Hello Scott,
The Silver Meteor was a Seaboard Air Line train, first introduced in 1939. It then ran for the Seaboard Coast Line after the merger with the Atlantic Coast Line in 1967, and continues to run for Amtrak today. There's a good deal available on the 'net if you search for the train's name, but that usually covers mostly the route, and not the equipment.
The original consists were six lightweight streamlined coaches pulled (in SAL territory) by one of Seaboard's E4 diesels. Presumably north of Washington DC a GG1 was used. By the 1940's this train had grown to fourteen cars, and by the mid 1960's, the consist had risen to 18 cars, plus occasional head-end express cars. Up to three SAL diesels were the norm on this run as the length increased. Initially the train alternated between running to Miami and to St. Petersburg. Eventually the train was lengthened and portions destined for each city were combined into one train for the majority of the run.
In the 1950's the consist would have been largely made up of Seaboard equipment, with coaches of the PRR and RF&P also making regular appearances. As much of the travel on the Silver Meteor--as with all Florida-bound trains--was seasonal, the consists grew and shrank between winter and summer seasons. Also, during the course of the 1950's the rolling stock of the consist changed a bit so it's a little hard to answer your question specifically without knowing a date. Nevertheless, one of the most notable changes is that as of 1956 Seaboard added a new series of sleeper lounge cars with large picture windows in the sides and additional sunroof windows in the roof over the lounge section. These so-called "Sun Lounge" series cars saw service on the Silver Meteor. The SAL had coaches delivered from all three major builders of streamlined material (Budd, American Car & Foundry, and Pullman-Standard).
From New York south the train was handled by the PRR over Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore to Washington DC, where it was taken over by the RF&P. The RF&P handled the train to Richmond where the SAL picked up the consist. Behind SAL power the train traveled over Raleigh, Columbia, Savannah, Jacksonville, Ocala, to Wildwood, FL, where the consist was split. Part of the consist traveled onward to Miami, the other to St. Petersburg. The St. Petersburg portion was grouped in the middle of two halves of the Miami-bound consist. A typical consist would have been:
Baggage-Dormitory
Coach
Sleeper
Sleeper
Sleeper
Sleeper
Sleeper
Sleeper
Diner
Coach
Coach
Diner
Coach
Coach
Coach
Coach
Tavern Observation
The lines above in blue color are the NYC to St. Petersburg portion. The remainder is the NYC to Miami portion.
I have seen photos and/or film in which one or two Pennsy coaches (probably sleepers, but I don't have the pics at hand to refer to) were positioned between the loco(s) and the SAL Baggage-Dormitory. If memory serves the RF&P coaches always seemed to appear closer to the middle of the train.
Incidentally, I have my own series of questions about the PRR cars that appeared in the Silver Meteor and other cars of the Seaboard's "Silver Fleet," so if there's someone on this forum who can fill in some blanks about the types and routing of these, I'd love to hear about it.
In terms of motive power, my understanding is that in the 1950's the typical PRR power was a GG1 from NYC to Washington DC. In DC the RF&P picked up the train with either an E8A+E8B, an E8A+E8A lashup, or occasionally an F7A+E8B lashup. Although in the earlier years of the Silver Meteor the SAL ran through to Washington DC over the RF&P, by the 1950's this was not a common occurrence any longer. Hence the hand off to SAL motive power occurred in Richmond. The typical power south of Richmond on the SAL was a mix of E4, E6, E7 and E8 locos, customarily running "elephant style."
Hopefully this is of some use to you.
-James
