Carolina Special on the Southern Railway

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Southern Railway Carolina Special

The Carolina Special was a prominent passenger train on the Southern Railway that operated between Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Carolinas from 1911 until its discontinuation in 1968. It served as a vital transportation link between the Midwest and the Southeast, with its route splitting in Asheville, North Carolina. One branch continued east to Goldsboro, North Carolina, while the other ran south to Charleston, South Carolina.

The Carolina Special was notable for traversing the scenic Appalachian Mountains, including the infamously steep Saluda Grade. In its heyday, the train offered a full range of services, including Pullman sleepers, dining cars, and lounge cars, providing a touch of luxury travel to its passengers. It also carried significant express business, which helped keep the train profitable in its later years.

However, with the rise of the automobile and air travel in the mid-20th century, the train’s popularity declined. Equipment and services were cut back over time; for instance, the dining car was replaced by a dinette. The last run of the Carolina Special took place on December 5, 1968, marking the end of a long-standing service that was, for decades, a lifeline connecting the mountain resorts of western North Carolina with the coastal Carolinas and beyond.

Carolina Special Stats

  • Route: Cincinnati OH to Goldsboro NC/Charleston SC (split at Asheville)
  • Cities: Cincinnati, Lexington, Knoxville, and Asheville. NC section on to Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Raleigh and Goldsboro. SC section on to Spartanburg, Columbia, and Charleston.
  • Numbers: 27 southbound & 28 northbound
  • Years in Service: 1911 to 1968
  • Partner Railroads: Connections with the New York Central and Baltimore & Ohio at Cincinnati.
  • Dieselized: Late 1940s (EMD Es and Fs)
  • Streamlined: Never fully streamlined
  • Distance: 638 miles to Charleston SC, 731 miles to Goldsboro NC
  • Scheduled Time: 22 hours 40 minutes to Charleston SC, 25 hours 56 minutes to Goldsboro NC (1952)
  • Average Speed: 28 MPH to Charleston and to Goldsboro, (1952)
  • Equipment: Coach, Sleeper, Diner, Dinette/Coach, and Lounge in variation throughout its history. In 1952: Diner: Knoxville to Columbia, Lounge: Cincinnati to Asheville, Dinette/Coach: Asheville to Goldsboro, 1 Sleeper: Chicago to Charleston, 1 Sleeper: Chicago to Greensboro, 1 Sleeper: Cincinnati to Asheville, 1 Sleeper: Louisville to Columbia

Carolina Special Schedule – 1952

Carolina Special Timetable - Southern Railway - 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.

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Appalachian-Railroads.org | Clinchfield.org | Southern-Railroads.org