Partition coach

[NW Mailing List]

January 23, 2008

Good morning, all:

Thanks, Jim Brewer, Jerry Laboda, Neill Herring, and
Bill Smith for your replies, plus several others
off-list.  I had the same thoughts, but wanted to make
sure.

I am told that there were only two partition coaches
built, numbers 511 and 512, that were only used on the
Powhatan Arrow.  I understand that older drawings of
Pg and Pm coaches show a partition for African
American passengers, but they weren't numbered in a
different series like the P-2 cars.

The curious aspect for me is that I don't see these
assigned to any of the other trains.  I also don't see
a distinction between coaches for "white" or "colored"
and would think somehow these would be identified. 
Still unanswered is the rational for showing the
positioning of vestibules for trains 25 and 26 when
this is not shown for other trains.

I've also been unsuccessful in learning a date when
coaches and station waiting rooms on the N&W were
desegregated.  If members ever come across a specific
date, that will be most helpful.  A photocopy or
digital graphic of a N&W general order or bulletin if
it exists would be most helpful.

Best wishes,

Frank Scheer
f_scheer at yahoo.com