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Racing south on the Southern Belle
Great Story. Read it in the hard copy issue and just as good seven years later.
Great account of your experience; always sad to hear about the deaths of these great trains. Thanks again!
I believe every word! Those “old hoggers” were really Railroad men. Gosh, I wish I would have been born in that era of Railroading then.
Very interesting and colorful. Great reading for railfans. I think this is the reason for train control. There were reasons for speed postings. They did not include union work rules but the SAFETY of the paying public. Ask the people in Philadelphia .
A good engineer knew the road and knew that speed limits, especially those for passenger trains, was really just a suggestion. A good railroader knew what rules could be bent and what ones couldn’t. In addition years ago track was properly maintained by section men who WALKED the track daily, knew its condition and corrected things accordingly, They didn’t ride in a hyrail truck over a hundred miles of track.
Given the speed that Earl was making, I’m curious how the author’s brakeman buddy beat the train to Ashdown and was waiting for the author’s arrival.
I recall riding the Seaboard’s Silver Meteor from Jacksonville to Fayetteville around 1964. The secondary trains that had handled mail and express had been discontinued, and the head-end equipment and work added to the streamliners, but their schedules had not been changed. So dwell time at stations was doubled or tripled. I was timing the train with watch and mile posts, mile after mile at 36 second, 100 mph. An assistant conductor, flagman, or brakeman, you supply the correct title, was sitting across from me at the rear of the round-end obs. I asked him: “Do you know what speed we are going?” His answer: “The ICC speed limit on this track is 79 mph, and that is as fast as we are going.” I said: “I am timing us at each mile at 36 seconds.” He repeated: :The ICC speed limit on this track is 79 mph, and that is as fast as we are going."
a totally awesome recollection!