Royal Palm (passenger train)

The Royal Palm (Passenger Train) was a named train of the Southern Railway (US) which ran from Cincinnati, Ohio to Jacksonville, Florida and then on the Florida East Coast Railway to Miami, Florida. The Royal Palm provided connections with the New York Central Railroad at Cincinnati for passengers headed to Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo. A thru sleeper and coach between Miami and Detroit operated until 1957. The Royal Palm operated overnight between Atlanta and Jacksonville and during daylight hours to the north to Cincinnati. The "Ponce de Leon" flip flopped with the Palm on a reverse schedule between Cincinnati and Jacksonvile and the heavyweight companion was actually just as fast as the Palm during the 50's and 60's.

The Royal Palm (Train #3) departed Cincinnati going south via the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway to Chattanooga, Tennessee, then on Southern's old "East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia" main on to Atlanta, Georgia and Macon, Georgia, then the Georgia Southern & Florida to Jacksonville, Fl.

In 1949, an order for twelve EMD E7's was delivered to Southern Railway for use on its passenger trains. On December 15, 1949, the New York Central, Southern, and Florida East Coast began operation of the streamlined "New Royal Palm" winter-only train that replaced the "Florida Sunbeam," which had run down Southern's (GS&F) Palatka branch to Hampton, where it connected to the Seaboard to Miami. The New Royal Palm was essentially a Detroit-Miami streamliner which carried thru sleepers for Chicago, Cleveland, and Buffalo. Each train carried up to 20 cars and operated like a fully appointed cruise ship with several dining cars and lounges. In the off-season, the equipment was used on the "Royal Palm," where it was permanently assigned after the "New Royal Palm" ceased to operate in April of 1955. Stylish coaches provided by Southern and Florida East Coast featured spacious men and women's smoking lounges and huge backlit color photo murals of Florida scenery on both bulkheads. Both trains carried an elegant Pullman-built split level observation lounge car (with tall rear windows) for sleeping car passengers until 1957. (Click on Royal Street link below). Coach passengers could socialize and relax in an intimate little bar-lounge next to the diner. Until 1957 black passengers were hauled in the "colored" coach (RP-1), a combination baggage coach behind the diesels.

The amenities provided on the Royal Palm were gradually curtailed as Southern Railway attempted to reduce operating losses. The train was discontinued in segments - first between Jacksonville and Valdosta, Georgia in 1966 when the diner and sleeper were dropped - but the Palm carried its coach-lounge right up to the end of its long career. Ironically, the "Royal Palm" name was kept even though the train no longer served Florida where royal palms thrived on the lower east coast. Later the 2-car remnant of the once proud sunliner was discontinued south of Atlanta, then the section between Somerset, Kentucky and Dalton, Georgia was cut, leaving two disconnected trains, which were finally discontinued in 1970. Southern never joined Amtrak until 1979, with its only remaining train being the Crescent. At that time, most of the original "New Royal Palm" streamlined equipment passed to Amtrak.

External links

* [http://www.getcruising.com/rails/_sou.html Streamliners to the Palms]
* [http://www.americanrail.com/Royal_Street.htm Royal Street]
* [http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/46660482/m/1491019924 6482 on the Royal Palm]
* [http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3DSouthern%2520E7A%26ei%3DUTF-8%26fr%3Dyfp-t-468%26fr2%3Dtab-web&w=120&h=81&imgurl=southern.railfan.net%2Fimages%2Farchive%2Fsouthern%2Fe7%2Ftn_sou2916_jpg.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsouthern.railfan.net%2Fimages%2Farchive%2Fsouthern%2Fe7%2Fe7.html&size=3.4kB&name=tn_sou2916_jpg.jpg&p=Southern+E7A&type=jpeg&no=15&tt=29&oid=f67ef14a17cd2dae&ei=UTF-8 Southern E7A Units]