Between 1967
and 1970 my father took our family on 3 or 4 trips aboard Seaboard
Coast Line’s Silver Star between Florida and Richmond, VA.
Several aspects of those trips stood out such as riding the rear
sleeping car (line number R-360) which was cut off at Richmond, eating
in the dining car, adding or subtracting cars in Jacksonville, and
passing through the Carolinas in daylight.
Most of these
things are not experienced on today’s Silver Star operated by Amtrak,
however, a rare opportunity to view the Carolina scenery by daylight
made a brief return in late summer 2019. Soon I put together an
itinerary and booked reservations for my wife and I to travel to
Virginia on the Silver Star and drive a rental back to Florida.
The primary motivation was to view much of South Carolina in daylight
since the normal schedule takes train # 92 through that state in
predawn hours.
On Sunday,
August 4, 2019 we boarded train # 97, the southbound Silver Meteor, in
Jacksonville heading toward Sebring where we would transfer to the
northbound Silver Star. This was necessitated by the new
temporary schedule which had the Silver Star depart Jacksonville at
2:03am. The Meteor’s 10:48am departure was over one hour late
which would reduce our connection time in Sebring thus requiring
monitoring throughout the day.
Viewliner II dining car “Tallahassee” on the southbound Silver Meteor at Jacksonville
Passage through
the Jacksonville area was, as usual, interesting as we passed Grand
Jct. where the erstwhile Sunset Limited used to be wyed before backing
into the station then we crossed the Norfolk Southern port line where a
freight train could be seen to the east. A few minutes later the
Meteor passed Honeymoon Wye where the lead tracks to old Jacksonville
Terminal branched off. The next sights were Yukon where the CSX
line crosses the Ortega River adjacent to US Highway 17 then NAS
Jacksonville where about two dozen fighter jets were parked on the
tarmac. After passing below I-295 we spotted the small private
rail car yard at Orange Park which on this day only housed the Georgia
300 office car.
Crossing the Ortega River at Yukon; Jacksonville skyline in distance
Crossing Rice Creek north of Palatka
Lunch was
served in the dining car beginning at noon and we made a beeline for
the Viewliner II diner. Our luck was good as car 68024
“Tallahassee” held down the assignment on this day. This car
would reappear on my next two overnight train trips in the fall but for
now this would be my first meal in a Viewliner II diner. The name
of this car evoked memories of my childhood when one of the Silver
Meteor’s 11 DBR sleepers was named “Tallahassee”. The interior of
this car was bright and airy with its double row of windows, etched
glass dividers between tables, and clean and fresh appearance.
Inside new dining car “Tallahassee”
As full service
dining was still in effect, we enjoyed excellent angus burgers with
chips and salad as the train stopped in Palatka and continued south
toward DeLand. Following lunch we returned to sleeping car 62004
“Beach View” which our son and I rode on the Cardinal several years
ago. There was plenty of room to put our feet up as I had booked
roomette 2 while Christine took roomette 4. We were 90 minutes
late at Winter Park and we lost another 30 minutes into Orlando caused
by waiting for the northbound Silver Meteor. It was now evident
that we would have to change trains in Winter Haven to avoid a possible
misconnect.
Angus burger lunch entree
Typical Florida scene: a fishing boat on the St. John’s River between Palatka and DeLand
After passing
through Auburndale where we left the former Atlantic Coast Line route
and joined the ex-Seaboard, we pulled to a stop in Winter Haven at
4:11pm. The super nice station agent Charles was very helpful
during our layover and he directed me to a Taco Bell within easy
walking distance so I could bring back dinner for Christine and
me. Fortunately we had checked our luggage at Jacksonville
directly to Petersburg where we would change trains so we didn’t have
to worry about our bags being transferred at Sebring.
Southbound Silver Meteor at Winter Haven
The Silver Meteor departs Winter Haven headed to Miami
Northbound
train # 1092 the Silver Star departed Winter Haven 43 minutes late at
6:31pm. As a result of its delays, we would have made our
connection at Sebring but it would have been a nervous time since there
was little margin. Winter Haven was definitely a wise
choice. Normally the northbound Silver Star is train # 92 but on
certain dates it was designated # 1092 due to an adjusted schedule due
to trackwork. The train departed Miami at 1:50pm and had layovers
of over one hour built in at Jacksonville and at Savannah to help it
avoid the work window. The Miami departure was two hours later
than normal and was very close to its traditional SCL departure time of
1:40pm.
