An order for twelve E7A's was delivered to Southern in 1949, including #2919. At that time SR ran a varied fleet of passenger trains into Jacksonville including the Royal Palm, Ponce de Leon and the seasonal streamliner New Royal Palm by way of Valdosta GA. The Kansas City - Florida Special and Skyland Special entered Florida via Jesup GA on trackage rights with Atlantic Coast Line.

The New Royal Palm, December 1952
Via New York Central, Southern Railway (Cincinnati - Jacksonville) & Florida East Coast Ry.

SB #9	NB #10	Car Route	Car Type
RP-1	RP-1	Cincinnati - Miami	22 reserved seat coach
RP-2	RP-2	Cincinnati - Miami	54 reserved seat coach
RP-3	RP-3	Detroit - Miami	54 reserved seat coach
		Cincinnati - Miami	Diner - Lounge
709	F709	Buffalo - Miami	14 roomette - 4 dbl bdrm
708	F708	Cleveland - Miami	10 roomette - 6 dbl bdrm
707	F707	Cleveland - Miami	10 roomette - 6 dbl bdrm
		Cincinnati - Miami	Dining Car
706	F706	Cincinnati - Miami	10 roomette - 6 dbl bdrm
705	F705	Detroit - Miami	13 dbl bedroom
704	F704	Detroit - Miami	10 roomette - 6 dbl bdrm
702	F702	Detroit - Miami	4 compartment - 2 drawing rm - 4 dbl bdrm
700	F700	Detroit - Miami	5 dbl bdrm - Buffet - Observation

• Southern promoted its Florida passenger train fleet with the requisite bathing beauties and palm trees. Through sleeping cars from the Midwest finished the dash to the Miami sunshine over the Florida East Coast Railway.
  • New Royal Palm ad, Official Railway Guide, March 1953
  • Royal Palm and Ponce de Leon ad, Official Railway Guide, March 1953
  • Kansas City - Florida Special ad, Official Railway Guide, March 1953

HOME|PLEASE VISIT GETCRUISING'S SPONSOR:

Original line drawing art by Stan Lytle, enhanced with road colors and other details by Jack Bleiberg.

About color schemes: The image of Southern #2919 and the colors on this page show Southern Railway's green, white and gold.