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This is the furnished interior of Queen Victoria's saloon carriage onboard the royal train on display at the National Railway Museum in York, England. This of course is how royalty once journeyed by rail, in plush, opulent splendor. But anyone traveling first class by rail in the mid-19th century could expect a near-equal train ride experience.
By the 1930s the Canadian Pacific Railway, founded in 1881, was providing its top-tier passengers with a novel service—live radio. Note the gentleman sitting in the left-side booth. He is listening to the "wireless" using headphones.
This 1845 photograph depicts an early English steam locomotive hauling a tender and three carriages adapted from horse-drawn coaches. The more discerning traveler expected to get from A to B in a style they had become accustomed to. But, very soon, remodeled horse-drawn carriages were given the hoof for something far more comfortable and desirable.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) company's flagship passenger train between New York City and Washington, D.C. was known as Royal Blue. Equipped with modern heating and lighting, as well as leaded glass windows, the car exteriors were painted a deep Royal Saxony blue color with gold leaf trimming. Food and service in the beautiful dining car was of the highest quality.
And this is what passengers paying premium prices could expect—a railroad car of luxurious appeal, typically furnished throughout with crushed velvet seating arranged across a carpeted floor under decorative oak paneling.
The ornamental interior of the Pullman palace car. Railroad pioneer George Pullman (1831–1897) designed and manufactured the railroad sleeping car, the Pullman sleeper or "palace car," which featured carpeting, draperies, upholstered chairs, libraries, card tables, and an unparalleled level of customer service.
In the late 1950s, Philadelphia-based rail car designers came up with the Keystone, a set of eight lightweight streamlined carriages featuring reclining seats for 56 passengers in the main section, and for 12 beyond. The trains, which operated between New York City and Washington, D.C., were fitted with conventional equipment such as dining cars, plus first-class parlor cars, but they were not a success. The carriages were retired in 1968.
Back in the day, wealthy passengers could arrange special occasions during a rail journey, like this private Christmas party held on an overnight London, Midland and Scottish Railway service.
Also in Britain during the same period, Southern Railway experimented with a railroad car interior painted to resemble brickwork with pseudo-half timbering and stucco. The carriage incorporated a painted 'traditional' pub sign (in this case, 'White Horse'), to leave on passengers the impression of an olde worlde pub. The other half of the carriage contained a first-class dining saloon. These tavern cars were converted to conventional buffet cars in 1959.
Passengers traveling first class on services operated by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway from the 1920s to the late '40s had access to the gourmet dining car, which was served by a dedicated restaurant kitchen carriage.
Not to be outdone, London North Eastern railway equipped its first-class salons with radio-gramophones. Passengers could opt to spin a record, or select a music channel of their choice. Mind you, the looks on these ladies' faces suggest a degree of disinterest in what's being played.
Meanwhile, British royalty still traveled by rail in considerable style and comfort. This is the Queen's Day Saloon. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth would have used this car to travel to royal appointments across the land.
In Great Britain however, owning an automobile was a luxury out of reach to most. Taking the train, though, still provided the best option for many, and even wealthy upper class individuals preferred the convenience of a train ride over a long drive. And for those who could afford it, the buffet car was a place to gather and socialize over drinks. Pictured in 1934 is a Great Western Railway service, which linked London with many of western England's best seaside resorts.
This is one of the new dining cars that went into service in September 1948 on the New York Central Railroad's 20th Century Limited express passenger train. The new diner was noted for its four distinctive dining sections, seating 64 people at tables, a lounging ante-room, and a steward's office. The 20th Century Limited traveled between Grand Central Terminal in New York City and LaSalle Street Station in Chicago, Illinois, and was one of the most famous trains in American railroad history, offering the finest in accommodations and services for 65 years.
Sadly, many small railroads in America failed during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Furthermore, the post-Second World War economic boom ironically witnessed increased competition from airlines and Interstate highways. Long-distance rail travel remained a luxury to many, though passenger service was still offered at the highest level. Pictured are a couple enjoying lunch on a train traveling between Chicago and the Midwest.
Rail travel wasn't always about luxury and refinement. Children usually go to school, but in the remote sections of Northern Ontario, Canada, the school comes to the children. Pictured is Professor Fred Sloman's school car, which annually traveled thousands of miles over the Northern Transcontinental Line of the Canadian National Railways to bring learning to children who were living at isolated points along the line. The school car's schedule provided a few days here and a few days there, so no youngster's education was neglected.
