There is a lot in the local ATL news just now about a murder some time back on the Silver Comet trail. Sometimes the news tries to explain that the name has something to do with trains but they usually do not get it any closer than that. It is now a hiking and cycling trail, very popular.Usually in the news for more pleasant reasons.
It refers to abandoned tracks of the Seaboard Railroad between Atlanta and Birmingham. The primary, fastest and finest train on that route was the Silver Comet, sister to the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star.The Silver Comet was discontinued about 1969. before Amtrak.The Comet went from NYC,WAS,Richmond to Atl and BHM, whereas the other two, as is well known went and still go from NYC to Florida points.
The Silver Meteor was put into operation in 1939. It was called "silver'" because it was one of the earlier stainless steel American streamliners. "Meteor", I guess,to suggest something speeding across the sky or in this case, the railroads.Stainless steel was a novely then, not the norm it is today. Of course the other two silver trains,begun in 1947, were so named for the same reasons.
The Seaboard would be CSX today. their freights still operate, about a few yards from my home. It was in competition with the Southern, which operated the Crescent and various other trains. Today of course that is Norfolk Southern.
Just as the Southern trains from NYC to ATL and NOL had a suburban station (the one which today is used as a regular station) the Seaboard also had a suburban stop. It was at Emory University, still there, I think, as a campus operated resaurant last I heard.
It refers to abandoned tracks of the Seaboard Railroad between Atlanta and Birmingham. The primary, fastest and finest train on that route was the Silver Comet, sister to the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star.The Silver Comet was discontinued about 1969. before Amtrak.The Comet went from NYC,WAS,Richmond to Atl and BHM, whereas the other two, as is well known went and still go from NYC to Florida points.
The Silver Meteor was put into operation in 1939. It was called "silver'" because it was one of the earlier stainless steel American streamliners. "Meteor", I guess,to suggest something speeding across the sky or in this case, the railroads.Stainless steel was a novely then, not the norm it is today. Of course the other two silver trains,begun in 1947, were so named for the same reasons.
The Seaboard would be CSX today. their freights still operate, about a few yards from my home. It was in competition with the Southern, which operated the Crescent and various other trains. Today of course that is Norfolk Southern.
Just as the Southern trains from NYC to ATL and NOL had a suburban station (the one which today is used as a regular station) the Seaboard also had a suburban stop. It was at Emory University, still there, I think, as a campus operated resaurant last I heard.
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