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The Dixie Flagler

Last revised: May 9, 2023

By: Adam Burns

The Florida East Coast's Dixie Flagler was one of three principle trains (the other two being the Pennsylvania's South Wind and Illinois Central's City of Miami) that connected the Midwest and Chicago with the southeast and Florida.

In terms of mileage the train operated the shortest schedule although its timetable was just the same as its two counterparts. Additionally, it required the partnership of four different railroads (six, including subsidiaries) to complete the journey.

Despite the three trains being owned and operated by different railroads, all worked together to provide reliable service and were not really competitors in the truest sense. 

The Flagler saw its name changed in the early 1950s to the Dixieland and would not survive to the see the 1960s (which is somewhat interesting considering that the other two trains saw relatively healthy traffic through the start-up of Amtrak in 1971).

An Electro-Motive builder's photo featuring new Florida East Coast E7's in April of 1945. Warren Calloway collection/Tom Alderman colorization.

History

Because of the Florida East Coast's location serving Florida's largest Atlantic coastline cities like Miami, Jacksonville, Daytona, and others the railroad served as run-through service for numerous well known southern streamliners like the City of Miami, South Wind, Champion, and others.

However, the company was never known for any long distance streamliners.

The history of the Flagler dated back to 1939 (officially making it the first of the three trains to begin service) when the FEC inaugurated a regional train known as the Henry M. Flagler (Jacksonville - Miami). Despite its regional status the train was indeed a streamliner with equipment from the Budd Company. 

Photos

A publicity photo of Florida East Coast's new "Henry M. Flagler" streamliner, led by E3A #1001, circa November/December, 1939. This locomotive (serial 956), and sister #1001 (serial 957), were the only two ordered by the FEC (order number E266), completed in November, 1939.

For power this first train utilized two streamlined E3A diesel locomotives from the Electro-Motive Division (#1001-#1002) and overall was a seven-car affair featuring a baggage-coach-dormitory-coach, four standard coaches (with individual reclining seats), a diner, and a tavern-observation.

Keeping with the theme of the region the FEC had the equipment named for different areas around the state of Florida.

The train was quite elegant with the stainless steel cars led by the E3As painted in a mango orange and yellow livery with gold trim that was perfectly suited for where it operated.

However, the Henry M. Flagler only survived for about a year when the FEC decided to work with the Pennsy, Illinois Central, and several other lines (nine in total) to provide Midwestern travelers three different high speed trains to the warm climate of Florida.

Seen here is Florida East Coast's "Henry M. Flager," featuring just three cars, at Jacksonville Union Station circa 1939.

Route

This new train was known as the Dixie Flagler and was inaugurated on December 17, 1940 having been christened with a bottle of orange juice at Chicago's Dearborn Station.

To complete the journey required the cooperation of five other railroads:

  • From Chicago to Evansville, Indiana the train was handled by the Chicago & Eastern Illinois (which for power utilized a beautifully streamlined 4-6-2 Pacific).

  • The Louisville & Nashville to Nashville

  • Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis carried it southward to Atlanta.

  • Here it was picked up by Atlantic Coast Line subsidiary Atlanta, Birmingham & Coast which transported the train to Waycross (Georgia).

  • From there the ACL handled the Flagler to Jacksonville where it returned to home rails on the FEC and finished the journey to Miami.

Timetable (June 1, 1941)

