I am trying to uncover the name of the train that would have taken passengers between Jacksonville, FL and Chicago, IL routed through Fulton, KY. The date would have been about 1957. Would you have any idea of how long this trip would have taken? I am working on a family travel history and this train name escapes everyone. Thank you for any answers you can provide.
This train would be either the “City of Miami” (ran every third or every other day) or the “Seminole” (daily).
It was either the Seminole or the City of Miami. What time of day did the family leave? To get the right time for the City, which took less time than the Seminole, I will have to root out a Guide for that year, but the Seminole left Jacksonville about 7:30 in the morning and arrived in Chicago about 11:00 the next morning. I can get the exact time, if you need it.
Welcome to the forum [#welcome]!
More than likely they rode the streamlined City of Miami which was the faster of the two trains. Passenger cars on the Seminole were modernizd heavyweights which were painted in the Illinois Central’s orange, yellow and brown colors. As Johnny noted the Seminole left Jax early in the morning and arrived in Chicago around 11:00 am the next day making a total travel time of about 28 hours. The City of Miami left Jax at 1:00 am, arrived in Fulton 3:30 pm and Chicago at 10:55 pm. Travel time on the City was between Jax and Chi was 23 hrs and 55 mins.
Mark
But the 1AM departure was not very convenient.
In December 1966 I rode the Seminole from Rantoul Ill. (Chanute AFB ) to Waycross, Ga.Got on late afternoon 5-5:30 got off at 7PM the next day,on-time in SE Ga. My buddy got off in Birmingham Al. to change trains to Atlanta. Quite a trip! Rode the City of Miami back, quite faster but had to bus back to Rantoul from Champlain Il. But I don’t remember Fulton Ky but it is line the track went from Jackson Tn to Carbondale Il. also went thru Cornith Ms, Birmingham, Columbus, Albany, Waycross to Jville.
I’ll have to take a dig at the title of this thread…
“Jacksonville to Florida…”
While many people do consider Jacksonville as a part of South Georgia, it is in the State of Florida already![:D]
Yup–but the climate is, generally, not quite that of what Florida climate is expected to be. I understand that the palm trees that one sees immediately upon coming into the state from the state of Georgia are not native to that latitude, but were set out there so unsuspecting people would think they were really in the Florida climate. Also, west of the Chattahoochee River, you are really in South Alabama. As for me, I was born in Tampa, but grew up in Upcountry (Piedmont) South Carolina.
Oh, to be able to again travel directly, by train, between Chicago and Florida!