A 1967 Trip From Miami to Winter Haven Aboard the Silver Meteor on the Seaboard Air Line Railroad

This is a vintage 3½ minute 8mm film of a 1967 round trip on the streamliner Silver Meteor. It also includes a cameo appearance by the Sunland local. This was just before ACL and SAL merged to become Seaboard Coast Line, and still four years before Amtrak. The Winter Haven station remains in service, but the old 1927 stub-end Miami Seaboard passenger terminal was demolished after Amtrak moved out in 1977, except for the original entrance portico standing at 2210 NW 7th Avenue. More at http://rails.getcruising.com

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• florida
• depot
• sal
• train

[SuperHotrod47]

Great Video. I have made several trips from Miami to NYC and vice versa, and I can tell you is not the same. I also noticed the SB Meteor was carrying one of the "Sun Lounges".

[binzoclone]

The NB Silver Meteor also was carrying a Sun Lounge buffet sleeper, but unfortunately the camera wasn't running when it went by. Actually, I never saw the Silver Meteor without it's Sun Lounge.

[dpohunter]

That car sitting on track 3 in Miami looks like an Osgood-Bradley "American Flyer" car, probably for the SUNLAND. Man, I wish my dad had brought along the family movie camera the many times we were at Miami Seaboard Station! Thanks for posting this great video.

[binzoclone]

Yes, the short train on the right definitely was the Sunland.

[drum3433]

Your Mom is a hottie!!

[binzoclone]

Mom is in her 80s now and your comment made her day!

[xstugee]

get this film digitally cleaned-up...you have some great stock shots here that people in the

"business" can readily use!!

[SightseerLounge]

Incredible!

[rando4038]

did you take a ride on the city of miami? it originally ran over the FEC from jacskonville to miami but the strike in 1963-1964 caused a reroute over the ACL-SAL from jacksonville through sanford, orlando & finally maimi, do you have any footage of the city of maimi? , great vid, thanks for posting!

[MadeFromStarStuff]

Wow, this was taken the last year of the Air Line. Very good stuff.

[drum3433]

@binzoclone The best part of films like yours is the blend of the railroad and the lives it passes through. I really enjoy watching this film from time to time. Cheers to your Mom!

[kevingthompson13]

On top of all that....did you notice that roadbed? I mean even in 67 at the end of passenger rail, SCL took its passenger trackage seriously. And the train was still beautiful albiet in that always dirty white scheme instead of the more attractive citrus one.On the Amtrack thing, IT WASNT AMTRACK THAT REMOVED 700 MILES OF DOUBLE TRACK up the famous ACL speedway.NO COMPUTER aka CTC can double the amount of water a glass can hold.It takes 2 glasses for that..ALSO, NO CSX RAILS ARE 100mph now.

[howardkevinm]

@ACLTony the ACL Silver Meteor beats Amtraks time by over 3hrs and the silver star time by about the same. then again they took a different route. they used to go via ocala and waldo florida. Normally the trains could go 100mph between Richmond and Miami. how else u going to have a 24hr Schedule from NY to miami?