The kitchen car of the Royal Blue streamliner operated by B&O. Menus were noted for their fresh Chesapeake Bay cuisine, served on Dresden china.
Eating on a train in the United States was still akin to dining out at a plush restaurant, even if seating could be a little cramped. Here, patrons seated at tables are served by a waiter wearing a bow tie and an apron appearing in front of the kitchen entrance.
Today, first-class train travel is associated with the luxury end of the railroad market. Pictured is the railcar restaurant interior of the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express. Cars such as this one are styled to resemble those of the 1920s and 1930s.
By the late 19th century, traveling first class by rail was seen as a social occasion worth dressing up for. And like these passengers at Saint Paul Union Depot in Minnesota, the event was always captured for posterity.
The refined interior of the boat train dining car of the British ocean liner RMS Lusitania at Fishguard in Wales. It was 1909, two years after her launch, and the transatlantic vessel was offering first-class passengers a railway shuttle service from various parts of the United Kingdom to the boat's home port of Liverpool. On May 7, 1915, the Lusitania was torpedoed by a German U-boat which resulted in the loss of 1,198 lives.
An interior perspective of the Pere Marquette Railroad parlor car no. 25, dated c. 1910. These deluxe overland limited trains traveled from Detroit to Grand Rapids in Michigan and provided all the amenities expected of a luxury hotel including a barber shop, valet service, library, and buffet meals.
By the 1960s, the golden age of rail travel had well and truly hit the buffers. Rising costs, the advent of mass tourism, and greater competition from the airline industry changed the meaning of traveling first class to sitting in a quieter, more spacious car but without the personal service associated with years gone by. Very often, first-class facilities resembled second-class compartments—more comfortable for sure, but practical and rather bland.
The 1920s and '30s were regarded as the golden age for rail travel in the United States. Affluent passengers still made a point of dressing for lunch or dinner, and customer service was refined and sophisticated. But the rise in automobile ownership presented the single greatest threat to railroads. This led to a downturn in the demand for short-haul rail services.
The Green Diamond was a streamlined passenger train operated by the Illinois Central Railroad between Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri. It ran from 1936 until 1968. Some of the very first passengers are pictured in the spacious lounge car. The service proved hugely popular with the traveling public, with ticket prices falling within the range of the less well off.
The deluxe Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a private luxury train service from London to Venice and other European cities. It is owned by Belmond, which operates 45 luxury hotels, restaurants, tourist trains, and river cruises in 24 countries.
The renowned Blue Train, another magnificent South African rail service, operates an approximately 1,600-km (990-mile) journey between Pretoria and Cape Town. It is one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world.
Similarly, South Africa's exclusive Rovos Rail 'Pride of Africa' service offers the luxury of pre-war train travel.
Deccan Odyssey takes passengers on a variety of eight-day trips across Maharashtra in India. Visitors are given a traditional welcome ceremony in Mumbai before boarding.
Sources (History) (Albany Institute of History & Art) (CT Post)
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The 1920s and 1930s are regarded as the golden age for rail travel in the United States. In Great Britain too, taking the train was an exciting excursion for many. But for the lucky few with money in their pockets, a train journey was akin to staying in a luxury hotel. Customer service was first class, and passengers wined and dined in plush, opulent surroundings worthy of a gilt-edged palace. In fact, they were treated like royalty. Reflecting this epoch were railroad cars quite magnificent in their design and the amenities offered within. Indeed, it was all part of the railway experience, if you could afford it.
Click through and get on track with this visual appreciation of vintage luxury railroad car interiors over the years.
Marvel at these vintage luxury railroad car interiors
How they kept first-class passengers on track
TRAVEL History
The 1920s and 1930s are regarded as the golden age for rail travel in the United States. In Great Britain too, taking the train was an exciting excursion for many. But for the lucky few with money in their pockets, a train journey was akin to staying in a luxury hotel. Customer service was first class, and passengers wined and dined in plush, opulent surroundings worthy of a gilt-edged palace. In fact, they were treated like royalty. Reflecting this epoch were railroad cars quite magnificent in their design and the amenities offered within. Indeed, it was all part of the railway experience, if you could afford it.
Click through and get on track with this visual appreciation of vintage luxury railroad car interiors over the years.