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Reply to "Southern RR Fans- PHOTOS"

In 1961 and for several years later, once monthly while working on a project at our NYC office, my company here in Greensboro booked me in a bedroom on the SRR's Piedmont Limited on Sunday night at 8:30 for NYC, returning to Greensboro on the Peach Queen at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night. Sleeping overnight on the train was a great way to commute to NYC and back, especially during winter weather. I would arrive at Penn Station about 7:00 a.m Monday, walk across the street and check into the Statler Hilton (former Pennsylvania Hotel) then walk up to our office at Broadway and 4Oth St.

When leaving Greensboro I would eat a "tote" snack, read a couple of reports, go to bed and most always be awakened by the "bump" when the car was changed over to Pennsy power in D.C.  Of course, this was the era of diesel and electric power for the "name trains" out of the South to D.C. and NYC.

My memory is now obsolete but I agree with Tom's analysis above. I do recall from Burke Davis's Southern Railway history when in 1939-40 Morgan Trust finally freed up funds for Southern( who was still in receivership and near bankruptcy). Funds to purchase the E6s and the stainless"silver cars" for delivery in March 1941( the Southerner), in May (the Tennessean) and finally in December (the Crescent). Of course all shipments ceased upon the entry of the USA into WWII in December '41 and, as Tom mentioned delivery of new rail cars post-war was very slow . The deliveries for the "Silver Trains"( also promoted as "Streamliners" in ads) when delivered in 1941, did not include sleepers so Southern painted some upfitted heavyweights silver for use in the  consists.

 

Last edited by Dewey Trogdon

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