Two-and-a-half-year-old Brill railbus No.?101 departs Seaside Park and begins its return trip to Norfolk’s Union Station in this July 1937 photograph. These railbuses featured a small front cargo compartment (note the milk cans), followed by seating for 30 white passengers and 23 Black passengers in the rear—Jim Crow laws being firmly in force at the time (unless, ironically, you were the driver).
Powered by a six?cylinder engine producing nearly 180 horsepower, the railbuses were known for quick acceleration and could reach about 75?mph when permitted, though the maximum speed on this line was 50. The fire?engine?style siren on the roof warned motorists at the many grade crossings along the route. Railbus service between Norfolk and Virginia Beach ended on November?8,?1947, and all remaining NS railbuses were later sold to several Cuban railroads.
A colorful and diverse group of railroads operated passenger trains in the South that ranged from speedy limiteds like the Panama Limited and Silver Meteor to regional and branchline services.
