Revived Floridian

[Eric S]

The City of New Orleans was the day train, with departures from CHI and NOL around 0700-0800ish, arrivals around 0030-0130ish, and serving Memphis during the afternoon to early evening in 1971.

The Panama Limited was the overnight train, with departures from CHI and NOL around 1600-1700ish, arrivals around 0900-1000ish, and serving Memphis during the overnight hours in 1971.

 

[Seaboard92]

I strongly doubt the run time of either the Panama Limited or the Illinois Central City Of New Orleans can be obtained. The Illinois Central maintained their line especially well and had a 100 mph speed limit in some places. So it would require massive track work. But I think it would make a good service on the route

 

[Seaboard92]

In addition there was a different route for the train in MS via Grenada. That I believe was shorter as well

 

[Bob Dylan]

Yep. And the Panama Ltd.was also renowned for their food in tbe Diner.

I never got to ride on it or eat in the Diner, but have talked with some who did and have also read stories about how really memorable it was!

 

[jis]

And neither of those two connected to the Gulf Wind which is effectively what the SRC is proposing.

 

[neroden]

For what it's worth, if Illinois and Mississippi both decided to put the big bucks into the route, I bet the old Illinois Central timings on the City of New Orleans could be restored. But it would basically require buying the line from CN, so $$$$$.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

For what it's worth, if Illinois and Mississippi both decided to put the big bucks into the route, I bet the old Illinois Central timings on the City of New Orleans could be restored. But it would basically require buying the line from CN, so $$$$$.

You could probably say that about any Amtrak route running along freight company owned tracks, buy them and you don't have to be a slave to them anymore and you have a better chance at running them faster.

Is there any significant portion of freight company owned track that NS, CSX, UP, BNSF, etc would even consider selling to Amtrak?

 

[Eric S]

If the price is right, most likely.

And, although not Amtrak, in recent years many states/regional commuter authorities have purchased (or leased) tracks from freight railroads (CSX in FL, MA, and NY; NS in MI; or AMT and GO Transit buying lines from CN and CP). In the 1990s, Southern Pacific sold significant trackage in CA.

 

[bretton88]

In the current freight climate, with lines being idled (though they're smart enough to not abandon them this time), I think the railroads would listen to some offers. But the benefit to Amtrak, unless they found a great freight company to outsource the line operations to, wouldn't be worth it.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Is it true, before Amtrak the City of NOL was a day train? A day train from CHI to NOL and overnight in FL would work, but stink for connections.

A day train CHI-Memphis could happen easily. Ha.

The Saluki and the Illini are daily state-supported trains on the CHI-Carbondale corridor that overlaps the route of the City of New Orleans. When the state had a rail-friendly governor, plans to extend one train got far enuff along that Amtrak sent representatives to Memphis to test the waters, that is, to see if that city (or the state, ha) would put in funds to support a new train there. Ha.

The plan was to take the SB Saluki another 220 miles to Memphis. It's now scheduled to arrive in Carbondale at 1:45 p.m. Then it's about 5 hours to Memphis on the CONO. So an extended Saluki day train could have a 7ish evening arrival in Memphis.

Currently the Saluki spends 2 hours to turn as the NB Illini, leaving Carbondale at 4:15 p.m. Leaving Memphis 5 hours earlier, at 11:15 a.m., the NB train could keep the same times at Carbondale, Champaign, and Chicago. (The longer train would need a new name. The Illini doesn't suit Memphis, and what's a Saluki anyway?)

An out-of-balance route, where ridership peters out as it gets farther from CHI, would fill empty seats to/from the anchor city of Memphis, using equipment that now sits idle for hours. When sanity returns to Illinois government, that state would help to cover operating losses. But Illinois would probably want Tennessee and even Kentucky to put in their share. Ha.

This train does nothing for connections, except of course at Chicago. It would help some travelers to the Gulf Shore and Florida. I know some folks who approaching Memphis would cry out, "Stop the train, I want to get off!" By using the two trains, they could get a free stopover in Memphis of less than 23 hours and make their pilgrimage to Graceland. LOL.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

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The Saluki is Southern Illinois University's mascot. Their campus is in Carbondale, IL, the terminal stop of the Illini and Saluki.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

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The Saluki is Southern Illinois University's mascot. Their campus is in Carbondale, IL, the terminal stop of the Illini and Saluki.

So it's a good name for the present short corridor train. But if it grows to Memphis, that train will need a broader name.

Thanks for the info.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Is it true, before Amtrak the City of NOL was a day train? A day train from CHI to NOL and overnight in FL would work, but stink for connections.

A day train CHI-Memphis could happen easily. Ha.

...

The plan was to take the SB Saluki another 220 miles to Memphis. It's now scheduled to arrive in Carbondale at 1:45 p.m. Then it's about 5 hours to Memphis on the CONO. So an extended Saluki day train could have a 7ish evening arrival in Memphis.

Currently the Saluki spends 2 hours to turn as the NB Illini, leaving Carbondale at 4:15 p.m. Leaving Memphis 5 hours earlier, at 11:15 a.m., the NB train could keep the same times at Carbondale, Champaign, and Chicago....

An out-of-balance route, where ridership peters out as it gets farther from CHI, would fill empty seats to/from the anchor city of Memphis, using equipment that now sits idle for hours. When sanity returns to Illinois government, that state would help to cover operating losses. But Illinois would probably want Tennessee and even Kentucky to put in their share. Ha.

This train does nothing for connections, except of course at Chicago. ...

Looking at a map -- o.k., I'm an old fashioned guy -- a Memphis day train could use a lot of bus connections:

Jackson, Tenn, metro pop near 170,000, is about 75 miles east of Memphis, within easy reach of that 11ish a.m. departure NB and good with the 7ish p.m. SB arrival at Memphis.

Nashville, city pop over 660,000, and a million more in the sprawling metro, is another 160 Interstate miles east of Jackson. A 4-hour bus ride. Not perfect times to/from the Music City, leave 7ish a.m., return before midnight. But any bus is better than none for an important city that has no nothing from Amtrak.

There may be a lot of pent-up demand from the small towns in far Western Tennessee and Kentucky. Both Newbern-Dyersburg, TN, and Fulton, KY, are flag stops only. But somehow they each get about 4,000 riders a year with the CONO stopping between midnight and dawn. Make them daytime stops NB, and pick up daytime riders SB to Memphis, and they'd retire the flags. LOL.

Little Rock, and North Little Rock, together pop 260,000, lie 145 miles west of Memphis. So would it be worth it to take a bus leaving 8ish to catch a NB day train out of Memphis at 11:15 a.m.? Or better to board at midnight and overnight on the NB Texas Eagle? Both would get you to Chicago. Only the day train would get you to Carbondale, Centralia, and Champaign. The return bus would reach Little Rock by 10 p.m., not bad at all.

The existing bus from St Louis connects at Carbondale to the CONO SB and NB well after midnight. A second bus could connect to the day train to Memphis or points north.

That's a lot of connectivity for a 220-mile extension. No wonder Illinois and Amtrak were intrigued by the Memphis day train idea.