25a-25b: The side view as the car exists today.
25a
Restoration of the exterior was done by Don Stephens, of
Cherokee Welding. In addition to being a welder, Don is also
a painter and a sculptor. Upon close inspection, you can see
where a plate was welded on the side the car in one place in an
effort to repair it.
This car was built as a one of a kind observation lounge. It dif-
fers from the stock observation cars that Pullman produced
for many railroads in the lack of sleeper compartments, as it
was designed to be a bar / lounge from the start. This is also
why the center of the car does not have windows like the stan-
dard plan used by many other railroads. The inside walls where
those windows would be are covered in mirrors, to create the
illusion of more space around the bar area. Those same mirrors
are still there today.
The forward half of the car was originally the lounge area. As it
stands today, there is a large dining table in this area. In front
of that is the original electrical system, still in use to power the
section of the clubhouse. The other side of the front hallway
was originally a restroom. Right now it is just an empty space.
City of Miami part 2 - 15
MRH-Aug 2013
