Citadel, SC to VMI/Lexington, Va. Special Movement

[NW Mailing List]

Bob,

I believe I saw this passenger special movement on 11/4/61. I don't know how long before or after it ran but based on conversation at the time with Southern Railway personnel I believe this was not the only time it ran. The Citadel played VMI in Lexington every other year.

Another N&W tidbit: a regular evening train by Union Station on Lynchburg in the early 1960s was the west bound "Phoebe Turn!" which ran west on the old main line shortly after the Powhatan Arrow went east. This was a train of westbound empty hoppers. I am familiar with the role played by the Phoebe Turn in the steam era but this was about three years after that. Perhaps someone else can speak to this.



    Ray

On Jul 12, 2013, at 8:35 PM, "NW Mailing List" <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:


> Mr. Smoot:

> 

> Regarding your football special movement reference which I have cut & pasted below: for what years might you recall these special movements occurring to and from Lexington, Va.? The earliest and latest which you might know about would be appreciated.

> 

> Thank you.

> 

> Bob Cohen

> 

> 

> During the early 1960's I saw the Tennessean and Birmingham Special many times at Kemper St. Station in Lynchburg. Each carried one stainless steel Pullman. Once every other fall, the Sewanee University football team would come to play Hampden-Sydney and an additional Pullman (may have been heavy-weight) was added from Chattanooga to Monroe for the team. I believe they returned on the evening Birmingham Special.

> 

> The Pelican came through Lynchburg both ways in the middle of the night. It carried two Pullman cars both ways. The only time I saw it the Pullmans were Southern stainless steel.

> 

> As an aside, there was another every other year football related special movement through Lynchburg. A 15 or so car extra was run from Charleston, SC to Lexington to bring the entire Citadel student body to VMI for the football game. This involved Southern, N&W, and C&O. The train came into Lynchburg on the Southern, went down the old main line to Union Station, briefly backed onto the N&W to connect with the C&O, went up the C&O to Balcony Falls, then up the N&W valley line to Buena Vista, then up the C&O branch to Lexington. Southern motive power was used for the entire trip. Coming back in the evening, it came through Union Station just after the Powhatan Arrow went east. I regret to report that there was evidence of drinking on the train as it returned!

> 

>     Raymond Smoot

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