1952 Passenger Trains of the Southern Railway

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Southern Railway Passenger Trains of 1952

Southern Railway Passenger Schedule May 1952

With competition from highways and airlines, ridership on passenger trains had already begun to decline after 1944. However, 1952 was a year that Southern Railway and other railroads had most of their trains still running, and had begun to invest in new equipment and services to try to reverse or minimize the declines in ridership.

Southern’s first two streamlined trains were the Southerner and the Tennessean in 1941. But it was not until the early 1950s that the rest of signature trains, including the Crescent, received their streamlined passenger cars.

This page is an overview of the trains Southern had listed in their May15, 1952 Schedule

SOU Named Passenger Trains in 1952

The following is a quick list of the Southern’s named trains. Their details, follow it in the detailed list below.

  • #1&2 Ponce de Leon (Chicago to Miami)
  • #3&4 Royal Palm (Chicago to Miami)
  • #7&8 Kansas City-Florida Special (Kansas City to Miami)
  • #9&10 Skyland Special (Asheville to Miami)
  • #15&16 Asheville Special (Washington DC to Asheville)
  • #17&18 Birmingham Special (New York to Birmingham)
  • #27&28 Carolina Special (Charleston/Goldsboro to Cincinnati)
  • #29&#30 The Peach Queen (New York to Atlanta)
  • #29&30 The Sunnyland (Atlanta to Birmingham)
  • #31&32 Aiken-Augusta Special (Washington DC to Augusta)
  • #33&34 Piedmont Limited (New York to New Orleans)
  • #35&36 Washington-Atlanta-New Orleans Express (New York to New Orleans)
  • #37&38 The Crescent (New York to New Orleans)
  • #40 The New Yorker (Atlanta to New York)
  • #41&42 The Pelican (New York to New Orleans)
  • #45&46 The Tennessean (Washington DC to Memphis)
  • #47&48 The Southerner (New York to New Orleans)

