While the Louisville & Nashville had been an operating partner in the South Wind and Dixie Flagler Chicago-Florida streamliners since 1940, it did not make a move into streamlining on its own until after World War II. But when wartime production restrictions were eased, Louisville & Nashville was at the head of the line for ACF's first postwar production. The St. Louis company constructed two new streamliners to L. & N.'s order, one of which was the Humming Bird shown here and the other the St. Louis-Atlanta Georgian. The all-coach Humming Bird featured a diner and a tavern-lounge car. 

View L. & N.'s advertisement for the new Georgian and Humming Bird (PDF, 607K).


From the pages of the Official Guide, June 1947

Louisville & Nashville RR herald

The Humming Bird

Louisville & Nashville RR
May 18, 1947

5 Train Number 6
Daily Miles Services Daily
1 45P Dp 0 Cincinnati, OH (Union Tml.) (ET) T C Ar 7 30A
12 54P 3 Covington, KY (CT) C F 6 19A
3 17P Louisville, KY (Baxter Ave.) T 3 52A
3 40P Ar 114 Louisville, KY T C Dp 3 38A
3 50P Dp Ar 3 29A
F 4 41P 156 Elizabethtown, KY T C F 2 33A
5 49P 228 Bowling Green, KY T C 1 23A
7 15P Ar 301 Nashville, TN T C M Dp 11 57P
7 22P Dp Ar 11 50P
F 9 25P 421 Decatur, AL T C F 9 44P
11 02P Ar 506 Birmingham, AL T C Dp 8 03P
11 09P Dp Ar 7 56P
12 56A Ar 604 Montgomery, AL T C Dp 6 11P
1 03A Dp Ar 6 04P
3 09A 722 Flomaton, AL T C 3 55P
4 32A Ar 782 Mobile, AL T C Dp 2 33P
4 42A Dp Ar 2 23P
F 5 24A 822 Pascagoula, MS T C F 1 40P
F 5 51A 842 Biloxi, MS T C F 1 14P
F 6 06A 855 Gulfport, MS T C F12 57P
7 45A Ar 922 New Orleans, LA (Canal St.) (CT) T C Dp 11 30A

Train 5: 14 stops, 19:00, 48.5 MPHTrain 6: 14 stops, 19:00, 48.5 MPH

Nos. 5 and 6—The Humming Bird.
Streamlined Coach Train. (Diesel Powered.)

Coaches (5)...[HB1 to 5] Between Cincinnati and New Orleans. (All Seats Reserved.)

Tavern Lounge Car...Between Cincinnati and New Orleans. (Radio.)

Diner...Between Cincinnati and New Orleans.
(No Checked Baggage.)


AIR-CONDITIONED CARS ARE GENERALLY ASSIGNED PRINCIPAL THROUGH MAIN LINE TRAINS.