Published: May 07, 2008 08:28 pm            

The City of Corsicana has once again extended the deadline for the renovation of the interurban car.

The City of Corsicana has once again extended the deadline for the renovation of the interurban car.

The 90-year-old railcar once carried passengers between Dallas and Corsicana, and is being rebuilt at a specialists’ shop in Alabama. However, the project was originally scheduled to be finished in October 2004.

At the urgings of local residents, the city has once again become serious about pursuing the project, and City Attorney Terry Jacobson has taken on the task of seeing it through.

At Tuesday’s city council meeting, the council met in executive session to discuss it, but took no action on the issue.

“There’s progress being made on the car,” said Mayor C.L. “Buster” Brown. “So long as progress is being made, it’s our inclination to let him continue.”

In April, the city had given Edwards Railcar Motor Car Company until May 1 to complete the project. That deadline has been extended to May 31, or sooner if work stops.

“In any event, what we’re going to do is carry over until the next city council meeting,” Jacobson said.

The wheels, which had been removed from the car, have been returned, or at least replaced, and the issue of whether or not to buy an additional metal undercarriage won’t be decided until the car is returned to Corsicana, Jacobson said.

Jacobson said the Police Chief G.M. Cox has a friend in Birmingham, Ala., who is going by the shop and taking photos of the car to confirm continued progress. One side of the car appears to be completed, and the other side has been stripped in preparation for the rest of the work, Jacobson said.

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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com.

        

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