Silver Comet (train)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Silver Comet was a streamlined passenger train inaugurated on May 18, 1947 by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (Seaboard Coast Line after merger with the Atlantic Coast Line on July 1, 1967). The train's daily service extended from New York via Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia to Birmingham, Alabama.

From New York to Washington, the train was handled by the Pennsylvania Railroad; from Washington to Richmond, by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad; and by Seaboard from Richmond to points south.

The consist of the Silver Comet included baggage cars, coaches, Pullman sleepers, and a dining car between New York and Birmingham, along with through coaches and Pullmans to or from Portsmouth, Virginia connecting at Raleigh.

Owing to declining passenger and mail revenues, the Silver Comet was discontinued in June, 1969.

Following abandonment of the right-of-way of the Silver Comet route by SAL successor CSX in 1989, portions were converted to the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia and the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama.