Larry, Gail, Bill and I needed another day in Savannah. First stop was the Railroad Museum. For over 100 years these Savannah shops were the major repair facility for the Central of Georgia Railroad.
We checked out the box cars. Oh be still my pounding heart....what a rush! Here's a whole slew of them lined up. They were less exciting inside.
The most interesting part of the museum is the roundhouse, built in 1855. In 1926 half of it was demolished and the remainder enlarged to accommodate the larger steam locomotives. Cars are loaded and unloaded from the center onto different tracks. Here's the main engine. Engine signals for safety was one blast on the whistle to indicate a stop, two blasts meant the engine was moving forward, and three blasts for reverse. The main engine sits on the turntable.
The little booth at the end of the turntable has a "conductor" who lines the engine up with various cars. A cool operation.
Our loose cabooses.
This is a great picture showing the circular boxcar bays and passenger compartments. It was quite the operation in it's hayday.
There are a couple of dozen of these doors that are painstakingly restored, one at a time. It takes between 3 months and a year to complete each door.
These doors to the boiler and steamer building have been restored.
More doors needing to be restored. This is the lumber storage area.
Print shop.
A miniature train set about 10 x 40 feet.
The grounds surrounding the Central Railroad system has it's own history. Below is the memorial where 800 soldiers were killed or wounded in the Battle of Savannah, during the American Revolution.
Back in town we come to the Saint John the Baptist ... on a Sunday morning. I was able to get a couple of inside sneak shots.
Gail and I on the steps to Saint John's
I think this is the smallest house in Savannah.
Robert Lewis Stevenson is said to have based his "Treasure Island" on the characters at this inn.
About three miles outside and east of Savannah stands the oldest brick fort in Georgia. We toured the grounds, listened to the cannon blast off at 2 p.m. but wanted to get to and out of Bonadventure Cemetery before dark.
In 1808 the fort was built over the old earthen battery from the Revolutionary War call "Mud Fort:. As a new country war was commonplace. In fact in 1812 we were at war again, with Great Britain.
Now on to the cemetery.
A beautiful caption "Where Death and Beauty Meet" John Berendt, author of "Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil" brought this cemetery out through his book.
Each pebble on a grave signifies a prayer or blessing.
Johnny Mercer is buried in this family site. The bench was apparently on a site overlooking the river but was later moved to the family plot.
Johnny Mercer died of an inoperable brain tumor at the age of 66. He was just beginning to work on a collaboration of works with Paul McCartney.
General Lawton's wife's headstone.
General Lawton's Memorial. He was a Confederate General during the Civil War.
One of many family plots. The grounds of this cemetery are enchanting. A whole day could be spent roaming these plots.
The Bird Girl. On the cover of the book "Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil"
Our second day in Savannah was wonderful. We saw so much and went so many places. Thanks Larry for all the driving.
Come back soon. I will now begin our April adventures in Charleston....tomorrow. Thanks for visiting.
No comments:
Post a Comment