By the time the second World War was
over, the railroads were well developed and a growing economy made it
possible for a large portion of the population to visit the scenic
wonders and the enticing great cities of America. The east coast of
Florida became the most popular playground of America. Railroads also
served the government-provided playgrounds - the magnificent National
Parks.
As the young, expanding nation grew,
it created a vacuum. Inhabitants were needed to sustain it, and make ti
realize its full potential. Home-seekers and investors eagerly took the
chance of a lifetime - they headed west. The railroads welcomed this
land-hungry horde.
The era of train-riding flourished and
the nation’s magazines and newspapers took advantage of it. The
illustrations for this article are a few from my collection:
No. 1 -
This is a copy of the Mena,
Arkansas STAR newspaper for August 26, 1896 describing the area of
western Arkansas made available by the Kansas City, Pittsburgh &
Gulf (KCS) railroad.
No. 2 - This small card was issued by
the Wabash Railroad in the early 1930s to promote business for its
dining cars during those difficult economic times. In these days of NO
dining car service, the price of a modest, but adequate , breakfast
would get you one-fourth cut of coffee, without the pleasant atmosphere
of a dining car in motion.
No. 3 - The Missouri Pacific issued
this public timetable on October 9, 1938 with an illustration of a
magnificent steam-powered passenger train that could very well be the
famous SUNSHINE SPECIAL.
If you wish to nit-pick, you could say
the illustration did Not show the ‘SHINE, or even the Missouri Pacific,
because of the two spruce trees showed above the observation car. The
Missouri Pacific did not run in spruce tree county (northern or western
states at a higher elevation than that of the Gulf Coast Lines or
International-Great Northern. It is possible spruce trees could be
found along the Missouri Pacific near the termination of the MoP at
Pueblo, Colo.)
No. 4 - During the time of “See
America By Rail”, the Southern Pacific provided the tourists with the
light-weight aluminum streamline train SHASTA DAYLIGHT - “The Million
Dollar Train With The Million Dollar View.” For the first time
travelers could see the entire Pacific coast from a train window
Portland to San Francisco by daylight for only $21.60.
No. 5 - Not willing to be left behind,
the Rock Island “got in on the act” with its fleet of stainless steel
ROCKETS between 1937 (TEXAS ROCKET) and (GOLDEN STATE) 1948. This
illustrated envelope for safe keeping your ticket was issued in
December 1952.
No. 6 - The early days of
people-hauling railroads were days of decorum when ladies traveling
alone were carefully sheltered from the crude and rude general public,
especially those of the male gender. To accommodate those tender,
gentle travelers, the New York Central provided fo them the comfort of
and privacy of a “Ladies Lounge”, with comfortable movable chairs. This
lounge was located in the observation car. The railroad published ths
information on 3" x 6" cards, which were made available to proper
passengers.
No. 7 - “Neither snow nor rain nor
heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from there swift
completion of their appointed rounds”; these famous words were
attributed to Herodotus, the Greek historian known as the Father of
History. They have been associated with carriers of the U. S. Mail.
In the 1930s, the New York Central
used them in a sincere tribute to all of America’s railroads and the
men who ran them. In those days when people of America rode trains, a
railroad man was looked upon with honor and respect. Children often
regarded the engineer in a locomotive cab with a sense of awe, respect
and almost reverence, often more so than for the president of the
nation.
No. 8 & 9 - The popular magazines
of the 1940s and 1950s often used railroads as subjects of interest in
their cartoons.
Yes, indeed, in the times when people
rode trains, railroads played a truly important part in the daily lives
of millions of people. Have you ever known the momentary pleasure of
standing on the patterned red brick platform at a depot when a mighty,
hot, noisy steam locomotive pulled a train of heavy steel passenger
cars to a smooth stop? As the engine sat there, panting after many
miles of exertion, have you looked at the faces of people staring back
at you, and you wondered where they had been, where they were going;
what their emotions were? For just a moment you were in touch with a
tiny segment of the vast world in its mad rush to eternity. Sadly,
people of the present age have never known the soul-satisfying pleasure
of such an experience.
What a contrast this experience was to
the days when railroads did most everything they could to discourage
people form riding their trains.
Yes, there is AMTRAK. They are making
an effort to bring back the thrilling experience of yesterday with the
equipment, methods and people of today. It just ain’t gonna happen.
