I am in buliding a 12'x20' HO scale layout and the main intrest is going to be Knoxville. I am modeling from 1940-1960's I need to know what passenger trains stoped at Knoxville. I am also going to put signals on the layout also and a C.T.C pannel and can some body tell me wat signaling Souther used US&S OR GRS? Were can I get a hold of a time table of the Knoxville sub?

-- Greg Runions (Southern4501@hotmail.com), January 30, 2005

Answers

Greg:

What timeframe are you more interested in 40s or the 60s. I have info for the 60s not not much on the 40s. Please advise

Timothy

-- Timothy Branner (Ctim2@aol.com), March 06, 2005.

Basic Knoxvile trains, say the 50's, were 1.Pelican, NY-Wash-Knox- Chattanooga -BHM-New Orleans. 2. Birmingahm Special, same as above but only to BHM, 3. Tennessean same as above NY to Chattnooga, then on to Huntsville and Memphis. 4. Carolina Special from Cincinnati(with through sleeper from Chicago) to Knox, Asheville, from which it split into two sections to various Carolina points.

In referring to the first trains as coming from New York they were not really solid through trains from NY (though the Pelican came close to being such) but rather through pullmans, added to the coaches originating in Washington.

I don't think it changed too much as to what actual trains operated. But in about the late 50's and early 60's trains started getting shorter, ie. cars removed, not as long as they used to be. The very last years were rather pitiful. The Birmingham Special outlasted all the others, I believe. (unless perhaps the Carolina Special, which I was not as familiar with, being from Chattanooga).

-- bill haithcoat (bhaithcoat@ajc.com), March 07, 2005.