Read Down Time/Leave (Train #99/Chicago & Eastern Illinois) Milepost Location Read Up
Time/Arrive (Train #98/Chicago & Eastern Illinois)
8:40 AM (Dp)0.0
Chicago, IL (Dearborn Station) (CT)
9:55 PM (Ar)
8:52 AM7
Englewood, IL (63rd Street Station)
9:40 PM
10:40 AM (Ar)132
Danville, IL
7:50 PM (Dp)
11:45 AM178
Terre Haute, IN
6:47 PM
F 12:39 PM235
Vincennes, IN
F 5:49 PM
1:53 PM (Ar)287
Evansville, IN
4:42 PM (Dp)
Time/Leave (Train #11/Louisville & Nashville) Milepost Location Time/Arrive (Train #12/Louisville & Nashville)
1:58 PM (Dp)287
Evansville, IN
4:37 PM (Ar)
5:03 PM (Ar)446
Nashville, TN
1:32 PM (Dp)
Time/Leave (Train #11/Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis) Milepost Location Time/Arrive (Train #12/Nashville, Chattanooga & St. Louis)
5:08 PM (Dp)446
Nashville, TN
1:27 PM (Ar)
F 6:23 PM516
Tullahoma, TN
F 12:03 PM
8:15 PM (Ar)598
Chattanooga, TN (Union Station)
10:20 AM (Dp)
8:20 PM (Dp)598
Chattanooga, TN (Union Station)
10:15 AM (Ar)
11:18 PM (Ar)735
Atlanta, GA (Union Station)
7:17 AM (Dp)
Time/Leave (Train #11/Atlanta & Birmingham Coast) Milepost Location Time/Arrive (Train #12/Atlanta & Birmingham Coast)
11:23 PM (Dp)735
Atlanta, GA (Union Station)
7:12 AM (Ar)
1:21 AM813
Manchester, GA (CT)
5:17 AM (Ar)
F 4:30 AM906
Cordele, GA (ET)
F 4:03 AM
5:24 AM943
Fitzgerald, GA
3:15 AM
F 6:00 AM972
Douglas, GA
F 2:33 AM
6:57 AM (Ar)1014
Waycross, GA (Union Station)
1:38 AM (Dp)
Time/Leave (Train #3/Atlantic Coast Line) Milepost Location Time/Arrive (Train #4/Atlantic Coast Line)
7:05 AM (Dp)1014
Waycross, GA (Union Station)
1:30 AM (Ar)
8:30 AM (Ar)1089
Jacksonville, FL
12:05 AM (Dp)
Time/Leave (Train #3/Florida East Coast) Milepost Location Time/Arrive (Train #4/Florida East Coast)
8:50 AM (Dp)1089
Jacksonville, FL
11:55 PM (Ar)
F 9:38 AM1176
Bunnell, FL
F 10:40 PM
10:02 AM1199
Daytona Beach, FL
10:18 PM
10:25 AM1214
New Smyrna Beach, FL
10:01 PM
10:54 AM1243
Titusville, FL
9:22 PM
11:11 AM1263
Cocoa-Rockledge, FL
9:02 PM
11:30 AM1283
Melbourne, FL
8:42 PM
12:02 PM1317
Vero Beach, FL
8:13 PM
12:21 PM1331
Fort Pierce, FL
7:59 PM
12:41 PM1350
Stuart, FL
7:32 PM
F 12:54 PM1364
Hobe Sound, FL
F 7:16 PM
1:21 PM1388
West Palm Beach, FL
6:52 PM
1:33 PM1395
Lake Worth, FL
6:37 PM
1:45 PM1406
Delray Beach, FL
6:25 PM
F 1:54 PM1414
Boca Raton, FL
F 6:15 PM
F 2:01 PM1422
Pompano, FL
F 6:07 PM
2:12 PM1430
Fort Lauderdale, FL
6:25 PM
2:24 PM1437
Hollywood, FL
5:47 PM
2:50 PM (Ar)1455
Miami, FL
5:25 PM (Dp)

The 1940 version of the Flagler also saw the FEC purchase new EMC locomotives, the E6A (#1003-#1005) giving it a total of five units to provide power for all of the streamliners operating over its rails.

Over the next 14 years the train changed little in terms of the equipment it used although the FEC did buy more new cab units from EMD after World War II, 17 new E7As between 1945 and 1947, #1006-#1022.

Consist (1939)

In 1954 the Flagler finally received new lightweight equipment that included coaches and for the first time, sleepers. It also saw its name changed to the Dixieland.


Final Years

For whatever reason, although it has been speculated that the recession of the time is partly to blame, the train was not very successful during the 1950s.  Its image was further tarnished by a deadly crash in 1957 that killed several passengers.

Perhaps this was also an effect of the train's discontinuance but whatever the reason(s), the FEC elected to cancel the Dixieland before the dawning of 1958. The train was an early casualty of the industry, particularly for southern streamliners most of which like its two counterparts saw high ridership all of the way until the startup of Amtrak.


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