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Today's Auto Train service (which began under Auto-Train Corporation) has specialized equipment enabling customers to take along their car, small van, or motorcycle when they travel north or south on the east coast. Passengers ride in either wide coach seats or private first-class sleeping compartments while their vehicles are safely carried in enclosed auto carriers, which are called autoracks. The train includes dining cars and meals are served.
Auto Train offers an alternative to motorists who would otherwise drive their automobiles the 855- mile (1375 km) distance. For vacationers with destinations at one or more of the many popular tourist attractions, the Auto Train service offers the dual features. They may avoid the long automobile ride on busy Interstate 95 in Virginia, North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a southern state in the United States. North Carolina is one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. It is bordered by South Carolina on the south, Georgia on the southwest, Tennessee on th, South CarolinaSouth Carolina ( In Detail) (Full size) State nickname: Palmetto State Other U. States Capital Columbia Largest City Columbia Governor Mark Sanford Area Total Land Water % water Ranked 40th 82,965 kmē 78,051 kmē 4,915 kmē 6% Population Total ( 2000) Densi, GeorgiaThis article is about Georgia the U. For alternative meanings, see: Georgia. Georgia ( In Detail) (Full size) State motto: Wisdom, Justice, Moderation ''State nickname: Peach State or Empire of the South Other U. States Capital Atlanta Largest City Atlant, and FloridaFlorida is a southern state in the United States. It is known as the Sunshine State. Florida" is a Spanish adjective which means "flowery". It was discovered by Spanish explorers during the Easter season, which is called Pascua Florida in Spanish. Postal and still have the convenience of use of their own automobile upon arrival.
Originally, the Auto Train service was an innovative concept of Auto-Train Corporation founder Eugene K. Garfield . His novel approach allowed families to relax en route and save the expense and unfamiliarity of a rental car on arrival.
Auto-Train Corporation was a stock corporation which operated as a railroad, used its own rolling stock, and traveled on rails leased from major railroads along the route. Auto-Train Corporation trains initially operated on Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) and Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac (RF&P) tracks.
Auto-Train Corporation acquired a fleet of 13 General ElectricGeneral Electric Company or GE is a multinational technology and services company, one of the world's largest corporations. While it still uses its full name for legal purposes, it prefers to use the abbreviation GE in the names of its component businesse U36B diesel-electric locomotives. These were very similar to ones used by Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, the host railroad for most the the route's length.
The passenger cars, including coaches, dining cars, sleeper cars, and dome cars, were acquired used from many major railroads, including Sante Fe, Union Pacific, and Western Pacific.
Auto-Train Corporation's first autoracks were also acquired used. They started life in late 1957 as a new innovation for Canadian National Railway (CN). The CN bi-level auto-rack cars had end-door cars. Huge by the standards of the time, each 75-footer could carry 8 vehicles. The CN autoracks cars were a big success and helped lead to the development of today's enclosed autoracks. The former CN auto-racks were augmented by new tri-level autoracks in 1976.
At the end, unlike most trains of passengers cars, an Auto-Train consist included a caboose. Like the rest of the equipment, the cabooses were was painted in red, white, and purple colors.
The typical train varied from 30 to 64 cars, pulled by with two or three locomotives, and included 76' double-deck autoracks, a number of streamlined passenger cars including coaches, 85' dome cars, dining cars, sleepers, and a caboose, then an unusual sight on most passenger trains.