Obama’s Refurbished Ride to Washington

As if the dire economic warnings aren’t enough to keep the Great Depression in the front of Barack Obama’s mind, he kicked off his inaugural ceremonies amid the trappings of that era, aboard a 70-year-old train car bound for the capital Saturday. The shiny blue Georgia 300 has been refurbished with modern amenities but retains the old cherry wood, painted walls and brass Pullman lamps to evoke “the grandeur of the 1930s”, according to owner Jack Heard. Obama could be seen throughout the day waving to eager onlookers from the bunting-clad patio on the back of the car. The train car was built by Pullman Standard in 1939 as a lounge car for the Southern Railway. In 1949, after the car was reconfigured as an office, the Georgia Railroad purchased it for frequent special trips by Georgia Governors and other dignitaries. More recently, it’s been used for campaign tours by George H.W. Bush in 1992, Bill Clinton in 1996, John Kerry in 2004 and Obama himself in April of last year, during a whistle-stop ... (link)