Page 3
Last Updated:
October 12, 2008
After
the war, other streamliners were added. The Silver Star, a morning New
York departure at 9:30 am and from Washington at 2:15 pm arriving the next day
in Miami around 10:50 am. Returning from Miami in the late afternoon, around
1:40 pm, arriving the next day in Washington DC at 11:00 am and New York around
3:35 pm. was almost a sister to the Meteor, but always was the smaller
of the two. In the winter season the Star offered sections to both Miami
and Tampa / St. Petersburg. It also by-passed Jacksonville in the winter using
the Baldwin cut-off. Northbound it operated on a much-later schedule than in
summers: Leaving Miami 4:25 pm arriving Washington 1:25 pm and New York at 5:50
pm.
From the December 18, 1964 Timetable:
In the summer it only ran to Miami and
stopped in Jacksonville Union Terminal. All Seaboard trains using Jacksonville
had to back into the terminal, which was one of the largest in the country. In
summers only (April - November) the Star carried the Tidewater's
Jacksonville-Portsmouth sleeper and coaches between Jacksonville and Raleigh.
By the early 1960's, the Star's observation cars
had diaphrams and a bigger door cut into the rear to allow mid-train operation,
so the Star no longer finished in the classic round-end observation, the
coaches operated up front with the sleeping cars on the rear to accomodate
sleeping cars being added and dropped along the way.
Northbound
and southbound Silver Stars meet at Savannah, GA
around 1:15 am. Conductor on the left of the
northbound Star
is waving his flashlight up and down, giving the
engineer the
the 'highball' to start. (This was taken in 1974
after Amtrak,
but the trains still retained much of their
Seaboard character)
The observation car was often placed at the headend, right behind the crew dorm, facing forward and removed at Washington, otherwise, in the summer season it was attached to the diner mid-train and removed at Washingon as well.
Equipment, Winter Season, 1964:
(from timetable effective December 15, 1964)
Train Numbers 21 Soutbound, 22 Northbound
Type Car .....................Car No........Between:
Baggage-Dormitory.................................Washington-Miami
(Baggage
Car......................................Wildwood-St. Petersburg)
Tavern-Observation-Lounge**.......................Washington-Miami
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........2-E...2-E.......New York-Miami
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........3-E...3-E.......New York-Miami
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........4-E...4-E.......New York-Miami
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........5-E...5-E.......New York-Miami
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........7-W...7-W.......New York-St. Petersburg
Diner.............................................New
York-St. Petersburg
4 Sec,4 Rmtte,5 Dbl Bdrms,1
Cpt...S-110 B-38......New York-St. Petersburg
10 Roomettes 6 Double
Bedrooms....s-111 B-39......New York-St. Petersburg
Diner.............................................New
York-Miami
10 Roomettes 6 Double
Bedrooms....S-112 B-40 .....New York-Miami
6 Double Bedrooms
Buffet-Lounge...S-114 B-41......New York-Miami
11 Double
Bedrooms................S-115 B-42......New York-Miami
10 Roomettes 6 Double
Bedrooms....S-116 B-43 .....New York-Miami
10 Roomettes 6 Double
Bedrooms....R-355 B-44 .....Washington-Miami
4 Sec,4 Rmtte,5 Dbl Bdrms,1
Cpt...R-360 B-45......Richmond-Miami
**Two of the five 1947 Budd-built Tavern-Observation cars had an enlarged rear door and diaphrams added for mid-train operation in the early 1960's and operated regularly on the Silver Star. Since 3 cars were necessary to operate through to New York, the two cars went only between Miami and Washington DC.
Note: In Winter Season, when the Silver
Star bypassed Jacksonville via the Baldwin cut-off,
In summers when the season was over, the Star
often operated between New York and Washington with no Seaboard diner or lounge
car - passengers having to eat lunch southbound and northbound on the
not-wonderful diners of the trains the Pennsylvania attached to the Silver Star
between New York and Washington. By the late 1960's, the Pennsy had only 'Snack
Bar Coaches' on the trains the Star was attached to.