SOU Detailed List of all Passenger Trains in 1952

#NameFrom – DepartTo – ArriveEquipmentConnectionsStopsMiles
1Ponce de LeonChicago – 1:00PMMiami – 7:00AM
Tampa – 5:45AM		Coach, Restaurant- Lounge, SleeperDetroit, Cleveland, St. LouisCincinnati, Lexington, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Valdosta, Jacksonville
1 LocalUnnamed – Knoxville DivisionBristol – 4:00AMKnoxville – 9:20AMCoach130.7
2Ponce de Leon Miami – 10:00PM
Tampa – 10:30PM		Chicago – 3:00PMCoach, Restaurant- Lounge, SleeperSt. Louis
Cleveland,
Detroit		Jacksonville, Valdosta, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Lexington, Cincinnati
3Royal PalmChicago – 1130PMMiami – 4:45PM
Tampa – 12:55PM		Coach, Restaurant-Lounge, Diner, SleeperDetroit, Cleveland, St. LouisJacksonville, Valdosta, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Lexington, Cincinnati
4Royal PalmMiami – 12:01PM
Tampa – 2:10PM		Chicago – 6:50AMCoach, Restaurant-Lounge, Diner, SleeperSt. Louis, Cleveland, DetroitJacksonville, Valdosta, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Lexington, Cincinnati
4 LocalUnnamed Local – Knoxville DivisionKnoxville – 5:30AMBristol – 10:08AMCoach130.7
7Kansas City – Florida SpecialKansas City – 11:30PMMiami – 4:45PM
Tampa – 12:55PM		Coach, Restaurant-Lounge, Diner, SleeperSt. LouisMemphis, Birmingham, Atlanta, Macon, Jacksonville
7Unnamed Local – Richmond DivisionRichmond – 3:10PMDanville – 7:10PM140
8Kansas City – Florida SpecialMiami – 12:01PM
Tampa – 2:10PM		Kansas City – 730AMCoach, Restaurant-Lounge, Diner, SleeperSt. LouisJacksonville, Macon, Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis
9Skyland SpecialAsheville – 4:45PMMiami – 3:40PM
St. Pete – 2:35PM		Coach, Dinette-Coach, SleeperCharlotteSpartanburg, Columbia, Savannah, Jacksonville
10Skyland SpecialMiami – 1:00PM
St. Pete – 9:45AM		Asheville – 11:30AMCoach, Dinette-Coach, SleeperCharlotteJacksonville, Savannah, Columbia, Spartanburg
11UnnamedRichmond – 10:15PMDanville – 2:15AM
Coach, Drawing Room-Sleeping Car
12UnnamedDanville – 4:00AMRichmond – 8:00AMCoach,
Drawing Room-Sleeping Car
14Unnamed Local – Richmond DivisionDanville – 12:50PMRichmond – 4:50PM140.4
15Asheville SpecialWashington DC – 7:20PMAsheville – 9:15AMCoach, Diner, SleepersBoston,
New York, Raleigh		Charlottesville, Lynchburg, Greensboro, W. Salem, Statesville
16Asheville SpecialAsheville – 3:45PMWashington DC – 4:20AMCoach, Diner, SleepersRaleigh,
New York, Boston		Statesville, W. Salem, Greensboro, Lynchburg, Charlottesville
17 Birmingham SpecialNew York – 11:30AMBirmingham – 9:30AMCoach, Diner, Sleepers, LoungeBoston
18Birmingham SpecialBirmingham – 3:30PMNew York – 4:25PMCoach, Diner, Sleepers, LoungeBoston
27Carolina SpecialCincinnati – 9:50PM
Charleston – 8:30PM
Goldsboro – 11:46PM		Coach, Diner, Sleepers, LoungeChicago, Cleveland, Detroit, St. LouisKnoxville, Asheville, Wnstn Salem, Greensboro, Raleigh
Columbia
28Carolina SpecialCharleston – 7:30AM
Goldsboro – 5:00AM		Cincinnati – 7:00AMCoach, Diner, Sleepers, LoungeChicago, Cleveland, Detroit, St. LouisColumbia, Raleigh, Greensboro, W. Salem, Asheville, Knoxville
29The Peach Queen – SBNew York – 4:25PMAtlanta – 2:30PMMeridian, Shreveport
29The SunnylandAtlanta – 4:45PMBirmingham – 8:30PMCoach, Diner, SleeperMemphis, St. LouisAnniston
30The Peach Queen – NBAtlanta – 1:55PMNew York – 11:40AMShreveport, Meridian
30The SunnylandBirmingham – 7:25AMAtlanta – 1:25PMCoach, Diner, SleeperSt. Louis, MemphisAnniston
31Aiken-August Special – SBWashington DC – 7:20PMAugusta – 11:15AM
32Aiken-August Special – NBAugusta – 1:45PMWashington DC – 4:20AM
33Piedmont Limited – SBNew York – 10:15PMNew Orleans – 8:05AM
34Piedmont Limited – NBNew Orleans – 5:00PMNew York – 6:20AM
35Washington-Atlanta-New Orleans Express – SBNew York – 8:30AMNew Orleans – 7:30PM
36Washington-Atlanta-New Orleans Express – NBNew Orleans – 8:20AMNew York – 9:55PM
37The Crescent – SBNew York – 2:50PMNew Orleans – 7:55PM
38The Crescent – NBNew Orleans – 11:00PMNew York – 8:55AM
39Train #39 – SBNew York – 7:30PMAtlanta – 7:50PM
40The New Yorker – NBAtlanta – 7:00PMNew York – 1:20PM
41The Pelican – SBNew York – 7:30PMNew Orleans – 7:30AM
42The Pelican – NBNew Orleans – 9:00PMNew York – 11:50AM
45The Tennessean – SBWashington DC – 8:00AMMemphis – 7:45AM
46The Tennessean – NBMemphis – 7:40PMWashington DC – 8:10PM
47The Southerner – SBNew York – 4:25PMNew Orleans – 8:50PM
48The Southerner – NBNew Orleans – 9:00AMNew York – 1:20PM
135(Unnamed) LocalWashington DC – – 830AMAtlanta – 9:40AM
136(Unnamed) LocalAtlanta – 10:45PMWashington DC – 9:30PM

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.

Royal Palm Ad from the Schedule

Royal Palm Ad from 1952 Southern Railway Schedule

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