Nostalgia & History > Early Amtrak South Wind at Indianapolis

During Amtrak's first summer (1971), the daily Chicago-Florida South Wind calls at Indianapolis Union Station, carrying a full complement of coaches, diner, lounge, and sleeping cars. At the time of the photo, equipment had not yet been repainted into Amtrak's first color scheme, so all rolling stock still carried the liveries of the cars' previous owners. Closest to the camera is a spotless, former Seaboard Coast Line coach.

Art House
Gettysburg, Pa.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/17 10:49 by aehouse.

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Nice pic. I always thought if Amtrak ever merged the Southwest Chief with the Desert Wind, they would call it the South Wind!

Along with white-jacketed attendant, and a car knocker.  That's a wonderful photo.

The South Wind was still on its traditional, fast 2 days/1 night schedule.  That didn't last long with Penn Central's deteriorating track across Indiana, and Amtrak slowed it down to a 2 nights/1 day schedule.  That actually worked fairly well, as it allowed the South Wind, later Floridian, to make connections in Chicago with all the corridor and long-distance trains, and it provided better arrival and departure times on the west and east coasts of Florida.  But it was a slow schedule.

Discontinued in the severe Carter-era train-offs in 1979, along with the National Limited, the North Coast Hiawatha, the Champion, the Lone Star and the Hilltopper.

Nice shot.
I haven't seen many shots of the South Wind.
Gary

Look at Chicago to Atlanta.  #6 on the busiest air routes, and Amtrak is a non-player!

Rank City 1City 2Passengers
(Sep 2014-Aug 2015)1https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Flag_of_Illinois.svg/20px-Flag_of_Illinois.svg.png Chicago, IL (Metro Area)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Flag_of_New_York.svg/20px-Flag_of_New_York.svg.png New York City, NY (Metro Area)4,020,0002https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Flag_of_California.svg/20px-Flag_of_California.svg.png Los Angeles, CA (Metro Area)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Flag_of_California.svg/20px-Flag_of_California.svg.png San Francisco, CA (Metro Area)3,660,0003https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Flag_of_California.svg/20px-Flag_of_California.svg.png Los Angeles, CA (Metro Area)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Flag_of_New_York.svg/20px-Flag_of_New_York.svg.png New York City, NY (Metro Area)3,420,0004https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Flag_of_Illinois.svg/20px-Flag_of_Illinois.svg.png Chicago, IL (Metro Area)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Flag_of_California.svg/20px-Flag_of_California.svg.png Los Angeles, CA (Metro Area)3,010,0005https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Flag_of_Florida.svg/20px-Flag_of_Florida.svg.png Miami, FL (Metro Area)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Flag_of_New_York.svg/20px-Flag_of_New_York.svg.png New York City, NY (Metro Area)2,750,0006https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Flag_of_Georgia_%28U.S._state%29.svg/20px-Flag_of_Georgia_%28U.S._state%29.svg.png Atlanta, GA (Metro Area)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Flag_of_Illinois.svg/20px-Flag_of_Illinois.svg.png Chicago, IL (Metro Area)2,720,0007https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Flag_of_Illinois.svg/20px-Flag_of_Illinois.svg.png Chicago, IL (Metro Area)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Flag_of_Minnesota.svg/20px-Flag_of_Minnesota.svg.png Minneapolis, MN (Metro Area)2,720,0008https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Flag_of_Georgia_%28U.S._state%29.svg/20px-Flag_of_Georgia_%28U.S._state%29.svg.png Atlanta, GA (Metro Area)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Flag_of_New_York.svg/20px-Flag_of_New_York.svg.png New York City, NY (Metro Area)2,600,0009https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Flag_of_Georgia_%28U.S._state%29.svg/20px-Flag_of_Georgia_%28U.S._state%29.svg.png Atlanta, GA (Metro Area)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Flag_of_Florida.svg/20px-Flag_of_Florida.svg.png Orlando, FL (Metro Area)2,620,00010https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Flag_of_Illinois.svg/20px-Flag_of_Illinois.svg.png Chicago, IL (Metro Area)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Flag_of_Washington%2C_D.C..svg/20px-Flag_of_Washington%2C_D.C..svg.png Washington, DC (Metro Area)2,620,000