Kansas City Southern Railway's " The Flying Crow" train No. 15, southbound, rolls through Eastwood Hills, Missouri enroute
from Kansas City to Shreveport, Louisiana, circa 1925. The train is headed by a beautiful Pacific type 4-6-2 locomotive with a Vanderbilt oil tender.
["The Flying Crow" rolling through Eastwood Hills, Missouri], photograph, 1929~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth28783/m1/1/: accessed May 21, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Museum of the American Railroad.
FLYING CROW
The Flying Crow was a passenger train of the Kansas City Southern Lines that ran from Kansas City, Missouri, to New Orleans, Louisiana / Port Arthur, Texas, from 1928 until 1968. Before the introduction of the “Southern Belle”, the “Flying Crow” was the flagship passenger train of the Kansas City Southern Lines.
Kansas City Southern's "The Flying Crow" train No. 15, southbound, headed by diesel locomotive No. 34, arriving in Texarkana, on the Texas-Arkansas border in 1951.
(Plummer, Roger S. ["The Flying Crow" arriving in Texarkana, Texas], photograph, 1951; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth28782/m1/1/?q=the%20flying%20crow: accessed May 21, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Museum of the American Railroad.)
Dieselization
Beginning in 1940 the KCS operated the new streamlined, dieselized passenger train version of the Flying Crow (Trains No.15 & No.16) between Kansas City and New Orleans (1948) / Port Arthur. The Kansas City Southern was among the first railroads to use diesel power and to use the radio-telephone to supplement established communications. The KCS-L&A began using diesel-electric locomotives on the Flying Crow passenger trains as early as 1938. Shortly after, the road began replacing steam freight locomotives with diesels, and the railroad was entirely dieselized by 1951 .
The Flying Crow at Beaumont, Texas, circa 1966.
Special thanks to Brian Koch for sharing this great photo.
(© Brian Koch, All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.)
L&A (Louisiana and Arkansas Railway) Train 10, The Flying Crow, at New Orleans Union Terminal on November 22, 1967. Click to enlarge. (Roger Puta, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Decline
The Flying Crow, once the prestige train, was now the local train that made all stops. Later, It did mostly head end business with typically only one coach on the rear, often an older heavyweight car, with only a few passengers on board. Most of its run was scheduled at night.
Interior of the Obs Car on the Flying Crow: Louisiana & Arkansas Railway's observation car on the Flying Crow (to Kansas City) awaiting departure from New Orleans, LA Union Terminal on November 22, 1967. This is a scan of a Roger Puta (almost dead) slide. Thought you'd like to see it anyway. - Marty Bernard. Click to enlarge. (© Marty Bernard, Railfan 44, All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.)
L&A Train 10, The Flying Crow, New Orleans Union Terminal 1967.
(Roger Puta, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Discontinuance
Unfortunately, due to shrinking revenues of passenger service, and mounting losses, the Flying Crow was discontinued May 10, 1968, and the once-beautiful Southern Belle was discontinued November 2, 1969. KCS President William N. Deramus III, in a brochure explaining the reason for the cuts, stated "We deeply regret the situation which brings about this action. (We, too, have loved the passenger train!)" Thus, regular passenger train service on the Kansas City Southern Railway came to an end.
The Schedule Board at Port Arthur, Texas, May, 10, 1968, last day of service. Click to enlarge.
(Watkins Studio. [Kansas City Southern Train Schedule], photograph, May 10, 1968; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth79023/m1/2/?q=The%20Flying%20Crow: accessed May 21, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Port Arthur Public Library.)
Kansas City Southern Lines Flying Crow passenger train at Port Arthur, Texas, May 10, 1968 - last day of service. Notice the single coach on the end. Click to enlarge.
(Watkins Studio. [The Flying Crow], photograph, May 10, 1968; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth79024/m1/2/: accessed May 21, 2023), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Port Arthur Public Library.)
An ink blotter advertising the Kansas City Southern's top three passenger trains. All three provided service between Kansas City and New Orleans.
Click image to download a 476 KB PDF file, courtesy StreamlinerMemories.info.
(Kanas City Southern Lines, Public domain, via StreamlinerMemories.info)
Postcard depiction of the Kansas City Southern train The Flying Crow which traveled between Kansas City, Houston and Port Arthur, Texas.
Take a look at the photo at the top of this page - notice anything similar?
(Kansas City Southern Railway, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)