The Florida Special was Atlantic Coast Line's answer to Seaboard's Orange Blossom Special, a premium winter-season-only train aimed at the vacationing snowbirds from the northeast. While the Orange Blossom Special was (and still is) immortalized in the famous bluegrass tune, it was never to receive what this edition of the Florida Special premiered: modern streamlined equipment from nose to tail. The Orange Blossom Special would fade into the mists of time in another three seasons, but the streamlined Florida Special would still be going strong all the way to the handover of passenger service to Amtrak in May 1971.

See Atlantic Coast Line's advertisement for its winter season streamliners.

See the Peninsular & Occidental Steamship Line's ad for its service between Miami and Havana.


From the pages of the Official Guide, December  1949

Pennsylvania Railroad Keystone heraldRichmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac heraldAtlantic Coast Line RR heraldFlorida East Coast Ry. herald

The Florida Special

Pennsylvania Railroad
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac RR
Atlantic Coast Line RR
  Florida East Coast Railway
December 16, 1949

177 Connecting Train Number (New Haven) 14
11 00A Dp
0.0 Boston, MA (South Station) (ET) C R Ar
4 25P
11 50A Dp
43.8 Providence, RI C R Ar
3 35P
12 55P Dp
106.0 New London, CT C R Ar
2 25P
1 53P Dp
156.8 New Haven, CT C R Ar
1 22P
3 20P Ar
229.1 New York, NY (See Note) (ET) C R Dp
12 00P
193 Train Number
192
Daily
Miles (Pennsylvania Railroad) Services
Daily
3 35P Dp 0.0 New York, NY (Penna Sta.) (ET) C R Ar 10 55A
R 3 49P
10.0 Newark, NJ C R
D10 37A


58.1 Trenton, NJ C R
D 9 48A
R 5 02P
85.9 North Philadelphia, PA C
D 9 21A
R 5 13P
91.4 Philadelphia, PA (30th St. Sta.) C R
D 9 07A
R 5 43P
118.1 Wilmington, DE C
D 8 27A
R 6 48P
186.5 Baltimore, MD C R
D 7 22A
R 7 35P Ar 226.6 Washington, DC C R Dp D 6 40A
87 Continuing Train Number (Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac) 88
8 00P Dp 226.6 Washington, DC C Ar 6 20A
RF 8 18P
234.8 Alexandria, VA C

10 30P Ar 340.1 Richmond, VA (Broad St. Sta.) C Dp 3 50A
(Atlantic Coast Line)
10 40P Dp 340.1 Richmond, VA (Broad St. Sta.) C R Ar 3 40A
3 25A Ar 637.3 Florence, SC C Dp 10 45P
3 35A Dp Ar 10 35P


732.5 Charleston, SC C
8 57P
D 8 23A
934.3 Nahunta, GA (Brunswick via bus) C
R 5 59P
9 30A Ar 1020.3 Jacksonville, FL C R M Dp 5 00P
(Florida East Coast)
9 45A Dp 1020 Jacksonville, FL C Ar 4 45P
10 21A
1057 St. Augustine, FL C
4 03P
F11 08A
1124 Ormond, FL C
F 3 13P
11 19A
1130 Daytona Beach, FL C
3 07P
11 55A
1145 New Smyrna Beach, FL C
2 45P
F12 24P
1174 Titusville, FL C
F 1 58P
12 42P
1194 Cocoa-Rockledge, FL C
1 43P
1 04P
1214 Melbourne, FL C
1 23P
1 35P
1248 Vero Beach, FL C
12 52P
1 53P Ar 1262 Fort Pierce, FL C Dp 12 37P
2 00P Dp Ar 12 30P
2 23P
1281 Stuart, FL C
F12 05P
F 2 38P
1295 Hobe Sound, FL

F11 49A
3 06P
1319 West Palm Beach, FL C
11 24A
3 19P
1326 Lake Worth, FL C
F11 08A
3 33P
1337 Delray Beach, FL C
F10 52A
3 44P
1345 Boca Raton, FL C
F10 41A
3 53P
1353 Pompano Beach, FL C
F10 32A
4 06P
1361 Fort Lauderdale, FL C
10 20A
4 19P
1368 Hollywood, FL C
10 08A
4 45P Ar 1386 Miami, FL (ET) C Dp 9 45A
6 00P Dp
Miami, FL (P. & O. Steamship) (See Note)
Ar 8 30A
8 00A Ar
Havana, Cuba (P. & O. Steamship)
Dp 6 00P
5 20P Dp
Miami, FL (Pan Am Airways)
Ar 9 02A
6 26P Ar
Havana, Cuba (Pan Am Airways)
Dp 8 00A

Train 193-87 (New York-Miami): 29 stops; 25:10; 55.1 MPHTrain 88-192 (Miami-New York): 30 stops; 25:10; 55.1 MPH


NOTE: Peninsular & Occidental Steamship service between Miami and Havana operates southbound on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and northbound on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays once winter season schedules take effect on December 26 [1949]. When off-season schedules are in effect, sailings occur approximately twice weekly—consult agent.

(Pennsylvania Railroad Notes)


SLEEPING, PARLOR AND DINING CARS (Via Atlantic Coast Line Railroad)
Coaches on all trains except where otherwise noted.

SOUTHWARD

Nos. 193-87—FLORIDA SPECIAL.
Lounge Cars...New York to Miami—(6 Double Bedrooms, Bar). (Two Cars.)
Sleeping Cars...New York to Miami—(10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms). (Seven Cars.)
New York to Miami—(21 Roomettes). (Two Cars.)
New York to Miami—(14 Roomettes, 2 Drawing-rooms). (First trip on advice). (Two Cars.)
New York to Jacksonville—(10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms).
Dining Cars...New York to Miami. (Two Cars.)
No Coaches.