Equipment, Summer Season, 1967:
(from timetable effective April 30, 1967)
Train Numbers 21 Soutbound, 22 Northbound
Type Car .....................Car No........Between:
Baggage-Dormitory.................................Washington-Miami
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........1-E...1-E.......Washington-Miami
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........2-E...2-E.......New York-Miami
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........3-E...3-E.......New York-Miami
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........4-E...4-E.......New York-Miami
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........5-E...5-E.......New York-Miami
Diner.............................................New
York-Miami Note 1
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........6-E...6-E.......New York-Miami Note 1
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........7-E...7-E.......New York-Miami Note 1
Tavern-Observation-Lounge**.......................Washington-Miami
Diner.............................................Washington-Miami
10 Roomettes 6 Double Bedrooms....S-114
B-41 .....New York-Miami
11 Double Bedrooms................S-115
B-42......New York-Miami
10 Roomettes 6 Double Bedrooms....R-360
B-45......Richmond-Miami
Reclining Seat Coach (not
reserved)...............Jacksonville to Portsmouth
Note 1: Operated Fri,Sat
northbound, Sat,Sun southbound only Jun 2 - Sep 3
Note 2: Carried by Silver
Star Jacksonville to Raleigh. See Tidewater
**Two of the five 1947 Budd-built Tavern-Observation cars had an enlarged rear door and diaphrams added for mid-train operation in the early 1960's and operated regularly on the Silver Star. Since 3 cars were necessary to operate through to New York, the two cars went only between Miami and Washington DC.
In
additon to serving Florida, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad competed with the
Southern Railway with service to Atlanta, Georgia and Birmingham, Alabama. The Silver
Comet was introduced in 1947 to compete directly with Southern's
streamliners, complete with Observation car. It was quickly downgraded by the
mid-1950's to a very ordinary streamliner, losing both Observation and
sleeper-lounge cars which went to the newly-upgraded Silver Star.
Tavern service was provided by the Silver Meteor's old 1939/1940 Tavern-Coaches
and the dining cars only operated as far was Washington, DC.
Both Southern and Seaboard served New York, Philadelphia and Washington via the Pennsylvania RR, but Seaboard's Silver Comet also served Richmond, VA, Raleigh, NC directly and Norfolk, VA (as far as Portsmouth, VA across the river from Norfolk) via a section, operated as the Tidewater from Raleigh No 17 northbound, and as a section of the Silver Comet/Sunland No. 18 southbound, with a diner between Raleigh and Portsmouth
. The Tidewater also fielded through cars from Jacksonville to Portsmouth, VA, operating by itself from Jacksonville trailing behind the Silver Star (and later combined with the Star by 1966). Southbound out of Portsmouth, VA, No. 18 carried both the Atlanta and Jacksonville through cars as far as Raleigh. The Silver Comet carried the Jacksonville cars as far as Hamlet, NC where the secondary train, the Sunland, took over for the overnight run to Jacksonville, with no food service. The Atlanta-Portsmouth sleeping car was discontinued by 1966, leaving only a through Atlanta-Portsmouth unreserved coach.
The Silver Comet was a direct competitor with Southern Railway's Southerner. For example, a typical schedule (effective December 15, 1964): The Comet departed New York at 11:00 am, Washington at 3:20 pm, Raleigh at 9:10pm. It picked up the cars from Portsmouth, VA, Train No. 17, departing there at 4:15 pm and arriving Raleigh at 8:30pm where the dining car from Portsmouth was dropped. At Hamlet, the Sunland's through coach and sleeper to Jacksonville was removed and the Silver Comet continued on to Atlanta arriving at 6:45 am the next day and Birmingham, Alabama at 9:50 am.
