Southern Crescent before Amtrak

[AmtrakMaineiac]

The recent discussion about the Crescent reminded m of a time when I was stationed in the USAF at Biloxi MS and drove up to Hattiesburg to see the Crescent arrive. This was March 1972 when the Southern was still running the train. These are from scanned color prints:

I particularly like the one of the dome, with the conductor wiping down the handrails. They obviously took pride in their operation.

 

[John from RI]

Thanks for that bit of nostalgia. I rode the Cresent a few times when the Southern Railroad was still operating it and I still have pleasant memories, especially of the Dome Car and of eating breakfast as the train traveled across Lake Pontchartrain.

 

[Palmland]

When checking old schedules for the Southern Ry for a thread about Asheville service, I found a surprising fact that I had long forgotten.

I knew Amtrak operated for a time a thru NYP sleeper to LA. But I had forgotten that in November of 1971 the Southern Crescent carried a tri weekly sleeper from Boston to LA. Now that would have been quite a trip. A coach also originated in Boston with lots of cars, including diner, not added til Washington. I suspect PC didn’t want to mess with it in NY.

I was also thinking service operated tri weekly south of Atlanta, but in fact it turned on those days at Birmingham.

 

[Rasputin]

I rode the through coach to Boston northbound on several trips between 1972 and 1975 if my recollection of the dates is accurate (and I wonder if the timetables from that period confirm the operation of the Boston coach). I don't recall ever riding the through Boston coach southbound from Boston. It was nice not to have to change cars en route and to be able to go right through to Boston on the same coach.

 

[railiner]

I suspect PC didn’t want to mess with it in NY.

I do not understand why that would be. By May 1, 1971, it was Amtrak responsible for the trains operation on the NEC, although in the early years, it was still actually handled by the host railroad (PC in this case).
And even prior to Amtrak...Penn Central carried SCL's diners to and from New York on the Florida trains....

 

[Palmland]

I rode the through coach to Boston northbound on several trips between 1972 and 1975 if my recollection of the dates is accurate (and I wonder if the timetables from that period confirm the operation of the Boston coach). I

See below

I do not understand why that would be. By May 1, 1971, it was Amtrak responsible for the trains operation on the NEC, although in the early years, it was still actually handled by the host railroad (PC in this case).
And even prior to Amtrak...Penn Central carried SCL's diners to and from New York on the Florida trains....

Thanks for the reminder, it had to have been Amtrak's decision and not PC. But unlike the Florida trains, the Cresecent was just a couple cars tacked on to a NEC train. I guess it was easier to add them in Boston to a train originating there and maybe the marketing guys thought it might get some added revenue. In those days with lots of heritage cars around, equipment availability wasn't an issue.