Northbound Silver Star arriving Winter Haven
We were the
only passengers boarding in Winter Haven and settled into roomettes 7
and 8 in car 62031 “Prairie View”. Within minutes the train swung
northwest off the ex-SAL main line onto a connector track running
between warehouses until joining the former ACL route heading to
Tampa. Fifteen minutes later we departed the modern Lakeland
station which was on the left side of the train. Train 1092 zipped
through Plant City whose old depot now houses a railroad museum with a
train viewing platform across the track. After passing through Mango
and meeting a northbound double stack train, we sailed under I-75 and
pulled onto the east leg of a wye then forward until the engines were
two car lengths short of the I-4 overpass. A couple of minutes
later we backed down the west leg of the wye onto the main line again;
the entire process took 10 minutes. The Silver Star then made a
fast reverse move through Ybor City and across the TECO streetcar line
to reach Tampa Union Station at 7:49pm. Tampa Union Station used
to have seven station tracks but now there is only one platform track
in use. The 20 plus minute stop allowed time for a quick visit
inside the beautifully restored station before returning to the
sleeping car for the night.
Baggage car is loaded on train 1092 the Silver Star at Tampa
Inside Tampa Union Station
Soon after
our 8:11pm departure we enjoyed a pretty sunset as the Star retraced
its route through Plant City and reached Lakeland again at
8:51pm. This time the station appeared on the right side of the
train almost two hours after our first stop at its platform. At
Auburndale we continued straight ahead on the CSX “A Line” toward our
next stops in Kissimmee and Orlando where we were almost 50 minutes
late. I fell asleep after Winter Park and missed DeLand and
Palatka but awoke briefly as we arrived in Jacksonville at
1:19am. A peek out the window revealed that our checked bags were
indeed on the baggage cart to be loaded aboard the baggage car.
Later the scheduled 66 minutes in Savannah turned into a 20 minute stop
that got us back on schedule though I slept soundly through it.
When I woke we
were departing Denmark, SC at 6:45am which, as planned, would allow me
to view the South Carolina sights. The next 20 minutes found us
passing through Sweden and Norway, a reminder of my youth when we drove
through those three towns during family car trips along parallel US 321
and joked that we were in Scandinavia. Beyond the town of North
we took the siding and met train # 91 the southbound Silver Star which
was running 5 hours late.
A church near Norway, SC
One of the
sights I clearly remember from one of the early 1970s trips on the
Silver Star was a landscape full of sand hills south of Columbia.
The Silver Star normally traversed that area in the predawn darkness
but occasionally ran on a slightly later schedule similar to that of #
1092. Eventually most of my northbound trips had been aboard the
Silver Meteor which followed the route via Florence. A few
minutes after passing train # 91 and rolling through the small village
of Woodfort after daybreak, we traversed the sand hills region that I
recalled so well. Our track rode along the top of a ridge looking
down at a broad valley framed by another ridge in the distance.
Red clay, sand, and piney woods added an interesting dimension to the
scene as it reinforced 50- year-old memories.
Fog shrouded field near Woodfort, SC
Sand hills north of Woodfort, SC
Ten minutes
later the Silver Star crossed the Congaree River once again evoking
memories of family vacations when my family stayed in Cayce, SC and my
dad walked me out on the US 321 bridge over the river to enjoy the view
from high above. Just beyond the river crossing the rail line
diverged from the historic Seaboard line that ran right through
downtown Columbia. The current route bypasses downtown and serves
the current Amtrak station located on the city’s west side. Our
8:17am departure was just 16 minutes late and things looked good for
the late afternoon connection in Petersburg, VA. Since there was
no dining car on the Silver Star, we brought our own food for breakfast
which allowed us to enjoy the sights without having to leave our
roomettes.
Congaree River at Columbia
Following
the stop at Camden the Star rolled through Bethune, McBee, and Cheraw
en route to the next stop, Hamlet, NC. The Hamlet station was
built in 1900 and is an example of Queen Anne style
architecture. Through the 1960s five SAL named trains
stopped in Hamlet (the Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Silver Comet,
Palmland, and Sunland) as well as unnamed passenger and mail
trains. Today’s CSX “S line” used by the Silver Star crosses
another CSX line linking Atlanta and Wilmington, NC. In
pre-Amtrak years, the Silver Comet diverged onto that line at Hamlet on
its way to Atlanta and Birmingham. In 2003 the station was moved
a couple hundred feet to the other side of the Wilmington line.
Today it also houses a railroad museum with a Seaboard SDP35 engine and
an SAL caboose displayed on the grounds.
Seaboard Air Line caboose displayed in Hamlet
SAL SDP35 displayed near the Hamlet station
Hamlet Amtrak station which once also served trains to Atlanta and Birmingham
We were about
30 minutes late at Hamlet and remained a half hour late at Southern
Pines. We visited the cafe car and I purchased a roasted turkey
and swiss sandwich for myself and a hot dog for Christine. Both
earned a thumbs up which was a pleasant surprise. There were
signs of a great deal of trackwork between Southern Pines and Sanford,
however it had cleared up for us and there were no major delays into
Cary where we noted a station agent handling checked luggage.
