Does anybody remember the old KC-FLorida Special? It was a joint Frisco/Southern operation from KC to Jacksonville, with sometimes a through sleeper KC to Miami.

It was NOT historically considered to be a streamliner. However as the years went by and more and more lightweight cars were no longer needed on the trains for which they were origianlly ordered, they sometimes were handed-me-down to heavyweight trains,like this one.

My questions are two; About 1949-50 the Special did begin operating a streamlined 14-4 sleeper from KC to Miami. Were these Southern cars, Frisco or FEC? It would have taken five sets to service this line. Did all three railroads contribute equipment perhaps?

Second question, in the last years of its life apparently the coaches were handed down streamlined cars.Were they predominantly Frisco cars or Southern?

Does anybody know if the diner/lounge cars on this train were lightweight or heavyweight, esp. in the last years? And if so, from which railroad?

-- bill haithcoat (bhaithcoat@ajc.com), March 15, 2005