Travel by Pullman: A Century of Service, 1865-1969 - Hardcover

Welsch, Joe; Howes, Bill

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0760318573 ISBN 13: 9780760318577

Publisher: Voyageur Press, 2004

Synopsis

At the height of its popularity in the 1910s and 1920s, Pullman carried more than 35 million passengers annually on a fleet of 9,000-plus sleeping and parlor cars from Puget Sound to Key West and Bangor to San Diego. Every evening for much of the twentieth century, 50,000 or more travelers snuggled under crisp Pullman linens, falling asleep in one state and awaking in another. This nostalgic look back at what was essentially a rolling hotel company contracted by the nation's railroads to provide guest accommodations, covers every aspect of Pullman operations, from the emerging popularity of steam-powered rail travel in the early twentieth century to its diesel-powered zenith and its eventual nadir in the 1950s and 1960s. Pullman's entire complex network of employees and services is featured, from the ticket offices that manually handled millions of reservations each year to the six car shops spread across the nation to perform heavy maintenance and repairs, and all of Pullman's porters, mechanics, cleaners, electricians, cooks, barbers, shoeshiners, and more. Illustrated with both black-and-white and color period views depicting Pullman interiors and facilities, as well as memorabilia and sales literature. Pullman's involvement in the war effort will also be detailed, as will the company's sale to the railroads after the war with the advent of jet travel.

About this title

About the Author

Joseph M. Welsh grew up in a railroader's family. His father worked for the Nickel Plate Road and other companies, and thanks to his father's pass privileges, Joe was able to travel about the country at an early age. Joe has written feature articles for Trains magazine, Passenger Train Journal, the Tacoma News Tribune, and various historical associations. He is the co-author of Classic American Streamliners. Joe lives near Seattle, Washington. William F. Howes Jr. has long been entrenched in the railroad industry, serving as a vice president of the Baltimore & Ohio and as a director for the Pullman company. Howes lives in Florida.

Edition details

• Publisher: Voyageur Press
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0760318573
• ISBN 13: 9780760318577
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 156