Show I ew ew UL STREAMLINES BRING OUT CROWDS TO WATCH THE TRAINS ROAR BYI BY I By WILLIAM C UTLEY T T TE E H HAD D just finished dinner in a home homo in one of Chi Chi- Chicago's Chi A WE W cages cage's north shore suburbs We settled back lighted our cigarettes There was that temporary after after- dinner after dinner lull when I could read reDd the minds of my host and hostess with case ease They were thinking Well now that dinners dinner's over what are we going to do to entertain him himI I was wondering the same thing The sun had not yet sunk in the west and there was a long evening ahead of us My hostess had an idea Lets Lets drive drive Bill BUl out to see sec the Hiawatha she said Swell replied the man manot manof manof ot of the house But Dut grab your hats hatswell well we'll have to hurry And we have five miles to go What time does it begin I asked Begin Both were plainly puzzled puzzled at my question Yes I said I 1 assume Its It's a pageant or something of the sort Oh no she explained Its one of ot those new railroad trains We thought you might like to ride rideout rideout rideout out and see it go by House Is racked Packed I 1 was too loo polite to ask aloud il if it were true that people in this won won- wonderful wonderful year of 1936 1930 still gathered at atthe atthe atthe the stations t to see a train go by I simply went along resignedly I 1 remember wondering if anyone would catch me at it t and josh me about having a stilt slid neck from look look- looking looking looking ing at the tall buildings i iI I got the surprise of my life This was out in the countr country but the rails were lined with little groups of peo peo- people people plc as far as the eye could reach in either cither direction They were all eager intent out for a good time lime as if they had been coming to watch a parade or a circus A century ago the crowds that gathered to watch the first railroad trains could not have been much more excited It was contagious When the mur mur- murmur mur- mur murmur murmur mur of the crowds heralding the approach of the train reached us the hair bristled on the back of m my neck like a bull pups pup's In the twin twin- twinkling twinkling twinkling kling of an eye the Hiawatha like a along along along long slim serpent with the speed of light was upon and past us a swift red and orange streak that created a chill wind in the wake of its roar depressing the tall grass and making dead leaves and cin cin- cin cinders cinders ders leap momentarily to life lite for many feet teet on either cither side of the way of right of way The spectators were all waving their hats and cheering and I swear that I cheered louder than any We all went home happy that we had seen a good show The amazing thing is that this little scene is being re-enacted re in hundreds of places throughout the I United States wherever the stream stream- streamliners liners run Crowds like that which watched the Hiawatha are also thrilling to the sight of the Mark Twain Zephyr the Mercury the Su- Su Super Super Su Super per Chief the Sunset Limited the udd showered upon the customers of the roads A thousand petty annoy annoy- annoyances annoyances ances and a few serious ones are arc being ironed out Even rates are being streamlined and now you can often travel for tor two tents cents a n mile mlle or orless orless orless less There arc remaining only a handful of extra fare tare trains Typical of ot the streamliners is the Mark l Twain Zeph Zephyr r a long tube of stainless steel which weighs not much more than a standard Pull Pullman man car It does docs not have cars but is completely articulated that thatis thatis is to say it is all in one piece Only the varying decorations of the different sections of the train allow the passenger to know when he is passing from one unit to another Diaphragm vestibules al- al allow allow al allow low the train to bend around the curves Riding Hiding on n Rubber ber Interiors are light and gay in ap- ap appearance ap appearance pastel shades displacing the customary reds and greens of the time old-time trains Baggage racks are gone and grips are stored out of sight Specially treated windows will not frost or steam to obstruct the view Complete air condition condition- conditioning conditioning ing doubly important on trains that are traveling at high speed makes every breath of air purer and fresher than if it you breathed it out y fi F Fi i x s Ar f r rf f H The Twentieth Century Limited probably the worlds world's most famous train is now pulled by a streamlined locomotive e Inset England's streamliners look more weird than our own this one built at Is called the King Henry Denry VIII Argonaut the Green Diamond the Columbine the Mountain Blue Bird Blue the Abraham Lincoln the Royal Blue the Sar Ak-Sar Sar Ak and others The Twentieth Century and the Broadway are now partly streamlined Its It's Fun to Travel This is the age of speed and the railroads with their streamliners are beginning to live up to it New NewYork NewYork NewYork York to Chicago In 1034 16 hours Chi Chi- Chicago cago to Los Angeles in 3 39 hours Washington to New York in 4 hours Denver to Chicago in 16 hours Trains fly along regularly at 90 miles an hour sometimes hit it up to or What is important is that stream stream- streamlining streamlining lining has come to be the symbol of ofa ofa n a great awakening of virtually all the roads to the dawn of a new day of ot service and accommodation which is already revolutionizing passenger travel New little attentions are being j r t j i W