posted
Hello, I'm new, and I'm doing research on the Piedmont Limited for a novel. On another forum tarheelman suggested I write to you guys.
My young heroine is a passenger on the Piedmont going from New York to New Orleans, leaving on May 22, 1951.
First question: I'm trying to visualize what my heroine would be seeing from the Piedmont train windows. It left at 10:15 p.m., according to my friend Bill Haithcoat. Sunrise would be around 4:33 a.m. She is in a drawing room. As I recall, she would only have windows on one side of the car. The other side of the car would be the outside where the hallway was, yes? So what would she be seeing from her windows, and what might she be missing that she could see out of the windows in the hallway? I’m wondering how I could find out what towns or cities it stopped at and when.
Second question: Bill talked about the consist that would include this drawing room, but I didn’t understand how many drawing rooms or other sleeping compartments would be on the same car.
Third series of questions: How far away is she from the lounge car put on in D.C.? How far away from the dining car? Would a passenger be able to get something to eat at 10:15 p.m. on this train?
Thanks for any help you can give,
Veleka
Posts: 2 | From: New Orleans | Registered: Jan 2008
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posted
Again Mr. Veleka, recognizing that I am taking a liberty with a copyright infringement as postings once accepted become the property of a site's owner, is what I posted at Railroad Net:
As I recall, the Piedmont Limited was on a two nights out schedule in either direction over the traditional Crescent routing of PRR-Wash-SRY-Atl-A&WP-Monty-L&N.
I never rode the A&WP in this life, but my Mother did. She and my Father during 1961 were invited to a Farrel Lines "Afircan--" vessel christening at Pascagoula. While of course my Father "couldn't be bothered with all the folderol" and traveled on a chartered flight to Mobile, my Mother took advantage of the 'three Pullmans and a Lounge named "Crescent Moon' that the steamship line arranged to be added to The Crescent Southbound and the Piedmont Ltd for the return to New York
OK, it's time to get out PRR Form 56 "Through Train Service to and from The South" Dated December 17, 1959 and address Mr. Veleka's inquiry.
Form 56 includes a number of NY-Wash trains comprised solely of either through trains intechanged at Wash or let's say "peddler trains' that carried through cars Wash-NY. None of these trains appear in Form 1, the System TT.
With that introduction, the Piedmont Limited left NY 9PM as cars included in PRR 141. Also included in this "peddler' run (not an official term, BTW) were cars for ACL Havana Special and unnamed NY-Norfolk service. The Piedmont's consist was Pullman lines NY-NO and NY-Greensboro. There was a Diner Monroe-Greenville serving Bkfst and Lunch. Coach passengers had to change at Wash. SRY 33 was scheduled Lynchburg 657A and Atlanta 630P. There was an Additional Pullman line Atlanta-NO but no Diner until Mobile-NO however the station stop at Atlanta was until 740PM allowing ample time for Dinner at the Terminal Station's restaurant (Convention Center there today).
Second morning arrival at NO was 830A.
For the Northbound, departure from NO was 550P with a 730A arrival in Atlanta. Departure 9AM (again plenty of time for Bkfst) arrival Greensboro was 610P. The Greenville-Monroe Diner was available for both Lunch and Dinner The through Pullman lines were handled Wash-NY on PRR 108, The Edison. Second morning arrival at NY was 7AM.
My Mother returning on the Piedmont Limited from her ship christening "soiree" recalls setting her watch by the New York arrival. Needless to say, the Farrell Lines made sure their guests were "accomodated' as a Master Room-Lng "Crescent--' was not part of the Piedmont's regular consist.Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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