CSX Office Car Fleet - Business and Theater Cars

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As I’ve noted before, railroad business cars often have complicated histories marked by frequent renumberings, name changes, rebuilds, and mergers. CSX business cars, in particular, can be challenging to track. While CSX has made some of its car histories public through press releases (often tied to the annual Santa Train) those materials, like similar releases from Conrail and Norfolk Southern, occasionally contain inconsistencies in dates or numbering. As I begin this series documenting the history of the CSX business train, my goal is to present the most accurate car histories possible while also sharing interior photographs of equipment that has rarely been seen by the public.

Prior to roughly 2022, interiors of CSX business cars were seldom photographed or published online. That began to change when CSX introduced its Family Day events, which I believe started around that time. Described by CSX as a “way of saying thank you while creating lasting memories with the people who matter most—our ONE CSX team and their families,” these events gave employees and their families the opportunity to ride select pieces of the CSX business fleet, most notably the well-known theater car 994318. As a result, brief interior views of these cars began appearing in online videos, offering the public glimpses inside the fleet.

For many years, CSX’s business car fleet was stored outdoors behind the operations facility at West Jacksonville, Florida. During the West Jacksonville era, the fleet roster remained relatively stable, with the most significant changes coming from the Conrail acquisition in 1999 and the lease of two Amtrak F40 locomotives that same year. By 2022, the fleet had been relocated to indoor storage at Rice Yard in Waycross, Georgia, finally providing protection from the elements.

This move marked the beginning of an important period of transition for the fleet. Interior upgrades were undertaken, new cars were added, and additional equipment (some from the Pan Am merger) began appearing in business train service. I’ll outline those changes in the individual car histories that follow and will continue to add entries as time permits.

CSX 994318 “Prime F Osborn III” - Theater Car

HERITAGE - Atlanta & West Point Railroad

The CSX Theater Car 994318 is one of the most photographed business cars in the CSX fleet, but its origins were far more modest. The car began life as a standard 58‑seat coach built for the Atlanta & West Point Railroad.

Numbered A&WP 120, the coach was constructed by Budd in September 1953 (Lot 9613‑139). It was built to replace A&WP coaches 68 and 69, which had been destroyed in 1951 while assigned to the Crescent. As delivered, the stainless‑steel car carried “The West Point Route” lettered above the windows, the number 120 below the windows, and A&WP reporting marks on the upper right side of the body.

With the discontinuance of the Crescent in 1970, A&WP sold coach 120 to the Georgia Railroad. The Georgia retained the number 120 but removed the A&WP lettering, replacing it with “Georgia” above the windows. The car saw service on Georgia’s mixed trains 103 and 108. An article by David Ingles on the Classic Trains website offers a fascinating look at the car during this period; its rough appearance makes it hard to imagine the theater car it would later become.

On January 1, 1983, the Seaboard System merged the Atlanta & West Point, Western Railway of Alabama, Georgia Railroad, and the Clinchfield. This merger brought an end to coach 120’s mixed‑train service. In 1985, the car was rebuilt at the Waycross Coach Shop and emerged as Seaboard theater car 318.

Through another round of mergers, the Seaboard System became CSX Transportation on July 1, 1986. In 1993, CSX officially named the car “Georgia” and renumbered it CSX 994318, often shortened simply to 318.

Following its conversion to a theater car, it retained the original Budd stainless‑steel appearance with fluting intact. Lettering evolved over time, with “SBD 318” applied near the vestibule and the theater end of the car. In the mid‑to‑late 1990s, this was updated to “CSXT 994318.” Early on, large lettering above the windows at the center of the car read “Track Observation Car,” which was replaced by “Georgia” in the late 1990s. A large “CSX Transportation” panel also appeared on the lower fluting at the middle of the car.

While most of the CSX business car fleet was repainted into the blue and gray striped scheme (which I suppose you could refer to as YN2), 994318 remained in unpainted stainless steel for several more years. That changed in late 1999 or early 2000, when the car was finally painted in the YN2 blue and gray scheme. At that time, the large “CSX Transportation” panel was removed in favor of a more traditional nameplate bearing the name “Georgia.”

Inside, the car featured seven rows of theater‑style seating, with two executive captain’s chairs positioned in front of the theater window. This seating arrangement remains unchanged as of 2025. A raised hump was incorporated into the aisle floor through the theater seating area to make access to the elevated seats easier, gradually tapering away as the aisle approached the theater window. The interior was finished in a utilitarian gray, with gray seating and darker gray‑blue carpeting.

