Passenger trains operational questions

Sat Apr 15 08:48:12 EDT 2017

In the late 1950s the federal government began work on a plan to remove mail and express from the railroads over the next decade and utilize trucks and, to a much lesser extend, airplanes.

It was my good fortune to develop a relationship with Tom Rice, retired CEO of the Atlantic Coast Line, SCL, and CSX. Tom was a VT alum. He became a major general in the Army Reserve and knew President Eisenhower going back to WWII. Tom told me that when he learned of the plan to remove mail and express from the railroads he told President Eisenhower that "this will eliminate rail passenger service in the United States." Eisenhower suggested that he meet with the Postmaster General, then a cabinet officer, and explain this to him.  Tom told me that he got several other railroad presidents to go with him and they explained this to Arthur Summerville, the Postmaster General in no uncertain terms. He said they were thanked for their insight which apparently had no impact on a decision already made.

    Ray Smoot

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 13, 2017, at 11:20 AM, NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org<mailto:nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>> wrote:

> Did head end equipment like RPO cars or mail storage or baggage cars
> ever leave home rails?
>
Owing to the winter surge in  passenger traffic and holiday citrus, ACL and
SAL were pressed for equipment for  The Champions, Florida Special, and
Silver Meteor. Equipment  from the secondary trains filled some slots, but
SAL and ACL relied on foreign line cars to protect assignments also.  Check
out The Everglades en route to Jacksonville on December 22, 1964-

                    ACL No. 375
                   Engs. 546-500
N&W  225                   Express       JAX
FEC 461                     Express         "
N&W 1317                  Express         "
ACL      5                     RPO              "
IC       534                   Mail               "
Sou    114                   Mail               "
Sou    547                   Baggage       "
Sou    523                   Baggage       "
Clover Woods             Sleeper         "
ACL  1124                   Coach           "
ACL   Maitland            Coach           "

Every 8 hours, the clerk for Jacksonville Terminal published  the so-called
"Dope Sheet"  showing consists of trains inbound to the terminal.on
Dec. 22nd.at<http://22nd.at> 12:01 AM
Other N&W head end equipment:
NKP 8503 - Express - Jax  on ACL No. 38 from Chicago
N&W 1322 - Express - Jax on ACL 708 No. 708 was a seasonal train
                                     from Tampa handling head-end traffic only.
                                                           Harry Bundy

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