Pullman porters

[dhermann1]

Here's a nice article about the old Pullman porters of yesteryear. They played an interesting and important role inAmerican history.
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2...f-the-pullman-porters/?apage=1#comment-396105
I remember riding the old New York Central 20th Century Limited, back in 1953, and being waited on by these fine gentlemen.

 

[Feraud]

Thanks for the very interesting read.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Steve Goodman's lyrics to 'City of New Orleans'

Dealin' card games with the old men in the club car.
Penny a point ain't no one keepin' score.
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
Feel the wheels rumblin' 'neath the floor.
And the sons of pullman porters
And the sons of engineers
Ride their father's magic carpets made of steel.
Mothers with their babes asleep,
Are rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel.

-dixon cannon

 

[Feraud]

Doesn't Willie Nelson do a cover of that song?

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Doesn't Willie Nelson do a cover of that song?

Yeh, it was a hit for Arlo Guthrie in the 70's. At that time, I didn't know what a Pullman Porter even was!

-dixon cannon

 

[carouselvic]

 

[Feraud]

Nice juggs.

 

[John in Covina]

Train travel rivaled ocean liners.

It's one of things that we get to see in old films that I love and wish to have a chance at doing, the big train trip. We all read about the winning of the west with the transcontinental railroad being built, because prior to that you tok a loooong boat ride to get to the west coast or you road a grueling and long wagon ride fraught with dangers. Until airline service really caught on in the 1950's and 60's the train was the way to go to far away places in North America. The competing lines had a lot of their reputation caught up in on time arrivals and a sense of luxury, dining and customer service which at the high end did very much rival the luxury liners.

The California Zephyr, the Chief and Super Chief, the 20th Century Limited and many more set trips were famous with the public as celebrity and movie stars made their way across the US by train. A tid bit of fact, few of the Hollywood stars took the train all the way to Union Station in Los Angeles when returning to Hollywood, for some reason most tended to get off at the Pasadena station and ride or drive back from there!

There are private companies that do recreations of some of the more famous train trips and the remnent of Amtrak service is still very enjoyable for a lot of the rides. Canada's train service is supposed to be at a high standard still and for a while the Trans-Canada trip was most popular.

Travel by train has it's own special atmosphere and is unlike many others for the mobility onboard, the views and the sense of history so it is very much like that "getting there is half the fun" proposition. I have done some 2nd class travel in Germany by train some 30 plus years ago with high school friends and it was a delight that I still recall with great fondness.

 

[carouselvic]

Nice juggs.

Thanks, I'll bet you say that to all the little sailors.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Thanks, All bet you say that to all the little sailors.

lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

 

[Forgotten Man]

Train travel… *sigh*

I have had the honor of traveling on the Overland Trail many times over the last 5 or so years. The Overland Trail is a restored rail car with a bar (Originaly had a dance floor) and a barber shop! The only one of its kind in the world. Made for N.Y.C. It was made in 1949 and nearing the end of the golden era of rail travel. A man named Bill Hatrick owns the car and runs it on weekends nearest to Pearl Harbor Day. Has a WWII troop train theme and recruits a handful of re-enactors to set the mood of a WWII troop train. Now, of course the car he has and the Pullman he borrows from another collector are post WWII, you still get the feeling and the excitement of rail travel of those years.

I have made many a fond memory of riding the rails in these cars, getting my hair cut going to San Diego at 65+ mph wile listing to Glenn Miller or Tommy Dorsey. Last Pearl Harbor day I took Ashley with me and she fell in love with it! Train travel used to be very romantic, used to be a very special thing. Today, not so much. It costs more to travel by train and you get very little compared to the service you would receive on trains back in the golden era of rail roads.

Makes me sad we don’t have real rail travel anymore… I would much rather travel by train then by plane within the states of course! May take a little longer but, at one time half the fun of going anywhere was getting there! Seeing the country from a Pullman or a Diner Car was great! Or sitting on the platform of an open Observation car… yeah brother, that’s for me!

Fallow this clip, every time I watch this clip I wish so bad we had steam trains and Pullmans and Sleeper cars like they had back then... and Cab Calloway of course keeping me awake!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hovtGsLPYeA

Enjoy!

 

[Feraud]

Thanks, All bet you say that to all the little sailors.

Fleet Week is coming up. lol