Nancy Hanks (train)

Last updated
Nancy Hanks II
3 Nancy Hanks II Photos (25193030620).jpg
The Nancy Hanks II near Atlanta in 1968
Overview
Service type Inter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
Locale Georgia
PredecessorNancy Hanks
First serviceJuly 17, 1947
Last serviceApril 30, 1971
Former operator(s) Central of Georgia Railway
Route
Termini Atlanta, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Distance travelled293.7 miles (472.7 km)
Average journey time5 hours, 55 minutes, southbound
6 hours northbound (1954)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)108 (southbound), 107 (northbound)
An advertisement for the Nancy Hanks II 3 Nancy Hanks II Photos (25193033930).jpg
An advertisement for the Nancy Hanks II

The Nancy Hanks was a popular Central of Georgia Railway and later Southern Railway passenger train in Georgia running between Atlanta and Savannah. It was named after a race horse that was named for Abraham Lincoln's mother. The name is even older than the mid-20th century train derived from that of a short-lived but famous steam special, the Nancy Hanks. The earlier Nancy operated in 1892 and 1893.

History

Nancy Hanks II made its first trip on July 17, 1947. The new train's cars were painted blue and gray and, like the first Nancy, each bore a likeness of the famed trotter on the side. [1]

"The Nancy", as it was affectionately known, was an all-coach, reserved-seat train with grill lounge service. The train had an average speed of 48 mph (including stops) and made the 293.7 mi (472.7 km) journey in 6 hours. It left the Central of Georgia Depot in Savannah daily at 7 a.m., running to Atlanta Terminal Station via Macon Terminal Station, and returned from Atlanta at 6 p.m. (18:00).

Black and white passengers were separated on this pocket streamliner until the 1960s. Four "divided" segregated coaches were built by American Car & Foundry (ACF) for Nancy, and African-Americans were not allowed to eat in the grill-lounge car. The Central of Georgia was the last major Southern railroad to desegregate. Since it ran only in Georgia and did not engage in interstate commerce, it was not subject to the Interstate Commerce Commission's 1961 order to desegregate. [2] [3]

In the 1960s the Central leased a dome car from the Norfolk and Western-Wabash line, where it had operated for a number of years; the car was thoroughly renovated for service on the Nancy Hanks II. The dome parlor-lounge car was 85 feet (26 m) long, made of steel and originally was built by Pullman-Standard. It had a dark-blue exterior and interior upholstery in royal blue and gray. In keeping with the racehorse theme, the lounge beneath the dome was branded the "Saddle & Stirrup." [4]

Despite its popularity in Middle Georgia, the Nancy suffered a marked decline in ridership during the 1960s, in tandem with the larger decline of rail service during this period. While Southern opted to stay in the passenger business when Amtrak took over most passenger service, the Nancy was not among the routes retained. As a result, the Nancy made its last run on April 30, 1971, the day before Amtrak came into being. Atlanta's Terminal Station was demolished the following year.

Some folks say that the Nancy can't run;
But stop, let me tell you what the Nancy done:
She left Atlanta at half past one
And got to Savannah at the settin' of the sun.
The Nancy run so fast
She burnt the wind and scorcht the grass

Author unknown

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Railway (U.S.)</span> Defunct United States railroad

The Southern Railway was a class 1 railroad based in the Southern United States between 1894 and 1982, when it merged with the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) to form the Norfolk Southern Railway. The railroad was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894.

<i>Auto Train</i> Non-stop, car-carrying Amtrak service between Lorton, VA and Sanford, FL

Auto Train is an 855-mile (1,376 km) scheduled daily train service for passengers and their automobiles operated by Amtrak between Lorton, Virginia, and Sanford, Florida. Auto Train is the only motorail service in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auto-Train Corporation</span> Defunct, privately owned railroad in the United States

Auto-Train Corporation, stylized auto-train, was a privately owned passenger railroad that operated from 1971 to 1981. Its trains included autorack cars, enabling passengers to bring their own vehicles on their journey. The company used its own rolling stock, and traveled on rails leased from major railroads. It served central Florida from points in the Mid-Atlantic region near Washington, D.C., and the Midwest near Louisville, Kentucky. The company failed after 10 years despite the popularity of the service on its primary route, which parallels busy Interstate 95 in five states along the eastern U.S. coast.

<i>Silver Meteor</i> Amtrak service between New York and Florida

The Silver Meteor is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and Miami, Florida. Introduced in 1939 as the first diesel-powered streamliner between New York and Florida, it was the flagship train of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL) and one of the flagship trains of its successor, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). The train was transferred to Amtrak when it took over intercity passenger rail service in 1971.

<i>Silver Star</i> (Amtrak train) Amtrak service between New York and Florida

The Silver Star is a long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 1,522-mile (2,449 km) route between New York City and Miami via Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia, Raleigh, North Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, Jacksonville, Florida, and Tampa, Florida. The Silver Star and its sister train in the Silver Service brand, the Silver Meteor, are the descendants of numerous long-distance trains that operated between Florida and New York for most of the 20th century.