Perhaps someone was connecting to or from one of the Piedmonts that
operate to and from Charlotte via the line that diverges at the
station. Ten minutes later we stopped in Raleigh where one of the
Piedmont trains waited on the opposite side of the high-level
platform. Our stop in Raleigh was longer than scheduled and the
Silver Star was over one hour late departing.
Southbound Carolinian between runs at Raleigh; annulled north of Raleigh
Another 20
minutes were lost on the way to Wilson, a temporary Silver Star stop on
days that # 1092 was scheduled. Rocky Mount came at 3:31pm, 84
minutes late, and our connection in Petersburg (originally almost two
hours) was now in jeopardy. The trip through northern North
Carolina and southern Virginia was extremely slow with our train often
creeping along and it was obvious we would miss our train to
Norfolk. This was confirmed when train # 95 rolled by at 5:31pm
as it navigated the interchange track to the Norfolk Southern line just
6 minutes south of the Petersburg station. By this time I had
spoken to the conductor who advised us to stay on board until Richmond
where we would have a shorter wait for the later train to
Norfolk. He made sure to transfer our checked bags at Richmond
rather than Petersburg; we would carry them on board the other train.
Crossing the Appomattox River at Petersburg moments after missing our connection
The
final 30 minutes of our trip on the Silver Star were smooth and
included a meet with train # 91, the southbound Silver Star, before we
crossed the James River. We reached Richmond at 6:08pm, 1 hour
and 48 minutes late. The station was crowded when we arrived but
the crowd thinned out greatly as train # 66 from Newport News to Boston
loaded and a regional train heading to Newport News prepared to
depart. We were to be accommodated on train # 93 directly to
Norfolk which made sense as the Newport News train would require a
Thruway bus connection to Norfolk which could add another
complication. As it turned out the regional was apparently held
up by a flash flood situation not far from Richmond so that could have
created a problem. Instead we relaxed by watching heavy rain
outside the station windows and observing a couple of passing freight
trains.
Northbound Silver Star after detraining at Richmond
Train # 66 from Newport News to Boston departs from Richmond
The pleasant
station agent who issued our tickets for train # 93 drove us to coach
82526 after the train pulled to a stop well down the platform.
The nine car train was not crowded and I concluded that its morning
return trip would necessitate the sizable consist. The 9:02pm
departure was 45 minutes late but we were just thankful there had been
a backup option to ensure we got to Norfolk on the planned
evening. The interior of our coach had been refurbished and
the leather seats were attractive and comfortable. This comfort
was welcomed since our planned afternoon trip was now a nighttime ride
which prevented seeing much outside the windows.
Interior of refurbished Amfleet coach on train # 93 to Norfolk
Twelve
passengers detrained at Petersburg. The station appeared to be
isolated from any businesses and we were glad we had transferred in
Richmond as we would have had a four-hour layover with nothing to do in
Petersburg. Shortly after crossing the Appomattox River, # 93
curved left onto the interchange track to the Norfolk Southern mainline
to Norfolk. Paralleling US 460 through Waverly, Wakefield, and
Windsor we noted that we were due south of historic Jamestown,
Williamsburg, and Yorktown which lie north of the James River. We
passed through Suffolk at 10:35pm observing that it appears to have
enough population to warrant a stop for these trains. The track
grew rougher through this area and felt like it was made up of jointed
rails. The city of Chesapeake came next then the railway crossed
a drawbridge over a branch of the Elizabeth River before arriving in
Norfolk at 11:01pm.
The Norfolk
Amtrak station opened in 2012 when rail passenger service was restored
to the city after ending with the cancellation of Amtrak’s Mountaineer
to Chicago in 1977. Prior to Amtrak the line had hosted Norfolk
& Western’s Powhatan Arrow and Pocahontas trains through 1969 and
1971 respectively. The modern station is located beside a corner
of the parking lot for Harbor Park, home of the Norfolk Tides AAA
baseball team. The Tide light rail trains stop within easy
walking distance of the Amtrak station providing an excellent link to
downtown and other Norfolk destinations.
Interior of Norfolk Amtrak station
Norfolk station exterior
Our lodging
while in the city was the Norfolk Hilton The Main, a beautiful
high-rise downtown hotel overlooking the Elizabeth River and the
harbor. Our room on one of the upper floors had a commanding view
of the waterfront both by day and night. The hotel restaurant
served an excellent breakfast and the staff was super friendly.
This was one of the better hotels we have encountered on our extensive
travels.
