ACL #538 was one of a group of 20 E7A's (#524-543) delivered 1945-1948 and assigned to ACL's new streamliners including the Champion. Already in the fleet were 29 earlier E3A's, E6A's and E6B's.

The famous New York-Miami winter-only flagship Florida Special received its streamlined consist in 1949. It was Florida's first all-Pullman all-room streamliner, with 12 regularly-assigned Pullman sleeping cars, 2 dining cars, and 2 6-bedroom-bar-lounges. The East Coast Champion was frequently its all-coach companion, running at similar times of day. Beginning in October 1955, both trains operated on a remarkable 24-hour schedule, routinely speeding at 100 mph over the double-track Richmond to Jacksonvile main line with its advanced signaling.

• Three Chicago to Miami Streamliners
  In 1940, Atlantic Coast Line and their connecting railroads introduced three speedy all-coach streamliners between Chicago and Miami, the Dixie Flagler, City of Miami and South Wind. Each ran via a different route north of Jacksonville, then over the FEC to Miami. One set of each equipment was used, yielding daily service in both directions.

• In 1941, the Champion began operating in sections to both Miami and Tampa with the names Tamiami Champion (East Coast) and Tamiami Champion (West Coast), once enough streamlined equipment had been delivered. The Miami section generally carried heavyweight sleeping cars in the summer, but the Tampa section operated with them all year. Following a horrible collision of two Champions in 1943, the Tamiami prefix was eliminated in 1944. As ACL re-equipped both trains with lightweight sleeping cars in 1949, they were sensibly renamed East Coast Champion and West Coast Champion.
  • Tamiami Champion Description & Features, 1941 summer season
  • Tamiami Champion Schedules & Equipment, 1941 summer season
    

• The Champion post cards, Florida State Archives Photographic Collection

  "Streamlining Through Wonderful Florida"
  Click for full size (56kb/600x376)
   
  "Speedy New York - Miami Streamliner"
  Click for full size (49kb/600x376)
  

• In the summer of 1952, ACL operated three daily streamliners: the East Coast Champion, West Coast Champion and the every-third-day Dixie Flagler, City of Miami and South Wind. In all there were six named through trains from the Northeast and six more from the Midwest to Florida.
  • Northeast to Florida, Timetable Ad, April 1952
  • Midwest to Florida, Timetable Ad, April 1952

• In the last winter season before the merger with Seaboard, the Coast Line's Florida streamliners included a 14-car Florida Special, 12-car East Coast Champion, 12-car West Coast Champion and alternating 16-car City of Miami and 14-car South Wind, in addition to five named secondary trains.
  • Florida Special, ACL Timetable, December 1966
  • Between the East and Florida, ACL Timetable, December 1966
  • Between the Midwest and Florida, ACL Timetable, December 1966
    

HOME|PLEASE VISIT GETCRUISING'S SPONSOR:

Original line drawing art by Stan Lytle, enhanced with road colors and other details by Jack Bleiberg. 1939 Champion GIF image by Media by McCann.

About color schemes: The image of ACL #538 and the colors on this page show Atlantic Coast Line's purple, yellow and aluminum, used from 1939 to 1957.