Southern Railway 3158

Dining in History: The Oldest Continuously Operating Dining Car

Southern Railway Dining Car 3158, is a notable heavyweight dining car crafted by the Pullman Company in 1924 for the Southern Railway as part of Lot 4723.

Upon construction, the car was a stunning reflection of the 1920s, with opening windows, a clerestory roof, varnished wood-grained interior, and exquisite fixtures and furnishing. The interior was laid out for 36-seat service with a combination of two-person tables on one side and four-person tables on the other.

Over the years, the Southern Railway made several updates to the car, including the addition of steam-ejector air conditioning between 1936 and 1938, which coincided with the slight simplification of the interior, to replace much of the wood graining with painted finishes.

During this time, when the US was under the Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, dining car 3158 became one of 3 cars commonly used to prepare meals for the Presidential party on the trips to Warm Springs, with the 3158 being paired with a GLEN series Pullman and of course the “Great Traveler” series car for Roosevelt, in later years solely the FERDINAND MAGELLAN.

By the War’s end and the late 1940s however the 1930s repaint was not enough, and the 1920s car was quite distinct compared to Southern Railway’s new streamlined stainless steel dining cars, so in 1949 the car was taken to Hayne Shops and completely cut down to the framing and rebuilt. These changes included covering the clerestory roof with a more streamlined, rounded “turtleback” roof, large sealed windows, welded sides, and mechanical work. Internally all the old brass fixtures were removed along with the ornate wooden tables and chairs, the original clerestory ceiling, and nearly all detailing. In their place a new interior with modern fittings based upon those found in the new streamlined dining cars was fitted, providing seating for 48 at 4-top tables on either side of the walkway.

A New Look for An Old Car:

The rebuilt car rolled out several months later in 1950, and continued to serve Southern Railway until 1969 when the car was donated (on its birthday) to the then-growing Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, who nearly immediately placed the car into service, eventually repainting the car into its 1920s “Roman” lettered scheme, before another scheme came about several repaints later, in 1980, when the car donned the museum’s “Colonial Red” scheme and was named “Travelers Fare” by museum president Robert M. Soule, Jr, after an English dining car operation. Inside the car gained matching red drapes and carpet, as well as Soule’s “Grand Junction Grey” paintwork. Just after the turn of the millennium, further mechanical and structural work would be undertaken to keep the car in fine form. The car would remain in the same appearance though for over four decades, celebrating its centenary in February of 2024 complete with a cake, until it was taken into the shop in 2025. During 2025 the car underwent the structural and mechanical repairs (needed to keep a car well past its life expectancy in tip-top shape) and was restored to its 1950-69 Southern Railway condition, with the removal of the grey paint internally, and an external repaint back to Southern Railway livery (with era appropriate block lettering). The car rolled back into service on the museum’s dinner trains in August of 2025, and today, the 3158 continues to be a part of TVRM’s longer excursions, delighting passengers with its onboard meal service. Unlike many museums that rely on off-site catering, TVRM takes pride in preparing all meals onboard the 3158 using fresh ingredients.

A meal aboard the 3158 is more than just dining; it’s an experience that transports passengers back to an era when railroad cuisine was an art form, making every passenger feel like first class, seated in a carefully designed dining room.