N&W/Southern thru passenger service

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There was also a Southern/N&W train that ran until the early 1950's that was primarily a mail train with a rider coach. Perhaps Louis Newton or someone else can  provide more information about this pair of trains. My recollection is that the east/northbound train left Roanoke late in the evening and arrived Lynchburg in the early morning. I have no information about the south/westbound counterpart.


      Ray Smoot

On Nov 27, 2012, at 4:26 PM, "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org<mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:


Not to be forgotten, my list friends, is that the Southern ran their three Lynchburg trains well after Amtrak started. Without looking up dates, the Lynchburg Special (the remnant of the Birmingham Special or Tennessean) was cancelled first. The Piedmont, an SR Washington/Atlanta (?) only train was next. The Southern Crescent survived by becoming part of AMTRAK in the fall of '78. The D&RGW was the only (I think)other RR to keep their regularly scheduled passenger trains after AMTRAK.
Charlie Long
Lynchburg, VA


I believe we have most of the name trains that ran the Washington to Atlanta route of Southern.  First the Southerner and Crescent, with the Peach Queen.
My June 15, 1969 schedule shows Southerner as trains 47/48, the Crescent train 38 north bound, the Peach Queen the Southbound train 29.  These trains were merged by the next timetable I have for May1974 to form the Southern Crescent, trains 1 and 2, which is the train Amtrak(19/20) still operates today.  Power was always the the green and imitation aluminum E8's.  As someone mentioned routing at times was over the A&WP and L&N.  In 1974 The Crescent ran daily to Birmingham and try-weekly on to New Orleans.

The Piedmont was I believe a all coach train(was assigned a grill/coach) that ran Washington to Atlanta.  Power was usually the FP7's and freight locos as late in life this train handled hot shot piggybacks to Potomac yard. At times handled local locomotives that were moved to and from Atlanta for service and inspection.  Now is a NCDOT train with Amtrak for Charlotte to Raleigh service(73/74)

The Asheville Train was the Carolina Special which came from Cincinnati to Asheville and was split there into two sections, one to South Carolina running I believe all the way to Charleston for a period using Saluda grade.  the North Carolina section ran from Asheville to Greenville, NC via Winston Salem/ Greensboro.  Power was passenger equipped F3's and or FP7's.  It did have the Wabash dome from the N&W.  The Asheville special ran Asheville to Greensboro, NC via Winston Salem, to connect with the Peach Queen and Crescent.  Later was from Salisbury to Asheville.  The other dome from the N&W was assigned to the Crescent but came no farther north than Atlanta in that service.

The Carolinian was another all coach which I believe was Charlotte, NC to Washington DC thru Raleigh there transferred to the Seaboard.  This train is operated by Amtrak(79/80) with the same routing.

The Pelican is listed in 1969 as DC to Bristol.

I hope this wasn't to long and not really what I had in mind with my original question.  But thanks for the great discussion and I hope this helps.

James Wall
Rural Hall, NC
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