On January 4, 1891, the R&D launched the "Washington & Southwestern Vestibuled Limited", the earliest direct ancestor of today's "Crescent." It originally connected Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. According to an official history compiled by Southern Railway, it was promoted as "a service second to none in completeness and elegance of detail ... providing all the latest and best facilities for the comfort and enjoyment of its patrons." The South's first all-year train with vestibuled equipment, it was popularly known as simply the "Vestibule." Among its amenities were "drawing-room and stateroom sleeping cars, dining cars, smoking and library cars, and observation cars." Many passengers passed the time simply walking between cars "just to enjoy the unusual experience of being able to do so without having their hats blown away."