<i>Palmetto</i> (train) Amtrak service between New York City, NY and Savannah, GA

The Palmetto is a passenger train operated by Amtrak on a 829-mile (1,334 km) route between New York City and Savannah, Georgia, via the Northeast Corridor, Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia, Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina. The Palmetto is a shorter version of the Silver Meteor, which continues south to Miami, Florida. From 1996 to 2002 this service was called the Silver Palm. Although currently a day train, the Palmetto is considered a long-distance train by Amtrak and previously provided overnight sleeper service to Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Railroad and Banking Company</span> Historic American railroad and banking company

The Georgia Railroad and Banking Company also seen as "GARR", was a historic railroad and banking company that operated in the U.S. state of Georgia. In 1967 it reported 833 million revenue-ton-miles of freight and 3 million passenger-miles; at the end of the year it operated 331 miles (533 km) of road and 510 miles (820 km) of track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central of Georgia Railway</span> Railroad constructed to join Macon, Georgia, and Savannah, Georgia

The Central of Georgia Railway started as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company in 1833. As a way to better attract investment capital, the railroad changed its name to Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia. This railroad was constructed to join the Macon and Western Railroad at Macon, Georgia, in the United States, and run to Savannah. This created a rail link from Chattanooga, on the Tennessee River, to seaports on the Atlantic Ocean. It took from 1837 to 1843 to build the railroad from Savannah to the eastern bank of the Ocmulgee River at Macon; a bridge into the city was not built until 1851.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peachtree station</span> Railway station in Atlanta, US

Atlanta Peachtree Station is a train station in Atlanta, Georgia. It is currently a service stop for Amtrak's Crescent passenger train. The street address is 1688 Peachtree Road, Northwest, in the Brookwood section of town between Buckhead and Midtown.

<i>International</i> (Amtrak train) American named passenger train (1982–2004)

The International was a named passenger train operated between Chicago and Toronto. It was originally an overnight train operated by the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada and its successors the Canadian National Railway and Grand Trunk Western Railroad, running as far as Montreal. The train was cut back to Port Huron, Michigan, in 1970 and discontinued in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savannah station (Amtrak)</span> Amtrak station in Georgia USA

Savannah station is an Amtrak train station in Savannah, Georgia. The station was built in 1962 to replace the older Savannah Union Station, torn down for construction of I-16. Located at 2611 Seaboard Coastline Drive, the station consists of a terminal building on the east side of the north–south tracks, with a platform between the tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terminal Station (Atlanta)</span> Former railway station in Atlanta, Ga., USA (demolished 1972)

Terminal Station was the larger of two principal train stations in downtown Atlanta, Union Station being the other. Opening in 1905, Terminal Station served Southern Railway, Seaboard Air Line, Central of Georgia, and the Atlanta and West Point. The architect was P. Thornton Marye, whose firm also designed the Fox Theater and Capital City Club in downtown Atlanta, as well as the Birmingham Terminal Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlanta Union Station (1930)</span> Smaller of two principal train stations in downtown Atlanta

The Union Station built in 1930 in Atlanta was the smaller of two principal train stations in downtown, Terminal Station being the other. It was the third "union station" or "union depot", succeeding the 1853 station, burned in mid-November 1864 when Federal forces left Atlanta for the March to the Sea, and the 1871 station.

<i>Royal Palm</i> (train) Defunct American long-distance train

The Royal Palm was a named train of the Southern Railway that ran from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Jacksonville, Florida, and then on the Florida East Coast Railway's East Coast Champion to Miami, Florida. The train was discontinued in 1970.

The Georgia Rail Passenger Program (GRPP) was a set of plans, as yet unbuilt, for intercity and commuter rail in the U.S. state of Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central of Georgia Depot and Trainshed (Savannah, Georgia)</span>

Central of Georgia Depot and Trainshed is a former passenger depot and trainshed constructed in 1860 by the Central of Georgia Railway (CofG) before the outbreak of the American Civil War. This pair of buildings was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976, a listing that was expanded in 1978 to the old Central of Georgia Railway Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities.

<i>Champion</i> (train)

The Champion was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Florida East Coast Railway between New York City and Miami or St. Petersburg, Florida. It operated from 1939 until 1979, continuing under the Seaboard Coast Line and Amtrak. It was a direct competitor to the Seaboard Air Line Railway's Silver Meteor, the first New York-Florida streamliner.

The transportation system of Georgia is a cooperation of complex systems of infrastructure comprising over 1,200 miles (1,900 km) of interstates and more than 120 airports and airbases serving a regional population of 59,425 people.

<i>City of Miami</i> (train) Passenger train

The City of Miami was a seven-car coach streamliner inaugurated by Illinois Central Railroad on December 18, 1940. Its route was from Chicago to Miami a total distance of 1,493 miles (2,403 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terminal Station (Macon, Georgia)</span>

Terminal Station, Macon, Georgia, is a railroad station that was built in 1916, and is located on 5th St. at the end of Cherry St. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by architect Alfred T. Fellheimer (1875–1959), prominent for his design of Grand Central Terminal in New York City in 1903. The station building is part of the Macon Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While no longer an active train station, it has been the location of the Macon Transit Authority bus hub since 2014.

References

  1. McKay, Archie (May 1, 1971). "She burnt the wind: Last ride of the Nancy Hanks". The Macon Telegraph . Aboard the Nancy. Archived from the original on 1999-09-01.
  2. Kornweibel, Theodore Jr. (2010). Railroads in the African American Experience: A Photographic Journey (print). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN   9780801891625.
  3. Arsenault, Raymond; Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice, p. 438
  4. "Dome Car brings new look to Nancy Hanks II". southern.railfan.net.