When did the Flying Crow cease to operate?

How late did the Southern Belle run?

Thanks.

From:
http://www.kcshs.org/schedule/subs/images/history/kcs_hist.htm#New%20Southern%20Belle%20Passenger%20Trains

However, due to shrinking revenues of passenger service, and mounting losses, the "Flying Crow," a passenger train that began operation between Kansas City and Port Arthur, Texas on July 15, 1928, was discontinued May 10, 1968; and the famed "Southern Belle," known as the "Sweetheart of American Trains" was discontinued November 2, 1969. As President W. N. Deramus III remarked in a brochure explaining the reason for discontinuance, "We deeply regret the situation which brings about this action. (We, too, have loved the passenger train!)" This marked the end of passenger service on the Kansas City Southern Lines. Today, KCS does not operate any passenger service, nor is it part of the AMTRAK system.

Thanks! Kept me from having to amend or retract an Ebay positng I did for a friend.

Also was told the Flying Crow, although the train operated until 1968, lost it's name, due to racial sensitivities in the early 1960s. The KCS hisotry page didn't address that issue (at least not that i could find). So, what did they call the train, if anything, for the last few years?

Aso of the March, 1966 Official Guide, the former Flying Crow was simply trains 15 and 16, no name.

Is the name of the bird alone really that offensive?

RTK

The Flying Crow was the local train that made all stops. It did mostly head end business with typically only one coach on the rear. Most of its run was scheduled at night thus the reference to a black bird. Names like Owl and Starlight were taken by other railroads.

I rode it once shortly after two Southern Belle trains had hit head-on with much equipment damage. KCS was very short of passenger equipment.
The coach on the Flying Crow was an old heavyweight sectional Pullman car that had been painted black on the outside with a KCS red and yellow stripe. Maybe three other passengers were on board. Unfortunately screws had been applied to keep the seat cushions from sliding into their berth position so I had to spend the evening in a non-reclining seat.

Very few fans paid attention to KCS. That's a shame because it was a very well run railroad that took good care of its passengers as long as passenger trains lasted. I believe it managed to stay out of bankruptcy even during the Depression.

fk

I was fortunate to have been able to ride the "Belle" from Kansas City to Texarkana on Labor Day Saturday in 1967 on the Illini Railroad Club's "Chief Illini". We were enroute to a Sunday charter on the old Reader Railroad with 2-8-0 #1702. We left Texarkana on Sunday evening on the "Crow" for K.C. As the train was carrying a former NYC round-end tavern-lounge for meal service and there was no observation end door in those cars, we had to detrain from the "Chief" at a station stop and walk forward to gain access to the car for dinner. After completing our meals, we had to detrain from the observation tavern-lounge and walk back to the "Chief" which was rear out on the train. KCS was a nice railroad. The equipment was clean and most of it was relatively new, although it was rather spartan inside for the ease of maintenance. I feel lucky to have been able to make the trip and to have slept in an actual open section in a heavyweight Pullman sleeper-observation. Wow, that memory is almost 40 years old...........(sigh)

Don C.