Flomaton is the name of the town in Alabama you are referring to.
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What I don't know is how it is pronounced. Is it FLOW-matan or is it FLAH maton?
Also it varied through the years what train the Gulf Wind was attached to in and out of New Orleans. At one time the Piedmont Limited and Pan American joined in Montogmery, and added the Gbulf Wind at Flomaton .heading south to New Orleans.
Northbound for years it went out on the Piedmont Limited about 5:30 p..m. Later on, I think it went out northbound combined with the Pan American and the Crescent.at 9 p.m.For years the Crescent left NOL at 11 p.m. but later on as things slowed down and trains had to merge more..it began combining with the Pan American. ..
Don't think the Gulf Wind ever combined with the Crescent southbound, as that train had an afternoon arrival inito NOL. about 4 p.m .
The diner at the western end of the journey was a Mobile to New Orleans diner, not distincvie to any one of the trains it served.
I have a particular memory of that extra long train, one day in 1969, I believe. I had boarded the Pan American in Nashville, At Montgomery it had combined with the Piedmont Limited. At Flomaton it combiined with the Gulf Wind. Amazingly, all three trains came together and arrived on time, which was 8:55 at that poiint in L&N history.
But---anyway ---what is memorable about it is that Hurricane Camille arrived that same day. Yep, I almost more or less rode the train into the hurricane. Actually Camille spared NOL a direct hit.
But it still messed things up for awhile thereafter.
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