TRAIN TRAVEL IS FUN -IT'S EASY, CONVENIENT AND PRACTICAL • A BASIC INFORMATION GUIDE FOR THE RA I LROAD TRAVELER Compliments of: WESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD INDEX PAGES PAGES ACCOMMODATIONS 23. 24. 26 PORTERS. 24 BAGGAGE 12 PULLMAN TRAVEL 18. '23. 24 CHILDREN 28 REDCAPS . 12 CLAIMING BAGGAGE 29 REDEEMING TICKETS 31 COACH TRAVEL 16. 18 RESERVATIONS 9. 10. 11 CONDUCTORS . 19.20 RETURN TRIP 30 CREDIT PLANS . 11 SIGHTSEEING 27. 30 CUSTOMS REQUIREMENTS 22 SLEEPING ON TRAINS 16.23 DINING ON TRAINS 21 STATION INFORMATION 12 EMERGENCIES . 17.24 STEP-UPS . 26 F AMIL Y RATES 8 STOP-OVERS 11. 27 FARES. 9. 12. 13 TELEGRAMS . 25 GROUP TRAVEL 6 TICKETS 8. 10. ll. 31 HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS. 6 TIPPING 12. 22. 24 LOST AND FOUND IS TRAIN CONSIST 17 LUGGAGE 6. 14 TRAIN PERSONNEL 19 PETS 28 TRANSFERS 29 PLANNING YOUR TRIP 5 WARDROBE 7 INTRODUCTION TRATN TRAVEL is tun! Millions of Americans have found it so for many years. From the beginning when the spider web of rai) lines began to spread over the country, pushing back the CREDITS VNOU~~E~ \0 wheels MA;;~4UNE wilderness and moving forward the fron tiers, riding on trains Copyright. 1954. by Our sincerest thanks to all major, passell ­ was an adventure as well as a mode of travel. It still is. American Car and Foundry Company ger-carrying ra il roads in the U. S. for t heir Now, railroads offer safety, luxury, convenience, speed, J OSEPH W. RICE, EDITOR substantial assista n ce in helping to pTepare reliability, as well as unique opportunities to discover the VINCENT ]' B IUNNO, ASSISTA NT EDITOR this book let. E DITH M. NIND, SPECIAL ASSISTANT country. Origin al m a lluscript prepared by Andrew Published by the: H etJbUTTl , President, Travel Enterprises, Modern rail travel is exciting - if you know how to make P UBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT OF AMERICAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY Inc., a nd Socie ty of American Travelers; the most of it. This booklet is an explanation and a descrip­ F. T. R ICHARDSON , David Mo-rgan, Editor, "Trai ns" acted as tion of the factors that contribute to making any journey by DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC R ELATIONS a special consu ltant La the ACF Publ ic rail easier and more rewarding. AMERICA N CAR AND FOUNDRY CO MPAN Y Relations Department. Valu able assistance 30 C HURCH STREET, NEW YORK 8, N. Y. received from the Pullman Company, and For those in particular who have little personal experi­ J OHN E . R OVENSKY, CHAIRMAN from the Association of American Rail- CHARLES ]' HARDY , lR., PRESIDENT ence in train travel, this booklet is specially directed, as a J OHN F . B URDl TI, TREASURER -roads . guide and a suggestion. C. ALLAN FEF, SECRFTARY - THE EDITOR. 3 CHAPTER TWO Planning Your Trip MOST BUSINESS TRIPS and every vaca­ passenger offices with passenger traffic tion journey, particularly when taken representatives whose job is to help CHAPTER ONE with a family or a group, will be ac­ prospective travelers arrange their complished with more satisfaction journeys. Each of these men-whether Some Basic Points and usually at less cost if planned the local ticket agent- or the member carefully in advance. of a passenger traffic department, can The best way to start planning is promptly provide a great deal of free, TRAIN TRAVEL IS SAFE maximum ease and convenience. to call on your local railroad passen­ helpful material. It will include time­ ger agent. If you live in a small town IT IS the safest form of travel over Cars are clean, air-conditioned, ther­ tables, complete schedules on all rail­ the land- either on it or above it. mostatically heated and cooled. you probably know him as the tick­ roads, descriptive booklets about It is, statistically speaking, almost 75 et agent. The chances are you've places and areas served by the rail­ times safer than travel by automo­ RELIABLE thought of him as exclusively con­ roads, full data on every type of bile. It is safer than your own home. Next to safety, the railroads are cerned with the business of his par­ ticket and all special rates which It is so, because in the planning de­ chieflv concerned with the integrity ticular railroad. But he is actually the apply. velopment and operation of rail­ of th~ir schedules. Trains operate in agent of all the railroads and the You will find valuable informa­ roads, passenger safety has priority every condition of weather. There is Pullman Company as well. He can tion in the timetables about fares, over every other factor. Safety is engi­ a famed quotation applied to the help you travel over any route you accommodations, schedules, points of neered into each car, in its