Orange Blossom Special (train)
The Orange Blossom Special was a deluxe passenger train operated primarily by the Seaboard Air Line Railroad between New York City and Miami in the United States.
The train was handled by the Pennsylvania Railroad from New York City to Washington, D.C., the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad from Washington to Richmond, and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad from Richmond via Raleigh, Columbia, Savannah and Jacksonville to Miami. A section went to Tampa and St. Petersburg, as a winter season only service.
Inaugurated on November 21, 1925, the service was the brainchild of SAL president S. Davies Warfield, who wanted to capitalize on the booming development that was taking place in Florida at the time. Warfield believed that Florida was a land of opportunity, and with the addition of fast, luxurious train travel, he could lure influential (not to mention wealthy) business leaders to the Sunshine State.
Spurred on by the success of Henry Flagler and his rival Florida East Coast Railway in attracting travelers to the southeast, the Orange Blossom Special became quite famous in its own right. It was renowned for its speed and luxury. E. M. Frimbo, "The World's Greatest Railway Buff", offered this account of a dining car chef who had worked aboard the train:
| “ | Our chef...spent nine of his forty-three years with the Pennsylvania Railroad as chef on the celebrated all-Pullman New York-to-Florida train the Orange Blossom Special—the most luxurious winter-season train ever devised by man. Nothing even remotely resembling a can opener was allowed on the premises. All the pies, cakes, rolls, birthday cakes were baked on board under his supervision. Cut flowers and fresh fish were taken on at every revictualing stop, and the train carried thirty-five hundred dollars' worth of wine, liquor and champagne—these at pre-Prohibition prices—for each run. | ” |
The service was suspended during WWII to free the equipment for wartime use in carrying troops. Its last run was in 1953. This market is now handled by Amtrak's Silver Meteor.
A similar locomotive painted to resemble a locomotive of the time, and lettered Orange Blossom Special is currently being moved from its long-time display location at the Church Street Station in Orlando, Florida to the Gulf Coast Railway Museum in nearby Tampa. Plans are for a multi-year restoration to active status for eventual excursion service.
Read more about Orange Blossom Special (train): The Train and The Song, Further Reading
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