In early 2007, the car received an all‑blue exterior paint scheme. While never officially designated, this scheme closely matched the dark blue applied to locomotives during the same period (I’ll refer to it as YN3).

Following CSX’s acquisition of Conrail in 1999, several cars from the former Conrail Office Car Special were added to the CSX fleet. Conrail 9, the former Conrail theater car, became CSX 994009 and for years played second fiddle to 994318. By around 2008, however, 994009 began appearing more frequently. Sometime between late 2007 and 2010, CSX removed all of the fluting from 994318, including both the sides and the roof.

Between 2010 and 2011, the two theater windows closest to the end of the car were enlarged, further altering the car’s external appearance.

In 2012, the interior was significantly upgraded at the West Jacksonville Business Car Facility. The car received a wood‑finished interior, which remains in place as of late 2025.

Another major change came in 2020, when 994318 was repainted into a Baltimore & Ohio–inspired scheme developed to help celebrate the upcoming 200th anniversary of the B&O Railroad in 2027. According to the General Foreman of the Executive Car Fleet, CSX wanted all of its passenger equipment painted in the B&O‑style scheme in advance of this anniversary. The CSX Executive Car team even hand‑crafted B&O‑style logos for the F40 locomotives. During this period, the equipment also received new names and interior plaques recognizing CSX and predecessor executives. CSX 994318 was renamed “Prime F. Osborn III,” retiring the long‑used name Georgia.

In recent years, CSX has also sent some of its Office Car Special equipment, including 994318, to CSX Family Day events. These appearances have been well received, though the car often travels to such events on freight trains rather than the business train. This type of service is significantly harsher, and the effects have been noticeable, including issues such as bathroom tile coming loose.

Overall, it is encouraging to see CSX’s continued commitment to its Office Car Special fleet, with ongoing upgrades to the equipment and the move of cars into indoor facilities at Waycross for improved care and preservation.

CSX 994009 “W Thomas Rice” - Theater Car

HERITAGE - CONRAIL

CSX 994009 “W Thomas Rice” is a former Conrail theater car and is covered extensively on the Conrail 9 page.

CSX 994308 “Florida” - Business Car

HERITAGE - US MILITARY HOSPITAL CAR

CSX 994308 was built in 1944 by the American Car and Foundry (ACF) for the U.S. military as hospital car USAX 89337. ACF constructed 100 hospital cars under Lot 2733. In 1947, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) purchased ten of these military cars from the federal government. Over time, they were converted into baggage, baggage-dormitory, and business cars. One of these conversions emerged in 1956 as Atlantic Coast Line 308.

Through the series of mergers that ultimately formed CSX Transportation, the car underwent several ownership and identity changes. In 1967, it became Seaboard Coast Line 308, and in 1983 Seaboard System 308, carrying the name “The Old Dominion.” In 1986, the car became CSX 308. At that time, it still wore its deep Pullman green paint, now accented with gold CSX lettering and the name “The Old Dominion.”

By 1988, the car had been repainted into the familiar CSX OCS blue and gray (YN2) scheme, retaining the “The Old Dominion” name. By 1991, it was renumbered and renamed once again, becoming CSX 994308 “Florida.” In 2007, the car received another repaint, this time into the solid YN3-style blue scheme with a gray roof, consistent with other CSX executive and business cars of the era.

The story of CSX 994308 “Florida” came to an untimely and unexpected end in late 2012 or 2013. According to conversations I had with CSX Executive Fleet managers, both the “Florida” and the CSX diner “Greenbrier” had been sent to Avalon Rail for a significant overhaul. The work was never completed. When CSX attempted to retrieve the equipment, CSX 994308 was found sitting on jacks, completely disassembled, with parts scattered throughout the shop. CSX personnel were able to recover only a small number of components, including some truck and chrome parts. The car was then removed from the jacks and scrapped on site.

The “Greenbrier” diner was also found in pieces but, unlike the “Florida,” it was salvaged and ultimately rebuilt by CSX into a sleeper car.

For those who have long wondered what became of CSX business car 994308 “Florida,” its final disposition was abrupt, unexpected, and undoubtedly disappointing to CSX. Its loss marked the end of a business car whose lineage stretched from World War II military service to the modern CSX Office Car Special fleet. It would have been great to see the car in the current B&O paint schemes.

Source: CSX for current status, “Atlantic Coast Line Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment” by Paul Faulk for some of the historical information above.

Explore my CSX business car series:

COMING SOON - CSX OCS Fleet - Domes, Diners, Sleepers

If you have stories from your time riding or maintaining the train, business train booklets, or other collectibles from the CSX business train, please contact me.