Southern's streamlined "Southerner" made its debut in 1941 as an all-coach train between Washington and New Orleans. Rather than follow the more traditional route south of Atlanta (with the West Point Route and L&N completing the run from there through Montgomery and Mobile), the new service followed an all-Southern route via Birmingham and Meridian--the same route for today's Amtrak version of the "Crescent." Here, westbound 47 rolls through a curve into Austell, Georgia behind green E-8 number 2926. The engine's front coupler shroud is still in place at this date, but such fancy items would soon be discarded out of a sense of practicality. Normally, a single E-8 handled 47/48 between Atlanta and New Orleans. The 2926 would later be renumbered to 6903. After Southern joined Amtrak in 1979--soon putting its remaining E8 fleet out of work--the 6903 was sold to New Jersey DOT, where she ran for a little longer as the 4333. (original photo by the late Dick Sharpless)
