e 2454 USA: Retail: I would like to have some of the sunset-colored limestone (as seen on the Texas State Capital Building) for use as a memorial marker. Looking for a flat slab around 8.5 x 11 x 4" - don't know where I can buy, if this will work out or how to go about getting it engraved. Feb 12. Contact

Response 1: Interesting question in that the pink stone on the Texas state capitol building ( the exterior ) is a granite. It was and still is quarried in Texas, and is available through many sources under names such as Texas Pink, and Texas Sunset. The interior and core walls of the building are of a light creme/ white limestone, and originally the entire building was to be of this limestone, but the builders realized that the quarry was going to play out of stone before the building would be finished. So, the decision was made to open the granite quarry. A rail line was built from Austin to haul the stone, and convict labor was used to quarry the stone at both locations. The limestone quarry ( long abandoned) area is now known as Convict Hill, and is in the southwest suburb of Oak Hill. The granite quarry is still going strong in Marble Falls, along with numerous other granite quarries in the LLano Uplift region. The rail spur still carries a couple of freight trains each day on a rather circuitous journey from the area into Austin, and on weekends carries the Hill Country Flyer, and old time passenger train that until a couple of years ago utilized an old fashion steam engine, and if the funding can be found to complete repairs, hopefully will again soon. The line passes only blocks from my shop, and I do miss the wail of that steam locomotive's whistle. JVC