Railroads & Locomotives Locomotives Rosters Carolina circle

Carolina circle

By J David Ingles | August 2, 2002

| Last updated on November 3, 2020


Passenger-train consists from Dave Ingles' Carolina Circle trip, March 17-21, 1966

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Seaboard's coach-only mail train E7 3041 SDP35 1113
Seaboard’s coach-only mail train, No. 5, at Hamlet, N.C., behind E7 3041 and SDP35 1113.
J. David Ingles
It’s 300 miles from Knoxville, Tenn., to Raleigh, N.C., as the crow flies. But Classic Trains senior editor J. David Ingles parlayed a round trip between the two cities to 1039 miles on a spring weekend in 1966, riding six different trains of four different railroads.

Read all about his Carolina adventure in the Fall 2002 issue of Classic Trains.

And check out Dave’s passenger-train consist notes from his 4-day trip, below.

Southern Railway #18, Birmingham Special, into Knoxville, Tenn., 3/17/66
(rode Knoxville-Roanoke)

SR 2912, E7
SR 2801, E6
PRR 4966, boxcar
PRR 9958, (head-end)
PRR 2471, (head-end)
PRR 4873, (head-end)
PRR 2191, (head-end)
SR 57, RPO
SR 302, baggage
SR 720, comb
SR 1058, coach
SR 1067, coach
PRR 2248, boxcar

Norfolk & Western #25, Powhatan Arrow, into Roanoke, Va., 3/18/66
(did not ride, just recorded the consist)

N&W 519, GP9
N&W 120, baggage
N&W 536, coach
N&W 502, coach
N&W 1377, baggage
REX 4008, refrigerated express
REX 7307, refrigerated express
N&W 1402, baggage

N&W #4, Pocahontas, into Roanoke, 3/18/66
(rode Roanoke-Petersburg)

N&W 507, GP9
N&W 501, GP9
N&W 121, mail
N&W 116, mail
N&W 1418, baggage
N&W 1324, baggage
N&W 90, RPO
N&W 1629, coach
N&W 1722, coach
N&W 1724, coach
N&W 540, coach
(the following 6 cars off at Roanoke)
N&W City of Kokomo, sleeper
N&W 494, diner
N&W 1452, baggage
REX 7591, refrigerated express
REX 6954, refrigerated express
PRR 9712, boxcar mail
N&W 1393, baggage
(the following 2 cars added at Roanoke)
N&W 493, diner
REX 2298, boxcar

Seaboard Air Line #21, Silver Star, into Raleigh, N.C., 3/18/66
(rode Petersburg-Raleigh)

SAL 3021, E7
SAL 3029, E7
SAL 3049, E8
SAL 3050, E8
PRR 5512, boxcar
PRR 2102, boxcar
PRR 9574, boxcar
PRR 9630, boxcar
SAL 6054, dorm
SAL 6604, observation-lounge
PRR 4058, coach
SAL 6215, coach
SAL 6243, coach
PRR 4067, coach
SAL 6220, coach
SAL 6109, diner
PRR Greenwood, sleeper
RF&P Essex, sleeper
SAL 6108, diner
PRR Athens, sleeper
SAL Strong Mountain, lounge
SAL Hialeah, sleeper
SAL Orlando, sleeper
PRR Birch River, sleeper
SAL Pinehurst, sleeper
C&O City of Maysville, sleeper
PRR Cambria County, sleeper

SAL #10 at Raleigh, 3/18/66
(did not ride)

SAL 1114, SDP35
SAL 1108, SDP35
PRR 6896, (head-end)
PRR 5460, (head-end)
PRR 5417, boxcar mail
SAL 382, baggage express
SAL 151, RPO
RF&P 170, baggage
REX 1300, baggage
SAL 821, coach (deadhead)
SAL 856, coach
SAL 824, coach
RI Golden Horizon, sleeper
C&O City of Portsmouth, sleeper
SAL 6102, diner

SAL #33, Silver Comet, at Raleigh, 3/18/66
(did not ride)

SAL 3046, E8
SAL 3035, E8
SAL 1113, SDP35
SR 517, baggage
REX 6322, refrigerated express
SAL 107, RPO
SAL 6005, dorm-ch
SAL 6300, ch-lounge
SAL 6207, coach
C&O City of Montgomery, sleeper
SAL 6101, diner-lounge
SAL 6255, coach
SAL 820, coach
EL Pride of Youngstown, sleeper
C&O City of Ashland, sleeper
(the following added from #27 from Portsmouth)
SAL Piedmont Valley, sleeper
SAL 6232, coach
SAL 6265, coach
NH Monument Beach, sleeper

SAL #5 at Hamlet, N.C., 3/21/66
(rode Raleigh-Hamlet-Carlisle)

Out of Raleigh:
SAL 3041, E7
SAL 1113, SDP35
6 express rfgr.
5 baggage
1 combine (RF&P 311)
1 SAL coach
1 baggage
Out of Hamlet:
SAL 1113, SDP35
Several head-end cars
1 SAL coach
2 express (dropped these at Monroe)

SR #27, Carolina Special, at Carlisle, S.C., 3/21/66
(rode Carlisle-Spartanburg-Knoxville)

SR 4145, F3
SR 188, RPO
SAL 375, baggage
SR 1025, coach
SR 1013, coach
SR Wauhatchie Valley, sleeper (to #34 at Spartanburg)

SR #28, Carolina Special, at Spartanburg, S.C., 3/21/66
(did not ride)

SR 4138, F3
SR (NO&NE) 4512, head-end car
SR #unknown, RPO
SR 555, storage mail
SR 351, storage mail
SR 1081, coach
SR 1039, coach

SR #34, Piedmont, at Spartanburg, 3/21/66
(did not ride)

SR 4181, F7A
SR 4423, F7B
SR 2048, RS3
SR HC51, heater car converted from FT
NH 3110, express boxcar
PRR 1925, express boxcar
PRR 1800, express boxcar
SR 37, RPO
SR 551, baggage
SR 1029, coach
SR 1202, coach
(drop RS3; pick up Wauhatchie Valley sleeper from #27)

SR #27, Carolina Special, out of Asheville, N.C., 3/21/66
(rode Carlisle-Spartanburg-Knoxville)

SR 4145, F3
SR 6147, FP7 (added at Asheville)
AGS 4073, RPO (replaced SR 188)
SR 3252, storage mail
SAL 375, baggage
SR 1025, coach
SR 1013, coach
SR Flint River, sleeper (added at Asheville)
SR 8545, Big John hopper
SR 8918, Big John hopper
SR 8242, Big John hopper

What was it like riding North Carolina’s passenger trains? Dave Ingles takes you along on his ride – in the Fall 2002 issue of Classic Trains.
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