Does anyone have some sort of rosters / consists of Pullman equipment used on the Seminole...say, early 50's to early 60's. ? Thanks !

-- Buck Dean (big4@prodigy.net), February 23, 1998

Answers

Frank Ardrey's picture of the Seminole appears in the May-June 1992 issue of "Ties" (The article is about train watching at Weems, AL). The article also mentions another piece about the Seminole by David Morgan appearing in the April 1968 issue of TRAINS. The picture is of the "High Rock", a 10 section-observation-lounge buildt by Pullman in December 1915 and bought by CG in the late 40's after the court-ordered breakup of Pullman. The "High Rock" was later leased back to Pullman for service on the Seminole between Savannah and Chicago. Hope this helps

-- Bill Lowe (wblowe@rocketmail.com), February 22, 1999.

MONARCHS OF MID-AMERICA lists Seminole consists effective 6/16/53 (Train 10) and 1/7/55 (Train 9), showing three 8Sec-1DRm-2Cpt sleepers, two of which operated south of Birmingham on CofGa and ACL. A separate listing of specific Pullman car assignments for Trains 9-10, effective 5/16/55, shows 10Sec-1Cpt-2DBR sleeper Chicago-Birmingham (Hamilton College and Hillsdale College assigned), and 10Sec-1DRm-2Cpt sleeper Chicago-Jacksonville (Lake Catherine, Lake Grandin, and Lake Quimalt assigned).

November 1954 and September 1955 OFFICIAL GUIDES both show 10Sec-1Cpt-2DBR sleeper Chicago-Birmingham and 10Sec-1DRm-2Cpt sleeper Chicago-Jacksonville. December 1958 OFFICIAL GUIDE shows 6Sec-6DBR sleeper Chicago-Jacksonville. Movie film of entire train, shot by my father south of Albany on ACL in summer of 1958, shows what I think is 8Sec-5DBR sleeper (IC brown and orange).

Green Frog's "Passenger Trains of the 60's" video, Volume 3 ("Trains of Birmingham") has several good shots of the Seminole with streamlined 6Sec-6Rmt-4DBR sleeper, that Bryan Smith indicates began operating on the Seminole at least as early as Winter 1959. MIDWEST FLORIDA SUNLINERS indicates that sleeper was discontinued south of Birmingham, effective 4/24/66, but it must have been reinstated for a while the following winter. Train was apparently discontinued south of Carbondale, Illinois, on 6/3/69, and renamed Shawnee.

-- Jay Priester (wjclp@sprintmail.com), March 08, 1998.

I don't have any specific car numbers but I do have some public timetables from that era that list the type of pullman equipment operated on the Seminole. The May 1946 timetable lists the following sleeping cars between the points: Chicago/Jacksonville (10 section, 2 compartment, 1 drawing room) St Louis/Jacksonville (12 section, 1 drawing room) Chicago/St Petersburg-Tampa (8 sec., 2 compt., 1 DR) (Every 3rd day to and from Tampa)(shows operating south of Albany on The Southland) Chicago/Miami (6 compt., 3 DR) Chicago/Miami (12 section, 1 DR) Also lists an observation car with 10 sections operating between Chicago and Savannah.

The Summer 1957 timetable shows the following equipment: Chicago/Birmingham (6 sections, 6 Double bedrooms) Chicago/Jacksonville (8 sec., 1 drawing room, 3 Dbl bedrooms)

The Winter 1959 timetable shows the following equipment: Chicago/Jacksonville (6 sections, 6 roomettes, 4 dbl bedrooms)

The June 1965, January 1966, and January 1967 timetables show exact same sleeper service as the Winter 1959 shows.

The August 1968 timetable makes no mention of sleeping car service on the Seminole but does contain the unfortunate notice that application has been submitted to the ICC to discontinue the Seminole. I think the Seminole survived to the Amtrak era but I am not sure. Can anyone shed more light on whether it did or not???

Bryan Smith

-- Bryan Smith (bsmith3608@aol.com), March 06, 1998.