Returning from Birmingham departing at 1:35 pm, Atlanta at 6:40pm arriving Hamlet, NC at 1:40 am, the Comet picked up the the Tidewater's through coach and sleeper from Jacksonville, running as the combined Silver Comet / Tidewater Train No. 34 / 18 as far as Raleigh, where the Tidewater, No. 18 continued to Portsmouth, VA arriving at 8:30 am, with the Comet's cars from Atlanta and the cars from Jacksonville, picking up a dining car at Raleigh at 4:15 am. The Silver Comet continued on to Richmond at 7:05 am, where the Tidewater's sleeper from Jacksonville was dropped, and on toWashington at 10:05 am and arriving New York by 2:05 pm.
Under the Seaboard Coast Line, the Silver Comet was further downgraded, losing both the diner and through service to Portsmouth, VA, becoming an Atlanta-Washington DC train by 1969. It was discontinued altogether by the end of 1969.
Seaboard
Coast Line's Silver Comet at Richmond, VA's classic
Broad Street Station, July, 1969 - with only
Tavern-Coach, Coach
and Sleeping Car. Picture taken from the platform
next to the
Silver Star.
Equipment, Winter Season, 1964:
(from timetable effective December 15, 1964)
SILVER COMET
Train Numbers 33 Soutbound, 34 Northbound
Type Car .....................Car No........Between:
Baggage
Car........................................Washington-Birmingham
Passenger and Baggage
Car.........21-B..21-B.......Washington-Atlanta
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........22-B..22-B.......Washington-Atlanta
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........29-B..29-B.......New York-Atlanta
Tavern Coach (24 Reclining
Seats).32-B..32-B.......New York-Atlanta
Coach (52 Reclining
Seats)........35-B..35-B.......New York-Birmingham
10 Roomettes 6 Double Bedrooms....S-109
B-72.......New York-Birmingham
Diner (Pennsylvania
RR)............................New York to Washington (Oneway)
Diner..............................................Washington-Birmingham
10 Roomettes 6 Double Bedrooms....R-355
B-71.......Richmond-Atlanta
12 Roomettes 4 Double
Bedrooms**..B-3...B-4........Portsmouth-Atlanta*
Coach (Reclining
Seats)...........40-B..40-B.......Portsmouth-Atlanta*
Diner..............................................Portsmouth-Raleigh*
** Missouri Pacific smooth-side
streamlined sleeper
*Operated on trains No 17 and 18 between
Portsmouth and Raleigh.
THE TIDEWATER - combined with Silver Comet
Hamlet to Richmond. April - November operated only Raleigh to Portsmouth...Jacksonville
cars carried by Silver Star
Train Number 16-34-18 Northbound
Type Car .....................Car No........Between:
12 Roomettes 4 Double
Bedrooms**..B-3..............Atlanta to Portsmouth*
Coach (Reclining Seats)...........40-B.............Atlanta
to Portsmouth*
Reclining Seat Coach (not
reserved)................Jacksonville to Portsmouth@
6 Rmtte, 4 Dbl Bdrm, 6
Sec........B-18.............Jacksonville to Portsmouth@
12 Roomettes,4 Double Bedrooms....B-16.............Jacksonville
to Richmond
Diner..............................................Raleigh
to Portsmouth
*from Silver Comet at
Raleigh
** Missouri Pacific smooth-side
streamlined sleeper
@ Carried by Silver Star summers
only
SUNLAND - combined with Silver Comet Washington
to Hamlet
rain Number 8 Northbound, 33-17-7-107 Southbound
Type Car .....................Car No........Between:
Baggage
Service....................................Washington-Tampa-Miami
Reclining Seat Coach (not reserved)................Washington-Jacksonville
Reclining Seat Coach
(not reserved)................Jacksonville-Tampa
Passenger and Baggage
Car..........................Jacksonville-Tampa
Passenger and Baggage
Car..........................Wildwood-Miami
Diner..............................................Washington
to Hamlet**
12 Roomettes,4 Double
Bedrooms....B-17.............Richmond to Jacksonville
Diner..............................................Portsmouth
to Raleigh
6 Rmtte, 4 Dbl Bdrm, 6
Sec........B-18.............Portsmouth to Jacksonville
Reclining Seat Coach (not
reserved)................Portsmouth to Jacksonville
12 Roomettes 4 Double
Bedrooms**..B-3...B-4........Portsmouth to Atlanta*
Coach (Reclining
Seats)...........40-B..40-B.......Portsmouth to Atlanta*
*to Silver Comet
** Silver Comet's Diner
The last New York - Miami (and Tampa
at one time) service was the Palmland. This train provided two night out
service. Typically, a 7:30 pm departure from New York, stopping at Washington,
DC around 12:15 am, Richmond at 2:45 am, and Raleigh, NC at 6:25 am. After
Raleigh the Palmland made many local stops all day to
Jacksonville, where it would run overnight to Miami, arriving, sometimes at
6:00 am or later, as in this schedule, at 4:55 am. The sleeping car could be
occupied until 7:00 am.