View from our room at the Norfolk Hilton The Main hotel
Nighttime view of the harbor from our hotel room
In the morning
we walked two blocks to the MacArthur Memorial, a terrific museum
honoring WW II hero General Douglas MacArthur. Inside we found
many items from his service including his jacket, corn cob pipe,
sunglasses, army jeep, and other notable objects. This is a sight
that should be on anyone’s “to do” list when visiting Norfolk.
A Tide light rail train negotiates a tight curve in front of the MacArthur Memorial
Gen. Douglas MacArthur's Army jacket
Front of the MacArthur Memorial
Directly in
front of the MacArthur Memorial we boarded a Tide light rail train
heading eastward toward the outskirts of Virginia Beach. Five
minutes into the ride the train stopped at Harbor Park where passengers
can walk to a baseball game or to the adjacent Amtrak station.
Shortly the light rail climbed over an elevated bridge featuring an S
curve above the triple track Norfolk Southern line. Beyond that
came the light rail stop for Norfolk State University, a couple more
stops, and a picturesque river crossing. After making the
Military Highway (US 13) stop it was on to the end of the line at
Newtown Road. The one-way eastbound ride had taken
about 20 minutes followed by a 10 minute layover before reversing
direction for the westbound return. This time I continued past
MacArthur Square where my ride began and continued to the line’s
western terminus at EVMC/Fort Norfolk. The westward ride took 28
minutes and was followed, after a 10 minute layover, by a short run
back to MacArthur Square. The entire outing took just 80 minutes
and offered a great glimpse of various parts of the Norfolk area.
The lead car provides an excellent view climbing the bridge over Broad Creek
Crossing appropriately-named Broad Creek on The Tide light rail
Climbing an overpass over a heavy rail line
Meeting an eastbound Tide train at Ballentine/Broad Creek
A tight S curve on the overpass over the Norfolk Southern triple track main line
The Tide stop for Harbor Park and the Amtrak station
Meeting another Tide train on the west side of downtown
Western end of the line at EVMC/Fort Norfolk
That evening we
attended a Norfolk Tides baseball game vs. the Indianapolis Indians at
Harbor Park. From the grandstand seats along the third base line
and from the press box above we had a great view of the harbor and the
river beyond the outfield wall. During the game we observed both
inbound Amtrak trains and a couple of Norfolk Southern freights as they
crossed the drawbridge, a perfect combination of two favorite hobbies –
baseball and trains. Tides games are a great way to spend an
evening as AAA ball is one step below the major leagues and the
ballpark’s many amenities and Harbor Park’s great view make a terrific,
reasonably priced evening activity.
Harbor Park with rail bridges in the background
Eastbound Amtrak train crosses the bridge behind Harbor Park
Trains can easily be seen from Harbor Park as with this Norfolk Southern freight
The following
morning we rented a minivan and visited the Chrysler Museum of Art, a
heralded museum that displays a wide variety of well-known artwork in
an impressive building. Then it was time to begin the drive
homeward with our first stop being the Outer Banks. There we
visited the Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk, NC where
aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first powered
flight. Below Kitty Hawk we made two pleasant ferry boat
crossings of Hatteras Inlet and Pamlico Sound and enjoyed vistas of
Cape Hatteras and other well-known landmarks.
Chrysler Museum of Art
Monument marking the Wright Brothers takeoff location in Kitty Hawk, NC
Replica of the Wright Flyer aircraft
Beautiful beaches, such as this one in Kill Devil Hills, line the Outer Banks
Sand Dunes on Ocracoke Island hold back the Atlantic Ocean
Boarding the Ocracoke to Cedar Island ferry
A fishing boat passes our ferry
Passing another ferry in Pamlico Sound
The harbor at one of the ferry terminals
After our
leisurely two-day trip through the Carolinas and Georgia we picked up
our car at the Jacksonville Amtrak station, returned the rental, and
completed our trip home after a most enjoyable stopover at the Sawgrass
Marriott in nearby Ponte Vedra Beach. The resort offers two large
swimming pools, putt-putt golf, tennis, bicycling, and access to a
popular beach club plus the adjacent golf course where the PGA Players
tournament is held.
Waterfall at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
One of two swimming pools behind the hotel
Lagoon at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort
Despite the
missed connection, this was a perfect time to make the trip from
Florida to Norfolk as the normal Silver Star schedule requires a 7 1/2
hour layover in Petersburg. It would be better to ride all the
way to Washington, DC and retrace one’s steps as far as Petersburg
before branching off to Norfolk. Another interesting option is to
ride one way into Norfolk and take the Norfolk-Newport News Thruway bus
the other direction to connect to or from an Amtrak train via
Williamsburg to Richmond and points north. The Norfolk and
Tidewater, Virginia area has many excellent sights and visits to the
Delmarva Peninsula via the spectacular Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and
over to Colonial Williamsburg via the Hampton Roads Tunnel are worthy
destinations.
