Birmingham Special on the Southern Railway
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- Related Websites: Rails Across the Appalachians | Clinchfield.org
Southern Railway Birmingham Special
Birmingham Special Origin and Routing
The Southern Railway premiered the Birmingham Special in 1909. It’s original route was Birmingham to New York City through Atlanta and North Carolina. In 1932, the routing was changed more northward, through Chattanooga, Knoxville, Johnson City, Bristol, Roanoke, and Lynchburg.
Southern, Pennsylvania and Norfolk & Western Railroads
North of Washington DC the Pennsylvania Railroad carried the train on to New York City, while the Norfolk & Western took care of the Bristol to Lynchburg segment.
The Birmingham Special included sleepers, a diner, and coach cars.
For quite a few years, the Special’s northbound and southbound trains would pass through Johnson City within ten minutes of each other around 2AM, using the passing siding for their meet.
(Photo by Roger Puta, Birmingham Special 1968)
Birmingham Special Gradual Decline and Termination
The sleeper service ended in 1964. In 1970, Southern Railway cancelled the train, which by that time the Special only ran on partial segments of the full run between Washington DC and Birmingham.
(The Birmingham Special near Alexandria VA in 1969. Appears to be an E8 and 2 Fs on point. Photo by Roger Puta)
Birmingham Special Stats
- Route: New York City to Birmingham AL
- Cities: New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Bristol, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Birmingham
- Numbers: 17 southbound & 18 northbound
- Years in Service: 1909 to 1970
- Partner Railroads: Pennsylvania (NYC to DC), N&W (Lynchburg to Bristol)
- Streamlined: Never fully streamlined
- Dieselized: Late 1940s with Es & Fs
- Distance: 985 miles
- Scheduled Time: 23 hours (1952)
- Average Speed: 43 MPH (1952)
- Equipment: Coach, Sleeper, Diner, and Restaurant/Lounge in variation throughout its history. In 1952 the Tennessean consist included – Diner: DC to Roanoke. Restaurant/Lounge: DC to Birmingham. Sleepers: 1 NYC to Birmingham, 1 DC to Birmingham, 1 NYC to Knoxville
Birmingham Special Timetable 1952
More Southern Railway information will be added to this page and others in the days ahead. Please let me know if you have any edits that should be made or any content you are willing to share by utilizing the comment form below. Would enjoy hearing from you if you have similar interests in the railroads, the region, or model railroading.
Southern-Railroads.org Sources and Resources
The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the Southern Railway and its predecessors. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Southern-Railroads.org. Much of the content on the website is verified across multiple sources.
- Association: Southern Railway Historical Association
- Personal maps, timetables, track charts, and memorabilia
- Book – Flanary, Lindsey & Oroszi: The Southern Railway
- Book – Graybeal: The Railroads of Johnson City
- Book – Harshaw: ‘Trains Trestles & Tunnels, Railroads of the Southern Appalachians’
- Book – Lindsey: ‘Norfolk Southern 1995 Review’
- Book – Poole: ‘A History of Railroading in Western North Carolina’
- Book – Reisweber: ‘Southern Railway Power’
- Book – Scales: Natural Tunnel, Nature’s Marvel in Stone’
- Book – Stout: ‘Southern Railway: Through Passenger Service’
- Book – Ward: ‘Southern Railway Varnish 1964-1979’
- Book – Webb: ‘The Southern Railway System: An Illustrated History’
- Book – Wiley & Wallace: ‘The Southern Railway Handbook’
- Book – Withers & Sink: ‘Southern: A Motive Power Pictorial’
- Book – Wolfe: Southern Railway Appalachia Division
- Magazines – ‘Trains‘ , ‘Classic Trains‘
- Website – Carolana.com – North Carolina Railroads, South Carolina Railroads
- Website – Hawkinsrails.net
- Website – Johnson’s Depot hosted by StateOfFranklin.net
- Website – Multimodalways.org: Norfolk Southern Track Charts
- Website – RailFanGuides.us for Johnson City
- Website – SteamLocomotive.com
- Website – TheDieselShop.us
- Website – VirginiaPlaces.org – Railroad History of Virginia
Contact Us
Would enjoy hearing from you if you have questions, suggestions, edits, or content that you are willing to share. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have similar interests in the Southern or Model Railroads.
3Cs Websites
Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org
