Passenger Train Consists Lynchburg-Bristol

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A quick search of the Virginia Chronicle newspaper database turns up some
details about The Tennessean. Based on some newspaper articles in my
archive, I plugged in a search from November 1940 to December 1941 and
searched on "Tennessean" as the keyword. A number of the hits were
duplicates of a news release published in a number of papers along
the route of the new train. Here are a couple of articles that give details
about the consist, names of cars, and a tidbit about staff on the RPO.

Bruce in Blacksburg

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Radford News Journal, Volume 13, Number 42, 8 May 1941, pg. 8

*Car On New Train Named for Radford*

Radford has been honored in the Southern Railway’s naming of cars that make
up the three new streamlined trains which will operate as “The Tennessean”
between Washington, D. C., and Memphis. The city’s name has been given to
one of the ultra-modern chair cars of the new service.

“The Tennessean,” built in the Chicago shops of Pullman-Standard, is
constructed of high tensile steel, with sheathing of attractive stainless
steel. It will be formally introduced to cities along the route during an
exhibition tour which will start in Memphis on May 5. A christening
ceremony and public display of the train is planned for Memphis that day
with representatives of the railway, Pullman-Standard and civic leaders
participating in the program.

Each of “The Tennessean” trains will include three chair cars, a
baggage-dormitory car, a partition chair car, a dining car and a
lounge-tavern-observation car.

“The Tennessean" will be powered by a Diesel locomotive between Bristol and
Memphis, and by a streamlined steam locomotive between Washington and
Bristol. The Diesel locomotive was built by the Electro-Motive corporation,
a subsidiary of General Motors.

Pullman sleeping car service will be available between Memphis and
Chattanooga and between Nashville and Bristol.

“The Tennessean” will be on display in Radford May 14 from 12:01 p. m. to
4:00 p. m., in the course of its exhibition tour between Memphis and
Washington, D. C.

During the pre-service run a number of stops will be made at intermediate
points along the line to allow the public in the territory to see the
advanced styling, ultra-modern construction and detailed comfort planning
which have gone into making “The Tennessean” the luxury train it is.

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Commonwealth Monitor, Volume 42, Number 22, 25 April 1941, pg. 5

*SOUTHERN PUTS ON NEW SPECIAL*

Southern Railway System’s newest streamlined train, “The Tennessean”, Nos.
45 and 46, which is to take the place of the presently operated Memphis
Special, will be placed in regular daily service between Washington and
Memphis, in conjunction with the Norfolk & Western Railway between
Lynchburg and Bristol, on or about May 15, Frank L. Jenkins, passenger
traffic manager of the Southern Railway, announced Saturday.

Beginning May 6, one of the three deluxe trains will make a pre-service
exhibition run from Memphis to Washington with stops for public inspection
at intermediate points along the line. Appropriate christening ceremonies
at Memphis on May 5, will mark the opening of the exhibition tour, with
officials of the railways, representatives of the builders, leaders of
civic groups and other participating.

“The Tennessean”, which will operate as three identical trains, is built of
high tensile steel with sheating of stainless steel, according to Mr.
Jenkins. “Each train will be made up of three straight chair cars, a
partition chair car, a baggae[sic baggage]-dormiitory chair car, 48-seat
dining car and lounge-tavern-observation unit. In addition to the coach
equipment, Pullman sleeping car service will be available between Memphis
and Bristol, between Memphis and Chattanooga and between Nashville and
Bristol. Included in the new trains are all the latest refinements for
safety, comfort and beauty. Typical of the comfort planning are the twin
rotating, reclining type seats in all chair car units; settees, lounge
chairs, card sections and refreshment facilities in the
lounge-tavern-observation car.

