's A and S lines.]]
The was created
July 1 1967 as a result of the merger of the
Seaboard Air Line Railroad with the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL). In
1982 , The became
Seaboard System Railroad as a result of a merger with the
Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N). For some years prior to this, the SCL and L&N had been under the common ownership of a holding company,
Seaboard Coast Line Industries (SCI), the company's railroad subsidiaries being collectively known as the
Family Lines System which comprised of the L&N, SCL, Clinchfield and West Point Routes. After the
1980 merger of SCI with the
Chessie System , the resulting
CSX Corporation combined the Family Lines System units as the
Seaboard System Railroad and later became
CSX when the former Chessie units were merged into it in
1986 .
Juice Train is the popular name for famous
Unit Train s of
Tropicana fresh
Orange Juice operated by
Railroads in the
United States . In
1970 , beginning on Seaboard Coast Line railroad, a mile-long Tropicana Juice Train train began carrying one million gallons of juice with one weekly round-trip from
Bradenton, Florida to
Kearny, New Jersey , in the
New York City area.
Today operated by SCL successor
CSX Transportation , CSX Juice Trains have been the focus of efficiency studies and awards as examples of how modern rail transportation can compete successfully against trucking and other modes to carry perishable products.
The original Auto-Train operated on Seaboard Coast Line and
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac (RF&P) tracks. It was operated by
Auto-Train Corporation , a privately-owned railroad which used its own
Rolling Stock to provide a unique rail transportation service for ''both'' passengers ''and'' their automobiles in the United States, operating scheduled service between
Lorton, Virginia (near
Washington, D.C. ) and
Sanford, Florida , near
Orlando .
The founder of Auto-Train Corporation was
Eugene K. Garfield . His approach allowed families to relax en route and save the expense and unfamiliarity of a rental car on arrival. Passengers rode in either wide
Coach seats or private first-class
Sleeping Compartments while their vehicles were safely carried in enclosed
Autorack s. The train included
Dining Cars and meals were served.
The equipment of the Auto-Train Corporation was painted in red, white, and purple colors. The typical train was equipped with two or three
General Electric U36B Diesel-electric Locomotive s, 76' double-deck auto carriers, streamlined
Passenger Car s, including
Coaches ,
Dining Cars ,
Sleeper Car s, and 85' full-
Dome Cars , and a
Caboose , then an unusual sight on most passenger trains.
Auto-Train Corporation's first auto carriers were acquired used, and started life in the 1950s as a new innovation for
Canadian National Railroad. The CN bi-level
Autorack cars had end-doors. They were huge by the standards of the time; each 75-footer could carry 8 vehicles. The cars were a big success and helped lead to the development of today's enclosed autoracks. The former CN autoracks were augmented by new tri-level versions in 1976.
Auto-Train Corporation's new service began operations on
December 6 ,
1971 The service was a big hit with travelers. Before long, the ambitious entrepreneurs of Auto-Train were looking to expand into other markets. However, only the Lorton-Sanford service proved successful.
High crew costs, several spectacular accidents with the 58- to 64-car trains, and an unprofitable expansion to
Louisville, Kentucky put Garfield's company into bankruptcy. Auto-Train Corporation was forced to end its services in late April, 1981.
Operating for almost 10 years, Auto-Train had developed a popular following, particularly among older travelers as it ferried passengers and their cars between Virginia and Florida.
However, no one else offered a service quite like that of Auto-Train: transport a car ''and'' its passengers ''together'' (on the same movement, at the same time) to and from vacation areas. In
1983 , the
National Railroad Passenger Corporation , better known as
Amtrak , a federally-chartered corporation which operates most intercity passenger trains in the United States acquired Auto-Train Corporation terminals in Lorton and Sanford and some of the rolling stock, including the autoracks. Amtrak began its slightly-renamed
Auto Train route service between Virginia and Florida on a 3 day per week basis after a 22 month gap, expanding it to daily trips the following year.
Today, Amtrak's Auto Train carries about 200,000 passengers and generates around $50 million in revenue annually. Operating on leased
CSX Transportation tracks for the entire distance, it is considered Amtrak's best-paying train in terms of income in comparison with operating expenses.
The
Western And Atlantic Railroad is famous for the
Great Locomotive Chase , which took place on the W&A during the
US Civil War in April 1862.
