Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac E8A 1005 with Train 21 The Silver Star, arriving at Alexandria VA. Union Station on March 23, 1969.
(Photo by Roger Puta, courtesy Marty Bernard from U.S.A., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
SILVER STAR (SAL)
The Silver Star was originally a service of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL), running from New York to Miami and later also St. Petersburg (beyond Tampa). It was previously known as the Advance Silver Meteor, and was renamed on December 12, 1947, after the name was chosen by SAL in a contest. From 1947 to 1948, it was winter-only and did not appear in summer timetables. By 1949, however, it was a year-round train. Its main Miami-bound route went through the interior of Florida, via Ocala and Winter Haven. In peak winter service in the mid-1950s it had a section that went to St. Petersburg via Tampa. Another section went to Port Boca Grande via Tampa. The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) carried the train between New York and Washington, D.C. under a haulage agreement, similar to the arrangement with its sister train, the Silver Meteor. The agreement was maintained when the PRR was folded into Penn Central Transportation in 1968, a year after SAL merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (SCL). Between Washington and Richmond, Virginia, the train operated on RF&P rails. Amtrak took over the train in 1971.
The northbound Silver Star passing through Seabrook, Maryland in 1969.
(Photo by Roger Puta, courtesy Marty Bernard from U.S.A., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Overview
Service type: Inter-city rail
Locale: East Coast of the United States
First service: December 12, 1947
Current operator: Amtrak (May 1, 1971 – present)
Former operators: Seaboard Air Line Railroad (December 12, 1947 - June 30, 1967); Seaboard Coast Line Railroad (July 1, 1967 - April 30, 1971); Pennsylvania Railroad (December 12, 1947 - January 31, 1968, haulage agreement);
Penn Central Transportation (February 1, 1968 - April 30, 1971, haulage agreement)