Cross country train riders in the 19th century could pay an extra fee to enjoy luxurious surroundings and extra amenities such as fine dining.
Courtesy of the Pullman State Historic Site
“All Aboard!”: Rail Travel on Pullman Train Cars
“The Americans take to the little contrivance [the railroad] as if it were the cradle in which they were born” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Letters of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1843
Have you ever taken a long trip somewhere? Was it comfortable, dangerous, fun, or boring? George M. Pullman asked himself similar questions while riding train cars. During his lifetime, workers laid over 175,000 miles of railroad tracks in the United States. In 1867, George Pullman founded the Pullman Palace Car Company, and it would soon become known for luxury and comfort. For an extra fee, railcar passengers could travel in style in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Europe. For passengers traveling by train, the Pullman company offered observation cars, dining cars, parlor cars, and their famous sleeper cars. The Pullman Palace Car Company did not invent the sleeping car, but they improved upon its design, efficiency, and service.
The interiors of Pullman cars rivaled five-star hotels. These surroundings gave customers the feeling of being a part of the elite. Train cars often had plush seating, detailed woodwork, and brass fixtures. The company embraced new technology to use on their cars for a better experience. They installed Allen Paper Wheels and Westinghouse air brakes for smoother rides. Pintsch gas lights and Edison electric lights replaced messier oil lamps. “Baker system” heated car interiors with steam. Jenney knuckle couplers linked cars together. The Pullman Company adapted the Sessions Vestibule (1887) on their passenger cars as well making transit from one moving car to another safe for workers and passengers. The Pullman Company was responsible for hundreds of patents to improve their rail car designs.
They also staffed their cars with service workers to make travel enjoyable. They included Pullman porters, maids, dining car staff, attendants, and more. The company trained workers so passengers could experience great hospitality and quality.
Photograph of the Pullman Administration Building taken in 1977, as part of the Historic American Building Survey work conducted at Pullman.
Library of Congress Image
Building A Pullman Train
Many companies today find ways to incorporate “green” energy to improve their operations. The Pullman Company also adapted new technology. For example, the Corliss steam engine, the largest in the world in 1881, powered the Pullman, IL car shops and provided steam heat to some residences. Electricity, cheaper and more efficient, replaced the steam engine in 1907.
Pullman car shops processed many moving parts in one location. Visitors to Pullman National Historical Park can see first-hand the transfer pit – transfer table area. Workers moved railcars from bay to bay during the production process. The Pullman Company did not invent the transfer table system but did use it at its largest scale. Many have compared the process to the assembly line process perfected by Henry Ford, but it was in no way an assembly line. Railway car building in the early periods of Pullman car shops involved a custom manufacturing process. Workers built each train car at individual stations. Train cars could sit at their stations for several days to weeks.
Many of us have changed how we live and work during a national crisis. The Pullman company also responded to a national crisis by shifting production. Wartime efforts during WWI and WWII included building troop transport cars, artillery, airplane tails, and other goods. Their change in production allowed the company to produce a few niche products such as auto bodies, street cars, and a snow cruiser.
The Pullman Company factories consolidated and downsized through the 1940s. The railroads discontinued sleeper car service in 1969. Soon, people preferred highways for short trips and airplanes for long distance travel. The Pullman company’s legacy survived through its influence on the travel experience today. Pullman trains inspired first class air travel and many comforts we expect during a cross-country trip. The average American enjoys traveling as a pleasant experience because the Pullman company showed the way.
