a writer, I have included both the B&B and the L&N dining car in my works. I have a couple of pictures of it, thank goodness. I am so, so sad to hear it was destroyed. How can you destroy such awesome history?

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