Interesting they had that so long ago. Here is the ad in the ACL timetables for the winter 63/64. 64/65. Note the hostess talking with happy passengers in the recreation car. Can you imagine what the fashion show was like. I suspect the TV's were a short lived feature as that could be really annoying. Although I did not see the recreation car when I rode it in the spring of '68, the sleeper lounge that had been mid train was now an observation sleeper lounge on the rear. On my trip it had been recently removed from the Broadway Limited, probably Mountain View or Tower View. Also in that service was the observation from the Gulf Wind, ex Crescent - maybe Royal Street. I believe that was the last season for the Florida Special.
Even in the 60's, some railroads made a valiant effort to maintain their trains and attract new riders. The schedule has it leaving at 10:45am, about the same time as Amtrak's Silver Star (11:02). Miami arrival is 24 hrs, 40 min later at 11:25. It seems like an ideal schedule leaving NY late enough for local connections and Miami arrival early enough to check into you hotel and be ready for cocktail hour! Our wandering Star of today takes 31 hrs, 33 min, almost 7 hours longer. Sigh
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I was fortunate to get a “sampling” of the SCL operated Florida Special, in its Winter 1969-1970 season…
I rode it from New York to Fayetteville just to experience its features and cuisine. I travelled coach, but spent most of the trip in either the diner’s or Recreation Car.
The travelling Passenger Service Agent, along with the Hostess indeed put on a Florida Fashion Show, with the latest provided I believe, by Jantzen. They also conducted bingo and provided other games. They turned on the tv to watch the evening news. About the only thing I didn’t try was the mobile telephone.
I also spent some time in the dome sleeper, (with special permission) , when it was added at Richmond.
I had lunch in the coach diner, and a “charbroiled” steak dinner in the sleeper diner.
IIRC, not sure about this, but in the sleeper diner, they dimmed the lights and had real candles burning on each table…probably not a good idea on a moving train, but regulations were much more liberal in that era.
One thing for sure…all passengers received complimentary champagne. The newspaper and tv ads for the train even announced: “The Champagne Train rides again”.
SCL’s president, William T. Rice, was one of the strongest passenger train proponents right up until Amtrak, and along with Santa Fe’s John Reed, languished over joining Amtrak until their fiduciary duty to stockholders demanded it.
