I recently purchased a real unusual item. It is A SCL Public Timetable for Amtrak. Apparently a transition piece, it looks like a typical SCL timetable (red and black with SCL logo and observaton car)but under the logo it says "National Railroad Passenger Corp Train Schedules". Above the Observation car in the black section there is a box with this: "The intercity trains shown herein effective May 1, 1971, will be operated by the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad under contract for the National Railroad Passenger Corp." Aside from these statements you would think this is a SCL timetable advertising SCL trains. What were the reasons for this type of "amtrak" timetable and was this practice common with the other railroads on May 1, 1971?

-- Jim Coviello (jcovi60516@aol.com), June 03, 2002

Answers

I have several vintage Atlantic Cost Line, Seaboard Air Line, and Seaboard Coast Line shedules from the early to late 1960's and I also have the 1971 scehdule that announced that the trains would be running on Amtrak. Plus I have a Seaboard Coast Line Miami Beach Hotel pamphlet that I picked up at a train some years back. It goes to show that finding the schedules at a train show, antique shows, railroadianna shops,etc. When I see Atlantic Coast Line, Seaboard Air Line and Seaboard Coast Line items I just go ahead and I buy them.

-- Bradford Paulson (bpaulson909@msn.com), October 27, 2002.

I have several vintage Atlantic Cost Line, Seaboard Air Line, and Seaboard Coast Line shedules from the early to late 1960's and I also have the 1971 scehdule that announced that the trains would be running on Amtrak. Plus I have a Seaboard Coast Line Miami Beach Hotel pamphlet that I picked up at a train some years back.

-- Bradford Paulson (bpaulson909@msn.com), October 27, 2002.

Well, I have to say that I was wrong when I stated that the first AMTRAK national TT was issued on November 14, 1971. Apparently both types of timetables were issued-both AMTRAK issued and railroad issued. I thank Mr. Goolsby for setting me straight and re-railing my de-railed train of thought! Mea culpa!

But, yes, railroad issued timetables were in existance at the same time AMTRAK issued timetables were in existance.

The significance of the November 14, 1971 timetable was that AMTRAK started to re-number trains and make some initial changes in schedule.

-- Michael W. Savchak (Savchak@mnr.org), June 05, 2002.

yes, its amazing how raped the timetable was... i have one too

-- troy nolen (tnolen12@tampabay.rr.com), June 04, 2002.

As far as I can remember, AMTRAK did not issue its first system wide timetable until November 14, 1971. Most of the railroads did issue such interim timetables until AMTRAK was able to get better organized. A source of data on these interim timetables is the Kalmbach book "Journey to AMTRAK" which has a photomontage of a whole series of interim timetables, including the SCL one, which is basic SCL except for the notification that the trains were run for AMTRAK.

As for the reasons, well, no one was really sure that AMTRAK would be a go until almost the last minute and some roads were not sure that they would join AMTRAK until almost the last minute.

The above referenced book is a good source of materials on the startup of AMTRAK. It is out of print, but perhaps a used book service such as Alibris may have one available.

-- Michael W. Savchak (Savchak@mnr.org), June 04, 2002.

Tom, my recollection is that the full Amtrak May 1, 1971, timetables were indeed available on that date. My guess is that SCL and some of the other (relatively) pro-passenger railroads issued their own "transition" timetables on May 1 as a way to cut down on passenger confusion, but I don't know for sure. Would be interesting to hear from someone with more direct knowledge. I have trouble realizing all that happened more than 30 years ago - it still seems "recent" to me.

-- Larry Goolsby (LGoolsby@aphsa.org), June 04, 2002.

I have an L&N marked "National Railroad Passenger Corporation", Tom and Jim, dated May 1, 1971. I keep it as a souvenir of the day real passenger trains died....(although the Southern, Rio Grande and Roach Island did continue to operate privately for some time).

I was graduating from college that spring and on my way to USAF flight training and took several "last and first" rides on the SP and Santa Fe (since I lived in Phoenix). I do not remember either of those roads issued the ersatz Amtrak tt in question.

-- Buck Dean (bdean@jngray.com), June 04, 2002.

Railroad published Amtrak timetables were not that unusual. I can think of at least two others, RF&P and L&N. Considering that Amtrak was just getting started, and that these timetables were probably already in pre-publication status, it made sense to just go to press with an Amtrak statement on the cover. The first Amtrak published system timetable is dated May 1, 1971, but it may not have been generally available until June, or later, the date, in this case, being more symbolic than actual.

-- Tom Underwood (tlunder@attglobal.net), June 04, 2002.