I remember reading somewhere about SAL through passenger cars operating all the way to Boston. Can anyone elaborate on when Seaboard offered such service. My mom swears she rode the Seaboard from Miami to Providence RI once without having to change trains (or cars) sometime around the late '50's- early '60's. Thanks in advance for all replies.

-- Bob Venditti (bobvend@bellsouth.net), March 26, 2002

Answers

A through Boston-Miami sleeper was run only three seasons on the SAL, in their Orange Blossom Special. For the 1950-51 season there were two cars(8 sect/5 dbl-bdrm & 6 compt/3 dr-rm). For the 51-52 season there was one car(8 sect/1 dr-rm/3 dbl-bdrm). And for the 52-53 season there was, once again, two cars(6 compt/3 dr-rm & 8 sect/4 rmt/4 dbl-bdrm). As Larry cites, that was the last season for the OBS and Boston sleepers.

Interestingly, a look at the ACL timetables says something about SAL competition. The ACL put on a Boston-Miami sleeper for the 1949-50 season on their Miamian(6 compt/3 dr-rm). This same car ran on the Miamian for the 50-51 season. Only those two winters for the ACL, while the SAL started a year later and tried for the business three winters.

So the trip cited in the original posting could conceivably have been made on either railroad, but certainly not in the "late '50's-early '60's", unless a change was made in New York.

-- Tom Underwood (tlunder@attglobal.net), March 27, 2002.

I checked an Oct 54 Official Guide... no Boston cars.

-- Chuck Till (ctill@nc.rr.com), March 27, 2002.

SAL's Orange Blossom Special carried through Boston-Miami cars. In the winter season 1951-52, the train had one 8 sec-1 DR-3 DBR Boston- Miami sleeper. Don't have a winter season 52-53 schedule handy, but presumably the train still carried a Boston car then. That was the OBS's last season and, based on the earlier replies above, very likely the last time any SAL train had through Boston cars. No time to look at the OBS book right now but no doubt it has the full details.

-- Larry Goolsby (clgoolsby@worldnet.att.net), March 26, 2002.

I make a cursory check of Official Guides from 1956 to 1966 (about one per year) and if through cars to Boston were offered by the SAL, I couldn't find them.

Bob Hanson

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), March 26, 2002.

I feel pretty sure that they offered through cars to Boston.Any of the Seaboard guys know any more than I do???

-- V.L.Lewis (TrkInsp5F33@aol.com), March 26, 2002.