Savannah Birney update

As luck would have it, my father just got back from a trip to the southeast and unknowingly happened to stop by the Savannah Roundhouse Museum where he got photos of the Birneys preserved there. He confirmed that there are two cars, which are presumably cars 630 and 636, and both are stored inside the roundhouse in protected but unrestored condition.

First, the photos of Savannah 636, which has been at the museum for some 20 years or so. I recall seeing this car (and confirming its fleet number) around 15 years ago. At that time it had a floor, or at least I think it did, but apparently it doesn't now.

And then there's car 630 - at least I believe it's car 630 - which was acquired by the museum sometime around 2005-2010. The fascinating thing that these photos reveal about this car is that it appears to have been converted to gas power at some point. At least, that's what I'd guess based on that big hole at one end of the car - it looks like somewhere you'd put a power plant. This is pretty intriguing, in part because Harold Cox's Birney book contains the following comment on Savannah Birneys: "One car reported converted to a gasoline powered car for the Collins & Glenville Railroad. Conclusive proof, or disproof, is lacking." Could this car have come via the aforementioned Collins & Glenville? I'd love to know.