material, mail carrier, but it fits the rail car­ may desire, by any train over any interest, autos for hire at your desti­ railroad. design, and mechanical features. Safe­ rier just as well. It is: "Neither snow, nation, transfer service, baggage de­ tails and other helpful travel hints. ty controls each foot of track. It de­ nor rain, nor heat nor gloom of night HELPFUL MATERIAL termines speeds and schedules. stays these couriers from the swift When you write directly to a rail­ completion of their appointed In larger cities, railroads maintain road, be sure to present your plans in CONVENIENT rounds." On a large railroad map of the country, the web of railroad tracks SWIFT leads to practically every town. Rail­ Today more than 2,600 trains road stations are conveniently close operate at or above a mile a minute to the center of each community, easi­ speed, covering more than 150,?00 ly accessible to all travelers. miles each day. Nearly 20,000 mIles each day are covered by passenger COMFORTABLE trains operating regularly at 70 miles Today's trains are exceedingly an hour or faster. Speeds on some comfortable, even luxurious. They trains are close to 100 miles an hour have seats scientifically designed for for long stretches. 4 5 detail, including how much you plan LUGGAGE to spend for transportation. But at Your own comfort and require­ the same time allow options as to ments govern the selection and use eonvenience route and schedule, inviting the rail­ of luggage. There are reasonable road to suggest alternatives that may limitations covering the checking of Many businessmen find that, in point of actual convenience, the train is be better and more economical than your baggage_ You should know that the best way to travel. For instance, Washington-Florida, Chicago-Denver, St. those which you specify. no single piece of baggage exceeding Louis-Dallas, Chicago-Twin Cities and Portland-San Francisco are all merely 300 pounds in weight, or 72 inches in overnight journeys by train. A businessman can wind up a working day in one greatest dimension, or $2,500 in city, enjoy a good dining car meal, relax in a lounge, get a good night's sleep, HOTELS value will be checked on your rail­ L and arrive refreshed for a full day's work next morning in the next city- even In many cases the passenger agent road ticket. Very few travelers will if it's 1,000 miles away. will be able to suggest well-known find these restrictions an inconve­ Likewise, business travelers and vacationers need no longer drive long resorts and hotels. He can then ar· nience. Your railroad baggage agent, distances just to have a car at their destinations. They can escape the time­ range your ticket for you and make or your local Railway Express man, loss, hardships and hazards of long auto driving by renting a car at their des­ all the train reservations required, once you have procured your tickets, tination in advance through their railroad ticket agent-and on the train they regardless of the railroads which will even check your baggage from speed along in safety and comfort. operate them. Railroad passenger your home all the way to the house traffic offices in large cities usually or hotel at your destination for a will make hotel reservations for you reasonable charge. Likewise, on your upon request. The ticket agent does return trip, baggage can be delivered not make hotel reservations, but most to your door. This is one of the flex­ other traffic representatives will glad­ ible conveniences of train travel. gage it will cost you more in taxi WARDROBE ly do so. The majority of travelers If you take a great deal of lug- bills and porter fees to get to and write directly to the hotel for reserva­ from trains. It may also clutter up Air-conditioned trains are as clean tions. space your ticket entitles you to use. as the best hotel and present no Good judgment dictates the mini­ hazard to clothing. Your selection of mum of luggage necessary to travel wardrobe is a matter of comfort and GROUP TRAVEL with true convenience and comfort. taste. The passenger agent's collabora­ Use luggage that can be handled Most women travelers prefer a tion is particularly valuable in ar­ easily in boarding trains and while simple wrinkle-resistant suit and a ranging special group travel-family traveling on them. Large, odd­ hat without too large a brim. Wear­ group, a school, club, or community shaped pieces are often hard to stow ing of topcoats and furs will depend group, large and small. If the group away. Pieces that will slide under a on the weather and destination. is large enough he can arrange a seat, or fit conveniently in a rack are When occupying a coach seat you special car, either Pullman or coach, best.