
Amtrak’s southbound Panama Limited is sitting in the station in Jackson, Mississippi, on May 14, 1977. But the train with the dome cars is not No. 59. Look down the tracks to the train with an Amfleet consist. That’s No. 59.
The train that everyone is paying attention to is the Amtrak Transcontinental Steam Excursion that ran from Birmingham, Alabama, to Portland, Oregon, making an overnight stop in Jackson. It was pulled by former Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449.
The excursion was prompted by the need to move No. 4449 back to its home in Portland after it had finished pulling the American Freedom Train in 1976. That saw the 4449 end its journey in Miami.
The transcontinental excursion ran in two segments. One ran from Miami to Birmingham in January 1977. In Birmingham the 4449 spent time in the shops of the Southern Railway.
The second section left Birmingham on April 13 bound for Jackson. After spending the night in Jackson, the excursion departed the next morning at 10 a.m. for New Orleans. The Panama Limited was scheduled to depart Jackson for the Crescent City at 8:17 a.m.
Although Nos. 58/59 were supposed to have sleeping and dining cars, the consist changed dramatically in January 1977 when severe winter weather knocked about a third of the long-distance fleet out of service. Trains were suspended or had their routes temporarily shortened. The Panama Limited received Amfleet equipment, which turned out to be a permanent change.
As for the consist of the steam excursion, it included parlor car 3644, Nathan Hale; baggage car 1117; dome coach 9545, Silver Vision; coach 6008; counter-diner 8399; dome coach 9542, Silver Stream; snack bar coach 3965; snack bar coach 3925; coach 6024; and observation-dome lounge 9310.
The excursion train reached Portland on May 1 traveling over the routes of the Sunset Limited and Coast Starlight. It traveled 9,700 miles and made stops in 61 cities. Amtrak sold 3,655 tickets with many riding a short distance but a few hardy folks rode the entire distance.
Given the state of Amtrak today it seems unimaginable to envision such as excursion as this operating now.