December 16 (or within one or two days) through April 24(or one or two days) of the following year was the agreed upon season of extra sleeping cars(and sometimes extra trains) to Florida for people to spend part of the winter.
These were the trains or through cars from New York, Boston,Chicago,Detroit,Cleveland,Kansas City etc,etc,tc to various Florida destinations.
It took many railroads and interline connections to cooperare with this. Some of the more recognizable lines which had a role in this were Pennsylvania, New York Central,Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard, Florida East Coast,Louisville and Nashville, Southern and others.(not trying to be complete here) Quite an accomplshment.
In many cases it meant adding sleeping cars. Sometimes,especially on the Atlantic Coast Line route(just for one), it even meant extra trains. Even the Orange Blossom Special, of country music fame, was a snowbird winter train on the Seaboard.
I do not know why those dates were picked. The beginning date of about Dec. 16 obviously got some extra cars for the holiday rush. I do not know what specifically motivated April 24 or so as the stop date.
Anyone out there trying to find old timetables or something,anything for Florida should look for the winter season as it would be much thicker and juicier.
I have no idea how far back this snowbird season took place.It was happening in the early 40's at least.
These were the trains or through cars from New York, Boston,Chicago,Detroit,Cleveland,Kansas City etc,etc,tc to various Florida destinations.
It took many railroads and interline connections to cooperare with this. Some of the more recognizable lines which had a role in this were Pennsylvania, New York Central,Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard, Florida East Coast,Louisville and Nashville, Southern and others.(not trying to be complete here) Quite an accomplshment.
In many cases it meant adding sleeping cars. Sometimes,especially on the Atlantic Coast Line route(just for one), it even meant extra trains. Even the Orange Blossom Special, of country music fame, was a snowbird winter train on the Seaboard.
I do not know why those dates were picked. The beginning date of about Dec. 16 obviously got some extra cars for the holiday rush. I do not know what specifically motivated April 24 or so as the stop date.
Anyone out there trying to find old timetables or something,anything for Florida should look for the winter season as it would be much thicker and juicier.
I have no idea how far back this snowbird season took place.It was happening in the early 40's at least.
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