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Observation room of the Abraham Lincoln Pullman car. Photograph owned and provided by Curtis Andrews. Licensed under the Creative commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.

New Orleans luxury railcars likely to be sold

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson
Observation room of the Abraham Lincoln Pullman car. Photograph owned and provided by Curtis Andrews. Licensed under the Creative commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.
Observation room of the Abraham Lincoln Pullman car. Photograph owned and provided by Curtis Andrews. Licensed under the Creative commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – The vintage Pullman cars that have emerged as a symbol of runaway spending at the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad appear to be headed for the auction block.

The Times-Picayune reports a decision to solicit bids for the three antique railcars could come as early as Thursday when a new slate of Public Belt commissioners appointed recently by Mayor Mitch Landrieu meets for the second time.

The board’s new finance committee, which convened for the first time Tuesday, will recommend that the full commission seek buyers for the cars, which were acquired and restored by former General Manager James Bridger.

Bridger, whose freewheeling spending habits were the focus of a scathing report by the state legislative auditor, resigned under pressure last month.

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Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.nola.com

Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-WS-10-27-10 1041EDT

 

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

Exterior view of the first Pullman sleeping car, second half of 19th century. Photographer unknown.
Exterior view of the first Pullman sleeping car, second half of 19th century. Photographer unknown.
Pullman kitchen car "Sappho, " photo from Birmingham City Archives (Metro Cammell Collection Album 108 Folio 23).
Pullman kitchen car "Sappho," photo from Birmingham City Archives (Metro Cammell Collection Album 108 Folio 23).