| Ponce de Leon | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Service type | Inter-city rail |
| First service | 1924 |
| Last service | 1960s |
| Former operator(s) | Southern Railway |
| Route | |
| Start | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| End | Jacksonville, Florida |
The Ponce de Leon was a named train of the Southern Railway which ran from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Jacksonville, Florida, from 1924 to the mid-1960s.
The Ponce de Leon (Train #4) departed Jacksonville going north via the Georgia Southern & Florida to Macon, Georgia and Atlanta, Georgia then on Southern's old East Tennessee, Virginia & Georgia line on to Chattanooga, Tennessee, then to Cincinnati via the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway. The train left Jacksonville midday and was overnight between Chattanooga and Cincinnati. The train provided connections with the New York Central Railroad at Cincinnati for passengers headed to Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo.
The Royal Palm alternated with the Ponce de Leon on a reverse schedule between Cincinnati and Jacksonville, operating during daylight hours south from Cincinnati and then overnight between Atlanta and Jacksonville.
The Ponce de Leon and Royal Palm collided on December 23, 1926 in Rockmart, Georgia. The northbound Ponce de Leon struck the Royal Palm with the result that 19 people were killed and 113 were injured, most on the Ponce de Leon.[1]
The accident was also the subject of a song: "The Wreck of the Royal Palm" by Vernon Dalhart.[2]
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