Georgia 300

El Georgia 300^[1]​^[2]​ es un vagón de ferrocarril de propiedad privada, propiedad de John H. "Jack" Heard, con sede en Florida y ha sido utilizado por varios presidentes de los últimos tiempos en diversas campañas relacionadas con el Whistle Stop Tours.^[3]​

Entonces el recién electo presidente, Obama, a bordo del 300 Georgia

Historia

Georgia 300, is a classic looking heavyweight observation car from the golden era of rail travel that was built by the Pullman Standard Co. shops in 1930.^[1]​^[3]​ Sporting a Packard blue with silver striping livery, the train car operated as a lounge car named the General Polk on the New Orleans-New York Crescent Limited (operated by the L&N, West Point Route, Southern, and Pennsylvania^[4]​), and was later purchased by the Georgia Railroad and reconfigured to Office Car 300. The Georgia Railroad used the car in trips to venues like The Masters Tournament and the Kentucky Derby.^[2]​ It ran until its retirement in 1982 after being made redundant as surplus due to the merger between Georgia Railroad and Family Lines.^[1]​^[2]​^[3]​

Propiedad privada

Heard, who owns a rail yard in Orange Park, Florida, purchased the car in 1985 and made a series of refurbishments in 1986, 1989, 1995, 2000^[1]​^[3]​ and 2008. The car has a dining room, an observation lounge, one master bedroom, two additional bedrooms, two bathrooms with showers, a section lounge, crew quarters, and kitchen.^[1]​^[3]​ It is Amtrak compliant and compatible to be used on most scheduled Amtrak trains as well as other private venues.^[5]​^[6]​

The car is a constant work-in-progress with carpets and fabrics constantly being improved. During 2006–2008, the interior and exterior of the car were completely repainted, along with the addition of new monogrammed linens and bed-coverings in the bedrooms and a recovering of the couch in the observation lounge.

Uso por presidentes de los EE.UU.

El Georgia 300 ha recibido a los presidentes Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush,^[7]​ Bill Clinton,^[8]​^[9]​ y Barack Obama.^[3]​ En 2004, el candidato presidencial John F. Kerry y su compañero de fórmula el senador John Edwards, viajaron en el coche de St. Louis hasta Kingman, Arizona, después de la Convención Demócrata en Boston.^[3]​

George H.W. Bush

El Georgia 300 fue utilizado como coche de apoyo durante el la campaña de George Bush para ser presidente en 1992. Este uso se cree que ha impulsado aún más el uso del coche por otros presidentes.^[7]​

Bill Clinton

Un carro nuevo fue utilizado por Bill Clinton por su 21st Century Express para la campaña electoral de 1996, en un guiño a su campaña electoral de 1992 con un bus.^[10]​ El tren de 13 vagones usados por el Georgia se alargó por otro de Amtrak, privado, y el anfitrión del ferrocarril CSX.^[8]​^[9]​^[10]​

Barack Obama

Barack Obama utilized the Georgia 300 twice; first in April 2008 for a trip between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa; and secondly before his 2009 inauguration on a whistle stop to Washington DC, along a similar route to that used by Abraham Lincoln.^[3]​ The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prevented private planes, news helicopters, balloonists and others from flying anywhere near the airspace above the train route.^[11]​ These rolling NOTAM flight restrictions prevented general aviation from flying near stations and above the linear route of sections of the Northeast Corridor railroad line for "for Special Security Reasons". ^[12]​ ^[13]​ ^[14]​ ^[15]​ ^[16]​ ^[17]​

The train used consisted of two Amtrak GE Genesis locomotives, numbers 44 and 120, several Amfleet coaches and cafes, and the Georgia 300 at the rear.

Referencias

1. . Archivado desde el original el 18 de mayo de 2011. Consultado el 20 de enero de 2009. 
2. «Private Railcars Attending the 2002 Convention». Consultado el 18 de enero de 2009. 
3. Rasmussen, Frederick N. (16 de enero de 2009). «Train car Obama said to be using has long presidential pedigree: The Georgia 300 has served Presidents Carter, George H.W. Bush and Clinton». Baltimore Sun. Consultado el 17 de enero de 2009.  (enlace roto disponible en Internet Archive; véase el historial, la primera versión y la última).
4. Southern Railway, Ties (company magazine), July-August 1972: The Southern Crescent
5. . Archivado desde el original el 8 de febrero de 2009. Consultado el 20 de enero de 2009. 
6. . Archivado desde el original el 18 de febrero de 2009. Consultado el 20 de enero de 2009. 
7. «Obama rail car rolling in history». Consultado el 20 de enero de 2009. 
8. «POTUS* Special to Michigan City, Indiana 1996». Consultado el 20 de enero de 2009. 
9. «Central Virginia Railfan Page POTUS Special trip report Special edition of the Mid-Week Report August 25, 1996». Consultado el 20 de enero de 2009. 
10. . Archivado desde el original el 19 de septiembre de 2010. Consultado el 20 de enero de 2009. 
11. «Obama set to ride rails to historic inauguration». Cable News Network. 17 de enero de 2009. Consultado el 17 de enero de 2009. 
12. . Federal Aviation Administration. 14 de enero de 2008. Archivado desde el original el 23 de noviembre de 2009. «Temporary flight restrictions for VIP (Very Important Person) Movement ... From January 16, 2009 at 2240 UTC (January 16, 2009 at 1740 EST) To January 17, 2009 at 1455 UTC (January 17, 2009 at 0955 EST)». 
13. «9/1325 NOTAM». Federal Aviation Administration. 14 de enero de 2008. «Temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons ... From January 17, 2009 at 1430 UTC (January 17, 2009 at 0930 EST) To January 17, 2009 at 1700 UTC (January 17, 2009 at 1200 EST)».  (enlace roto disponible en Internet Archive; véase el historial, la primera versión y la última).
14. «9/1329 NOTAM». Federal Aviation Administration. 14 de enero de 2008. «Temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons ... From January 17, 2009 at 1700 UTC (January 17, 2009 at 1200 EST) To January 17, 2009 at 2000 UTC (January 17, 2009 at 1500 EST)».  (enlace roto disponible en Internet Archive; véase el historial, la primera versión y la última).
15. «9/1340 NOTAM». Federal Aviation Administration. 14 de enero de 2008. «Temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons ... From January 17, 2009 at 2000 UTC (January 17, 2009 at 1500 EST) To January 17, 2009 at 2300 UTC (January 17, 2009 at 1800 EST)».  (enlace roto disponible en Internet Archive; véase el historial, la primera versión y la última).
16. . Federal Aviation Administration. 14 de enero de 2008. Archivado desde el original el 21 de enero de 2009. «Temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons ... From January 17, 2009 at 2000 UTC (January 17, 2009 at 1500 EST) To January 17, 2009 at 2300 UTC (January 17, 2009 at 1800 EST)». 
17. . Federal Aviation Administration. 14 de enero de 2008. Archivado desde el original el 21 de enero de 2009. «Temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons ... From January 17, 2009 at 2030 UTC (January 17, 2009 at 1530 EST) To January 17, 2009 at 2130 UTC (January 17, 2009 at 1630 EST) ... 3 nautical miles From any point along the line segments.» 

Enlaces externos

• AAPRCO - American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners
• Amtrak 170 Leads Train #3 West, With The Georgia 300 on June 16, 2008 uploaded to Youtube by user Treyvs
• Obama's Whistle Stop Tour Train video clip showing the inspection/security train, Obama's train, and the follow-up inspection/security train with Amtrak business car Beech Grove on it.

•   Datos: Q5547324
•   Multimedia: Georgia 300