Kte y W J l t L in the woods Rubber cushioned Rubber Rubber cushioned wheels make It possible to rIde with the greatest of ease case at miles an hour and more Radios provide entertainment and keep the passenger in touch with the world Stewardesses look after aner his com com- comfort comfort comfort fort There are three cars beside the power unit on the Mark Twain Trains like the City of ot San Fran Fran- Francisco Francisco cisco and the City of Portland de- de designed designed de designed signed for longer runs may have ten or twelve On these trains decorations and sections are arc planned to make the passengers passenger's trip enjoyable over longer periods The City of Den Den- Denver Denver Denver ver for tor instance has a room that is a reproduction of a frontier tavern shack of the period shortly after aner the Civil war Walls and ceil cell ceilings ings of rough white pine board lighting fixtures that accurately simulate old kerosene lanterns rough log furniture and spikes to tot t 1 i iF F 1 n 1 M hang your hats on make an Inno inno- innovation Innovation vallon of ot this city on wheels An Innovation in Trains New Nev types of berths have been created for tor these trains They have sliding aluminum panels which operate op- op operate op operate erate like top roll-top desks and allow the traveler certain privacy The upper berths have windows and some of them even have running water What these trains stand for tor in the streamlined design trend the Chal Chal- Challenger Challenger lenger longer which runs between Chicago and Los Angeles stands for with respect to streamlined service This train is the brainchild not of any engineer or designer but of the people who ride the railroads The vice president of the road hired a woman Miss l Avis Lobdell to ride all the trains on a large western S S x a at t Above e Serving meals from a luncheon cart on one of the new stream stream- streamlined streamlined lined trains trainst At t top or of page The Thc like bullet nose or of the City or of Denver Demer one or the lire neu newest est stream streamliners liners system interview passengers and find out what they wanted on a atrain atrain atrain train The suggestions were in- in incorporated incorporated in incorporated in the Challenger which carries travelers on a limited sched sched- schedule schedule schedule ule for about Ph 1 1 cents a mile and andis andis andis is always packed Some persons said that the cost of meals in the diners was too high and some even disliked having to togo togo togo go from their coach into the diner because they might meet friends who were traveling first class As Asa Asa Asa a result there is only one class on the Challenger everybody's Challenger everybody's class Stainless steel lunch wagons are operated through the aisles serving breakfasts for tor a quarter quater luncheons for 30 cents and dinner for 35 cents Prices are just as low in the two diners Porters Refuse Tips Many other things on trains had annoyed some of the passengers passengers- the petty charges for drinking cups towels and pillows the fact that there was usually no one to help coach day coach travelers with their lug lug- luggage luggage lug luggage gage unless they engaged a redcap and many of them could not af at af- af afford afford ford that the straight-backed straight seats became broken-back broken seats on a long ride the lights were left burning throughout the night and trainmen were constantly disturbing the sleep of passengers by calling out the stations On the new train there are adjust adjust- adjustable adjustable able reclining seats and pillows are provIded free So arc are towels and drinking cups Every car carries a colored porter who takes care of the baggage giving it to a redcap on the platform at the station Nei Nei- Neither Neither Neither ther of them is permitted to take a tip Lights in the coaches are put putout putout putout out at 10 o'clock but little blue and amber lights are left to guide pas pas- passengers passengers and keep them from trip trip- tripping tripping ping there are tiny individual lamps for those who want to read Passengers who must get off in the night are told individually no individually no sta- sta stations sta stations are called Another nuisance was done away with when the rule was established that tickets were to be collected only once during the mile 2300 mile 2300 mile ride Stewardesses Make Hit flit But Dut perhaps the greatest innovation innovation tion lion of ot all in this remarkable train is its the stewardess stewardess the first in the history of railroading A registered nurse this pleasant young woman is able to give first aid is invaluable Invaluable Invaluable able in looking after old or infirm persons She takes care of ot children chil chil- children children dren too when they are traveling alone or when their parents wish to leave them for a little while The Challenger has two cars re- re reserved reserved re reserved served for women The stewardess keeps the key to these cars lock locking ing them at night to keep out stroll stroll- strollers strollers ers even the lie train crews must have permission from her to walk through them This busy young oung lady looks after alter babies that cry during the night She even keeps a baby's bottle warmer v and a milk cooler in each car This is what the railroads are doing and and finding out that it pays The people love ft it Is it any won won- wonder wonder der they are going down to the tracks to watch the trains go by again It fp Western Newspaper Union r t J |