In its first year of service, Amtrak train 6-11, the northbound South Wind, makes its stop in Orlando, Florida. This train originated in both Miami and Saint Petersburg, with those two trains combined somewhere south of Orlando (the July 12, 1971, Amtrak timetable shows both cities as origination points, but is unclear on where the two trains combine … these early Amtrak timetables were surprisingly amateurish!). This train is about five hours into its 33-34 hour trip to Chicago. On November 14, just a bit over three months from this date (and only a bit over seven months into Amtrak’s existence) the South Wind would be replaced by the Floridian.
But never mind all that confusion … on this day, a trio of Seaboard Coast Line E7A diesels, with SCL 558 leading, will get this train’s passengers to their destinations!
(Orlando, Florida – August 4, 1971) Douglas G. Walker photograph, Craig Walker collection