NORTHWARD

Nos. 88-192—FLORIDA SPECIAL.
(Effective December 18 [1949].)
Lounge Cars...Miami to New York—(6 Double Bedrooms, Bar). (Two Cars.)
Sleeping Cars...Miami to New York—(10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms). (Seven Cars.)
Miami to New York—(21 Roomettes). (Two Cars.)
Miami to New York—(14 Roomettes, 2 Drawing-rooms). (First trip on advice). (Two Cars.)
Jacksonville to New York—(10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms).
Dining Cars...Miami to New York. (Two Cars.)
No Coaches.


(Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Notes)


Nos. 87 and 88 (A. C. L. Florida Special)—Sleeping Cars New York and Miami. Dining and Bar-Lounge Cars. Sleeping and Dining Cars (over B. & O.).
No Coaches over P. R.R.-R. F. & P.-A. C. L.-F. E. C.

(Atlantic Coast Line Notes)


ATLANTIC COAST LINE RAILROAD

SOUTHBOUND PULLMAN, COACH AND DINING CAR SERVICE
Between the East and Florida

All equipment regularly assigned and operated in trains as shown below is completely Air-Conditioned and Air-Cooled.

Service which will be effective December 16, 1949.

No. 87—Florida Special. Daily.
Effective from New York December 16.

STREAMLINED ALL PULLMAN TRAIN.
Two (2) Dining Cars...New York to Miami.
Sleepers...[FS-1] [FS-2] {FS-3] [FS-4] [FS-5] New York to Miami—10-Roomette, 6-Double Bedrooms.
[FS-6] New York to Miami—6 Double Bedrooms, Bar-Lounge.
[FS-7] New York to Miami—6-Double Bedrooms, Bar-Lounge.
[FS-8] New York to Miami—10-Roomette, 6-Double Bedrooms.
[FS-9] New York to Miami—21-Roomette.
[FS-12] New York to Miami—10-Roomette, 6-Double Bedrooms.
[FS-14] New York to Miami—21-Roomette.
[J-15] New York to Jacksonville—10-Roomette, 6-Double Bedrooms.

NORTHBOUND PULLMAN, COACH AND DINING CAR SERVICE
Between Florida and the East

All equipment regularly assigned and operated in trains as shown below is completely Air-Conditioned and Air-Cooled.

Service which will be effective December 15, 1949.

No. 88—Florida Special. Daily.
Effective from Miami December 18.

STREAMLINED ALL PULLMAN TRAIN.
Two (2) Dining Cars...Miami to New York.
Sleepers...[FS-1] [FS-2] {FS-3] [FS-4] [FS-5] Miami to New York—10-Roomette, 6-Double Bedrooms.
[FS-6] Miami to New York—6 Double Bedrooms, Bar-Lounge.
[FS-7] Miami to New York—6-Double Bedrooms, Bar-Lounge.
[FS-8] Miami to New York—10-Roomette, 6-Double Bedrooms.
[FS-9] Miami to New York—21-Roomette.
[FS-12] Miami to New York—10-Roomette, 6-Double Bedrooms.
[FS-14] Miami to New York—21-Roomette.
[J-15] Jacksonville to New York—10-Roomette, 6-Double Bedrooms.

(Florida East Coast Notes)


EQUIPMENT.
All Regularly Assigned Cars Air-Conditioned.

SOUTHBOUND
No. 87—Florida Special. Daily.
First trip from New York December 16.
Sleepers...[FS-1] New York-Miami—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-2] New York-Miami—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-3] New York-Miami—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-4] New York-Miami—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-5] New York-Miami—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-6] New York-Miami—6 Double Bedrooms, Bar-Lounge.
Dining Cars (2)...New York-Miami.
Sleepers...[FS-7] New York-Miami—6 Double Bedrooms, Bar-Lounge.
[FS-8] New York-Miami—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-9] New York-Miami—21 Roomettes.
[FS-10] New York-Miami—14 Roomettes, 2 Drawing-rooms.
[FS-11] New York-Miami—14 Roomettes, 2 Drawing-rooms.
[FS-12] New York-Miami—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-14] New York-Miami—21 Roomettes.

NORTHBOUND
No. 88—Florida Special. Daily.
First trip from Miami December 18.
Sleepers...[FS-1] Miami-New York—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-2] Miami-New York—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-3] Miami-New York—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-4] Miami-New York—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-5] Miami-New York—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-6] Miami-New York—6 Double Bedrooms, Bar-Lounge.
Dining Cars (2)...Miami-New York.
Sleepers...[FS-7] Miami-New York—6 Double Bedrooms, Bar-Lounge.
[FS-8] Miami-New York—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-9] Miami-New York—21 Roomettes.
[FS-10] Miami-New York—14 Roomettes, 2 Drawing-rooms.
[FS-11] Miami-New York—14 Roomettes, 2 Drawing-rooms.
[FS-12] Miami-New York—10 Roomettes, 6 Double Bedrooms.
[FS-14] Miami-New York—21 Roomettes.


The assignment of two diners and two lounge cars seems as though it may have been intended to facilitate the division of the train into two sections. Most station platforms had been laid out in the 19th century and could only accommodate a limited number of cars. The only real alternatives the railroads had were to double-spot at each station, or else to split long trains into multiple sections.