Louis
The Paymaster’s Car was “added to the equipment of
the line”
(no indication as to where it was built) between 1
May 1864 and 30 April
1865. If this photo had been taken in April 1865, I
would have expected
the pay car to be in better condition. It may just
be the photo but it
looks rather tired compared to the appearance of the
engine.
Could the occasion be the opening of a track
extension?
Rupert Gamlen
Auckland NZ
Rupert -
Pure speculation on my part, but
since the Civil War ended on April 9, 1865, could
this possibly be a "pay
train" decorated to celebrate the end of the war
on the first pay period
following? Or, is April too early for the row
crops shown. All the folks
in the image are wearing coats.... I still think
this image is connected
with the Civil War and the patriotic fever at the
time. Best Regards - Louis
Louis
According to the Directors Reports, the
Burlington had a pay car between 1865
and 1877. No pay car was listed in the 1878
Report. No officers cars were
purchased that year but the number on the
roster increased from 3 to 4. In
December 1878, it was announced that all
employees outside Chicago would be
paid by check so perhaps the pay car was
converted to an officers car as it was
no longer needed.
Although riding on way car trucks, I notice
that the car doesn’t have
marker light provision at the top corner of
each side, as seen in most early
way car photos.
Rupert
Gamlen
Auckland NZ
Going
through old Emails this morning and cleaning
out.... Some
speculation was given that the Civil War era
car shown was an early way car. If
you look closely, there are bars on the
window shown. Could this be a pay car,
instead? Best Regards - Louis
Louis
Zadnichek II
Fairhope,
AL