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According to the Pullman Company’s History of Lines records, Pullman line 3385 (New Orleans-Houston) was filled with 8sec-5DBR cars in the 1950s until late June 1959, then went through a couple of other heavyweight configurations before being converted to lightweight cars in April 1961. Pullman line 3641 (Houston-Brownsville) is shown as having 8sec-5DBR cars assigned from late November 1957 until mid-May 1961, when the route was converted to lightweight equipment.
The History of Lines documents do not show assignments by specific car names, but a September 1961 Pullman-MP car assignment sheet shows 8-5 cars Clover Nook, Clover Spray, Ixtaccihuatl, Malinche, Nevado de Toluca and Sierre Madre as still being active but “extra” – not assigned to any line. Its probable that the last 8-5 cars assigned to the Houston-Brownsville run came from this group. Houston documents now being scanned by the Gulf Coast Chapter and shared with MPHS may eventually provide more detailed documentation.
Bill Pollard
