Aiken-Augusta Special

The Aiken-Augusta Special was a named night train of the Southern Railway between New York City and Augusta, Georgia. Different from other long distance Southern Railway lines which tended to briefly go through the northwestern edge of South Carolina, this route went through the interior of the state. Its route marked the last directly north-south route between Charlotte, North Carolina and Columbia, South Carolina, and it marked one of the last long distance trains into Augusta, Georgia. The train began as the Augusta Special on October 24, 1915.[1]

Aiken-Augusta Special
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleSoutheastern United States
First serviceOctober 24, 1915
Last serviceOctober 22, 1966
Former operator(s)Pennsylvania Railroad
Southern Railway (U.S.)
Route
StartNew York, New York
EndAugusta, Georgia; and secondary route to Aiken, South Carolina
Distance travelled795.4 miles (1,280.1 km) (New York-Augusta, 1952)
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)31 (southbound) and 32 (northbound)
On-board services
Seating arrangementsReclining seat coach
Sleeping arrangementsSections, roomettes, single bedrooms, double bedrooms, drawing room, compartments
Catering facilitiesDiner
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

Beginning in 1928 the train had a section that split from the main route at Trenton, South Carolina and went to Aiken, South Carolina, and so the train took the name, Aiken-Augusta Special. The train was carried over Pennsylvania Railroad tracks from New York City to Washington, D.C. and in an unusual arrangement the coach cars were on a different train (#153 the Congressional southbound; #112 unnamed, northbound) from the sleeping cars between New York and Washington, and upon reaching the latter city the itinerary became merged.[2][3][4]

Notes
  1. American Rails, 'The Augusta Special' https://www.american-rails.com/augusta-special.html
  2. American Rails, 'The Augusta Special' https://www.american-rails.com/augusta-special.html
  3. Southern Railway July 1952 timetable, Table J http://streamlinermemories.info/South/SOU52TT.pdf
  4. Pennsylvania Railroad August 1950 timetable Tables 41, 43 http://streamlinermemories.info/PRR/PRR50TT.pdf
  5. Southern Railway July 1952 timetable, Table J1 http://streamlinermemories.info/South/SOU52TT.pdf
  6. Southern Railway October 1966 timetable, Tables A, B, F http://streamlinermemories.info/South/SRR66-10TT.pdf
  7. American Rails, 'The Augusta Special' https://www.american-rails.com/augusta-special.html
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