The Piedmont Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Southern Railway in the southern United States. For most of its life it was a New York—New Orleans train, operating over the same route as the more famous Crescent Limited. The Southern Railway discontinued the Piedmont Limited in 1967, though reused the name Piedmont a few years later for an Atlanta–Washington service.
The Southern Railway introduced the train on March 12, 1899, and it was known as the crack train of the route until the introduction of the Crescent in 1925.[1][2]
A spur branch served Birmingham, but this was eliminated by 1964.[3] By the end of that year, the southbound itinerary of the route was cut from running from New York to New Orleans to having Kings Mountain, North Carolina, south of Charlotte, North Carolina as the southern terminus of the route.[4] By late 1966, the train was running from Washington, D.C. to Salisbury, North Carolina in both directions.[5][6] Amid the postwar decline in passenger rail service, the train was eliminated in 1967.[7]
Beginning in 1970 the Piedmont name was revived for an Atlanta–Washington daytime service, supplementing the then-Southern Crescent along its middle leg. Southern did not join Amtrak in 1971, leaving the service as one of the few intercity rail routes in America which was not operated by the new quasi-government agency.[8][9] In 1975, its southern terminus was truncated to Charlotte. This train was discontinued in 1976; by then its southern terminus had been cut back to Salisbury, North Carolina.[7]
Route detailsedit
In its prime the Piedmont Limited operated over the following roads:[2]
Aside from the above cited cities, the train served Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Greensboro, Charlotte, Spartanburg, Greenville, Gainesville, Mobile and Gulfport.[10]
Referencesedit
^"This date in Southern Railway history". Southern Railway History. Southern Railway Historical Association. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
^ ab"New Southern Train Will Be Put On April 26". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. March 7, 1925. Retrieved 2011-06-19.
Media related to Piedmont Limited at Wikimedia Commons
1973 timetable
April 26, 2024
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Not to be confused with Amtrak Piedmont Service The Piedmont Limited was a named passenger train operated by the Southern Railway in the southern United States For most of its life it was a New York New Orleans train operating over the same route as the more famous Crescent Limited The Southern Railway discontinued the Piedmont Limited in 1967 though reused the name Piedmont a few years later for an Atlanta Washington service Piedmont LimitedThe Piedmont Limited in Charlotte in 1962OverviewService typeInter city railStatusDiscontinuedLocaleSoutheastern United StatesFirst serviceMarch 12 1899Last service1967Former operator s Southern RailwayRouteTerminiNew York New YorkNew Orleans LouisianaService frequencyDailyTrain number s 33 southbound 34 northbound On board servicesSeating arrangementsReclining seat coachesSleeping arrangementsPullman open sections roomettes and other closed roomsCatering facilitiesDining carEntertainment facilitiesLounge coach with radioRoute mapvteLegend New York New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania Delaware Maryland Baltimore MarylandDistrict of Columbia Washington PRRSOU District of ColumbiaVirginia Alexandria Charlottesville Sweet Briar Monroe Lynchburg Altavista Chatham Danville VirginiaNorth Carolina Reidsville Greensboro High Point Lexington Salisbury Kannapolis Concord Charlotte Gastonia North CarolinaSouth Carolina Spartansburg Greenville Clemson Seneca South CarolinaGeorgia Toccoa Cornelia Gainesville Atlanta Peachtree Atlanta Terminal SOUWPR branch to Birmingham branch to Birmingham Austell Lithia Springs Douglasville Winston Villa Rica Temple Morgan Brenan Waco Tallapoosa GeorgiaAlabama GeorgiaAlabama Muscardine Edwardsville Heflin Iron City Choccolocco De Armanville Anniston Eastaboga Lincoln Riverside Pell City Cook Springs Brompton Leeds Birmingham Montgomery WPRL amp N Greenville Georgiana Evergreen Brewton Flomaton Atmore Bay Minette Mobile AlabamaMississippi Pascagoula Ocean Springs Biloxi Edgewater Park Gulfport Pass Christian Bay St Louis MississippiLouisiana Carrollton Avenue New Orleans Contents 1 History 1 1 Piedmont 2 Route details 2 1 Major cities served 3 References 4 External linksHistory editThe Southern Railway introduced the train on March 12 1899 and it was known as the crack train of the route until the introduction of the Crescent in 1925 1 2 A spur branch served Birmingham but this was eliminated by 1964 3 By the end of that year the southbound itinerary of the route was cut from running from New York to New Orleans to having Kings Mountain North Carolina south of Charlotte North Carolina as the southern terminus of the route 4 By late 1966 the train was running from Washington D C to Salisbury North Carolina in both directions 5 6 Amid the postwar decline in passenger rail service the train was eliminated in 1967 7 Piedmont edit Piedmont vteLegend nbsp Washington nbsp District of ColumbiaVirginia nbsp Alexandria nbsp Cullpepper nbsp Charlottesville nbsp Monroe nbsp Lynchburg nbsp Altavista nbsp Danville nbsp VirginiaNorth Carolina nbsp Reidsville nbsp Greensboro nbsp High Point nbsp Thomasville nbsp Lexington nbsp Salisbury Terminusafter 1976 nbsp Concord nbsp Charlotte Terminus1975 1976 nbsp Gastonia nbsp North CarolinaSouth Carolina nbsp Spartansburg nbsp Greenville nbsp Clemson nbsp South CarolinaGeorgia nbsp Toccoa nbsp Gainesville nbsp Atlanta Peachtree Beginning in 1970 the Piedmont name was revived for an Atlanta Washington daytime service supplementing the then Southern Crescent along its middle leg Southern did not join Amtrak in 1971 leaving the service as one of the few intercity rail routes in America which was not operated by the new quasi government agency 8 9 In 1975 its southern terminus was truncated to Charlotte This train was discontinued in 1976 by then its southern terminus had been cut back to Salisbury North Carolina 7 Route details editIn its prime the Piedmont Limited operated over the following roads 2 Pennsylvania Railroad New York Washington D C Southern Railway Washington Atlanta Georgia West Point Route Atlanta Montgomery Alabama Louisville and Nashville Railroad Montgomery New Orleans Major cities served edit Aside from the above cited cities the train served Newark Philadelphia Baltimore Lynchburg Charlottesville Greensboro Charlotte Spartanburg Greenville Gainesville Mobile and Gulfport 10 References edit This date in Southern Railway history Southern Railway History Southern Railway Historical Association Retrieved 2011 06 19 a b New Southern Train Will Be Put On April 26 Spartanburg Herald Journal March 7 1925 Retrieved 2011 06 19 Southern timetable April 1964 Table B http streamlinermemories info South SRR64 4TT pdf Southern Railway Table B Official Guide of the Railways 97 7 National Railway Publication Company December 1964 Hearings Set On Bid To Drop SR Train The Durham Sun May 26 1967 p 14 Retrieved August 24 2023 via Newspapers com nbsp Southern Railway Table D Official Guide of the Railways 99 7 National Railway Publication Company December 1966 a b Cox Jim 2011 Rails Across Dixie A History of Passenger Trains in the American South Jefferson NC McFarland ISBN 9780786445288 OCLC 609716000 Edmonson Harold A 1972 Journey to Amtrak Kalmbach Publishing pp 102 104 ISBN 978 0890240236 Passenger trains operating on the eve of Amtrak PDF Trains Archived from the original PDF on 2021 02 24 Southern timetable July 1952 Table B http streamlinermemories info South SOU52TT pdfExternal links edit nbsp Media related to Piedmont Limited at Wikimedia Commons 1973 timetable Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Piedmont Limited amp oldid 1172005755, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