“The decorative treatment of ‘The Tennessean’ emphasizes blue, beige and
green in light, medium and dark tones. Blue is featured in two of the chair
cars and the baggage-dorimitory chair car. One of the straight chair cars
and the partition chair car employ the biege [sic beige] scheme, while
green predominates in the diner and the lounge-tavern-observation unit.
Photo-murals depicting rich scenes from the territory served by the trains
heighten the atmosphere of luxury and beauty throughout the various cars.
All cars have themostatically controlled heating and air conditioning,
electric drinking water fountains and a radio is installed in the
observation car. Seats will be reserved in advance without additional
charge, insuring comfortable reclining chairs for both short and long
journeys. These new trains will be powered by a 4,000 H. P. green and
silver Diesel-electric locomotive between Memphis and Bristol and
streamlined steam power between Bristol and Washington.

"Last but not least", adds Mr. Jenkins, “are the attractive Tennesse girls
who have been selected as hostesses on the streamliners. Their blue-green
gabardine uniforms and berets are as flashy as the new trains themselves.
The hostess is sort of an ambassador of good will and it is her duty to
show the passengers that the railway is trying to do everything possible to
make their travel more comfortable”.

“The Tennessean” will operate southbound from Washington to Memphis on the
following schedule: Lv Washintgon at 9 a. m., passing Charlottesville at
11:20 a. m., Lynchburg 12:50 p. m., Bristol at 5:10 p. m., (Central time),
Greeneville 6:45 p. m., Morristown 7:30 p. m., arriving Knoxville at 8:25
p. m., Cleveland 10:30 p. m., Chattanooga 11:25 p. m., Huntsville 1:58 a.
m., Decatur 2:35 a. m., Sheffield 3:30 a. m., Corinth 4:55 a. m., Grand
Juniction 5:50 a. m. and Memphis at 7:10 a. m.

Northbound trains will leave Memphis at 8 p. m., passing Corinth at 10:10
p. m., Sheffield 11:30 p. m., Decatur 12:35 a. m., Huntsville 1:10 a. m.,
arriving Chattanooga at 3:25 a. m., Cleveland 4:28 a. m., Knoxville 6:15 a.
m., Morriston 7:27 a. m., Greeneville 8:15 a. m., Johnston City 9:05 a. m.,
Bristol 9:45 a. m., Lynchburg 3:55 p. m., Charlottesville 5:30 p. m., and
reaching Washington at 7:50 p. m.

“The Tennessean” will operate “The Southerner”, similarly streamlined coach
train which the Southern Railway System placed in regular daily service
between New York and New Orleans on April 1.

The Southern’s streamliners are powered by Diesel-electric locomotives
manufactured by the Electro-Motive Corporation, a subsidiary of General
Motors, and the coaches were built by the Pullman-Standard Car
Manufacturing Company.


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Radford News Journal, Volume 13, Number 43, 15 May 1941, pg. 1

Hundreds Visit New Train Here

Several hundred persons inspected the new streamlined train, the Tennesean
[sic Tennessean], which will soon be put into service between Washington
and Memphis, as it stood on the tracks of the N. and W. yesterday from noon
until four p. m. The new train, which consisted of five cars, was
conspicuous for its silver color and its design carrying out modern ideas
in streamlining.

The five cars are named for towns which will be served by the new train,
one of which is Radford. In recognition of the honor, the city council of
Radford yesterday presented a bouquet of mixed flowers to be used in
decorating the Radford coach as it continued on its public inspection tour.

The Radford car’s interior was done in dusty rose color, with a picture of
Radford State Teachers college being placed at one end of the coach and a
railway scene near the Plum creek entrance to the city featuring the other
end of the car.

Other cars in the train were named for Pulaski, Knoxville, Charlottesville
and Chattanooga. The train consisted of three passenger coaches, a club car
and a dining car.

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Southwest Times, Volume 36, Number 73, 18 May 1941, pg. 3

3 Pulaski Clerks Working Mails On Streamliner

E. R. Utt, W. R. Payne and Joseph Schaffer, all of Pulaski, will form the
mail crew on the streamliner, The Tennessean, when it pulls into the
station here this afternoon, having left Washington on the initial run. The
trio left Pulaski yesterday afternoon, making the final run on No. 26.
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