# Train Travel in the 1930's



## Ruby

I am doing research and am seeking information regarding train travel from Western NC to NYC in 1933. I would like to know the lines that one would have taken, how long the trip, the schedules trains kept back then, the price? Any info would be most appreciated.

Thank you.


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## Ispolkom

A great resource for train travel in the 1930s is the 1936 Official Guide to the Railways, which is available on CD here.


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## Bill Haithcoat

Ruby said:


> I am doing research and am seeking information regarding train travel from Western NC to NYC in 1933. I would like to know the lines that one would have taken, how long the trip, the schedules trains kept back then, the price? Any info would be most appreciated.
> 
> Thank you.


I am on my way out the door now so cannot answer now.

It is unlikely that I would have something from 1933 but may have something from the 40's that I could check on later.

Let me know what town you have in mind. I suspect the train would begin either with the Southern RR, the Seaboard RR, maybe Atlantc Coast Line,maybe Norfolk and Western. Again, let me know what ciy in North Carolina.

It is highly probable that once the train got to Washington it became a Pennsylania RR train.


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## Ruby

The city of departure most probably would be Asheville, NC. Thanks.



Bill Haithcoat said:


> Ruby said:
> 
> 
> 
> I am doing research and am seeking information regarding train travel from Western NC to NYC in 1933. I would like to know the lines that one would have taken, how long the trip, the schedules trains kept back then, the price? Any info would be most appreciated.
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> 
> 
> I am on my way out the door now so cannot answer now.
> 
> It is unlikely that I would have something from 1933 but may have something from the 40's that I could check on later.
> 
> Let me know what town you have in mind. I suspect the train would begin either with the Southern RR, the Seaboard RR, maybe Atlantc Coast Line,maybe Norfolk and Western. Again, let me know what ciy in North Carolina.
> 
> It is highly probable that once the train got to Washington it became a Pennsylania RR train.
Click to expand...


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## Bill Haithcoat

I found a March 1938 Southern RR timetable. The Asheville Special left Asheville at 5.15 pm. It made various stops and arrived WAS,DC at 6.35 am It then became a Pennsylania RR train and left WAS at 7 am and arrived NYC at 10.55 am

This train stayed in service for years.

This timetable does not show rates, I wlll see if can find something later about that, probably from the 40's. Not until tomorrow.


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## Bill Haithcoat

rates from july 1949 timetable. Southern RR

one way one person

coach 18.66

pullnan 25.61 plus space charge

lower berth 6.95

upper berth 5,25

compartment 15.65

drawing room 20.85

there were not many bedrooom in the 30's and roomettes had not been invented.


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## Ruby

Thanks for the info. I was surprised the trip north was so short and was expecting more connections. Can I assume the trip south in 1945 would have taken less time because of diesel engines? Also, do you know if the boys going to war had separate trains?



Bill Haithcoat said:


> rates from july 1949 timetable. Southern RR
> 
> one way one person
> 
> coach 18.66
> 
> pullnan 25.61 plus space charge
> 
> lower berth 6.95
> 
> upper berth 5,25
> 
> compartment 15.65
> 
> drawing room 20.85
> 
> there were not many bedrooom in the 30's and roomettes had not been invented.


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## Bill Haithcoat

Civilian travel was discouraged during the war. You may be sure were there were both extra trains made up entirely of troops, plus troop cars added to regular trains.

The schedule varied a little through the years but surprisingly little difference in time traveled. For example a Jan 1960 timeable shows it leaving Asheville at 2.35 pm arr NYC at 8 am.

Diesels certainly helped on some routes but possibly this was so curvy the closer it got to Asheville that it was already going about as fast as it safely could through the mountains. The diesel's greater efficiency surely helped but perhaps not its speed. Think: the California Zephyr through the Rockies.

Keep in mind it was electric between NY and WAS.

This train, by the way, broke off from the track used by today's Crescent at Greensboro.

Pullman passengers traveled straight through from NYC to ASH but by the mid 50's coach passengers had to swap cars both in WAS and in Greensboro.

The Ashevile Special was mixed with the Augusta Special the northern part of the run. Later it even mixed with the train then called the Crescent. It got complicated, I am not sure how much detail you want.

Ashville was sufficiently important of a playground to be advertised in the SOU timetable quite a bit.


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## Ruby

Thanks Bill. Most helpful info.


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## George Harris

What economic level are the people in your concept? Keep in mind that the average income at that time was very low compared to what we would consider reasonaable. $2.00 a day might be considered a reasonable income. That sort of information you can find. Pullman (sleeping car) travel was for the well off and the expense account traveler. Everybody else would be in coach. Even a coach trip could cost several days wages. I would suspect that it wuold be even more likely in 1933 than later that the coach passengers would be changing cars at Washington DC. It would also be likely that a change of cars at Greensboro would be required. Dining cars also tended to be changed out several times. Most of the coach passengers would be bringin their own food. Dining car meals were expensive.

In addition to the Asheville Special, there was another through train, and possibly another all stops local. The other train was the Carolina Special, which left Asheville about 10:00 to 11:00am, at least in teh 1950's. It connected with the Piedmont Limited at Greensboro, and got you into New York at about 6:30am, if I recall correctly. I know the train got ot Washington DC at about 1:30 to 2:00am, and the southbound counterpart left DC just short of midnight. This train made more stops than the Asheville, but also carried sleepers. I do not think there was a through sleeper Asheville to New York. I think you had to get the sleeper at Greensboro.

Also, remember that train travel would be segregated in that era. Even though teh black population of that part of North Carolina would be fairly low, there would, by law, still be at least be one coach on the train designated as being for "Colored". On branches, and maybe even here, the situation could aslo be accommodated by a "Divided Coach" which would have a partial wall across the coach in the middle, wiht each half appropriately designated.

The coach seats would be of the "walkover" type, not reclining seats. Reclining seats came along later. Even so, these were regarded, at least by my parents, as being more comfortable than theseats in teh Pullman sections when these were made up for daytime use. By the way, only the truly flush or spendthrift would be in compartments or drawing rooms. For the most part sleeping car passengers rode in open sections.

Given the times and conditions, people would take long trips in coach that would be regarded as near insanity today. My mother-in-law talked once about in the immediate pre WW2 time making a round trip from Pensacola to Boston, with three small kids, to be there while her husband's ship was in port. (At that time kids under 5 were free, and 5 to 12 1/2 fare.) We are talking about 48 hours on the train, with changes at Flomaton AL, Atlanta, Washington, and New York. She later made an even longer one: Pensacola to San Diego. We are not talking teh Sunset Limited here, either. I do know that on the trip back it was on teh SD&AE, because she talked about the train looping down into Mexico between San Diego and Yuma. I have not tried to figure out how long that took.


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