Northbound, the Palmland again ran overnight to Jacksonville, then making most local stops from there to Raleigh, then overnight from Raleigh, at 8:00 pm, Richmond at 12:15 am. Washington, DC, at 3:00 am, where it was attached to Pennsylvania (later Penn Central) Train #118 for the overnight run to New York arriving at 8:00 am. It catered to business traffic between the middle south and New York, as well as Jacksonville to Miami overnight traffic, and provided a host of local cities service to the Northeast and Florida. Most of the coaches were modernized heavyweight cars with airconditioning. It was cut back to New York - Columbia, SC late in 1968, under the Seaboard Coast Line. The former Atlantic Coast Line's Gulf Coast Special provided the service from Jacksonville and Savannah to/from the Northeast via Florence, SC and Rocky Mount, NC instead of via Columbia, Hamlet and Raleigh. The sleeping cars were removed from both Palmland and Gulf Coast Special by 1970.
Equipment, Summer Season, 1967:
(from timetable effective April 30, 1967)
PALMLAND
Train Numbers 9 Soutbound, 10 Northbound
Type Car .....................Car No........Between:
Baggage
Car........................................Washington to Miami
Baggage
Car........................................Miami to New York
Reclining Seat Coach (not
reserved)................New York-Miami
Reclining Seat Coach (not
reserved)................New York-Hamlet
10 Roomette 6 Double Bedroom......S-121
B-122......New York-Miami
10 Roomette 6 Double Bedroom......S-121
B-122......New York-Hamlet*
Diner..............................................Raleigh-Hamlet
Grill Car..........................................Hamlet-Jacksonville
*Last trip Jun 10 soutbound, Jun 11
northbound
Accomodation Notes:
Sec = Sections - Pullman's original type of accomodation: Facing seats on either side of an open corridor, where the seats roll down to attach to each other and form a bed, and a pre-made upper berth in an enclosed compartment is opened where the mattress and bedding for the lower bed is kept - the mattress and bedding are pulled down and made up by the porter for the lower berth, curtains are hung screening off each 'section' of the upper and lower berth on each side of the car. toilets and sinks at the ends of the car. The most typical arrangement was 12 Sections and 1 Drawing Room in the traditional Pullman car. Modern streamlined cars had very few sections but those that did typically carried them in configurations like: 6 Sec, 4 Double Bedrooms, Roomettes and on Seaboard, the 4 Sec, 4 Rmtte, 5 Dbl Bdrms, 1 Cpt cars like the 'Cedartown' which ran as the Richmond-Miami car on the Silver Star above.
Rmtte = Roomettes - Single room, about the size of a twin bed, with pull-down bed from the wall behind the seat. To use the toilet, the bed has to be pushed up into the wall. With the bed down, most Roomettes required the occupant to open the door first before getting out of bed, with a zippered curtain so you could stand in the aisle to fold up your bed to use the toilet. more moderen ones had a cutaway bed so you could stand up without opening th door.
Dbl Bdrms = Double Bedrooms - accomodation for two, can be opened en-suite with other bedrooms to accomodate four, private toilet..
Cpts = Compartments - accomodation for two, larger than Bedroom, private toilet.
Drawing Rm = Drawing Room - accomodation for three, private toilet
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