The Austin Steam Train Association announced May 29 that it launched the “Cedar Park” concession car.
The stainless steel car was built by the Budd Company in 1946 and originally called the Santa Fe Car No. 3163, according to the association. It was formerly pulled behind a train on a route spanning 126 miles from Los Angeles to San Diego.
The public may now visit the restored car for snacks, drinks and souvenirs during rides in one of the train association’s passenger cars.
“We’re basically a museum on rails—we’re a rolling piece of history,” said Zena Vaughn, spokesperson for ASTA.
RENOVATING THE CAR
ASTA bought the concession car in 2013 and began restoring it in 2015, according to the association. The car was renamed the “Cedar Park.”
The car’s first official ride took place at full capacity May 26, she said. The “Cedar Park” replaced the association’s former concession car, called “Lake Austin,” which was retired in 2016, according to the association.
Vaughn said the older concession car was part of a fleet of cars built in the 1920s that were not built to the same standard as the later 1940s cars.
RESTORING HISTORY
In redesigning the space inside the “Cedar Park,” Vaughn said ASTA went for a Santa Fe scheme, using colors that were popular when it was originally in use. The furniture included in the concession car was custom-built for the space, she said.
“We borrowed a lot of history and just put it right back in,” she said.
The restoration was spearheaded by Joe Pinelli, director of the association and an Austin preservation contractor, and Chris Hoff, train association foreman and railcar repairman, according to the association.
The cost of the restoration was funded through donations and a $50,000 grant from the Dr. Henry Renfert Jr. Fund of the Austin Community Foundation, $25,000 from the Burdine Johnson Foundation and $2,500 from the Texas Historical Foundation. The city of Cedar Park’s Tourism Advisory Board also allocated $24,331 in funding from its local hotel/motel occupancy tax revenue to the project, according to the train association.
Now, ASTA said the car is worth more than $350,000.
ASTA Executive Director Lil Serafine said in a statement that the organization relied on its over 180 volunteers for renovations as well.
Now that the car’s restoration is complete, volunteers will continue to play a role in its future. Volunteers will staff the concession car, selling items to passengers, and almost everyone working on the train on the weekends are volunteers, Vaughn said.
Austin Steam Train Association
401 E. Whitestone Blvd., Ste. C-100, Cedar Park
512-402-3830
www.austinsteamtrain.org
