Railroad Passenger Trains

[Abby Brown] For a long time, railroad companies were required to offer passenger transport in addition to freight transport.

(Old black and white film of a steam train engine moving along the train tracks past several one-story buildings.)

[Abby] For a 100 Years, people enjoyed riding the rails all over the United States.

(A black and white pen and ink illustration of a coal powered steam engine at a train station. The train has a lantern attached to the front of the train for light. The second car past the engine and the coal storage car says "Omaha to North Platte." )

(music)

(A train moving along the tracks beside a modern, four lane, interstate highway.)

[Abby] As cars and airplanes gained popularity, railroads were left depleted of passengers.

(A black and white photograph of a woman with short curly hair in shorts and a blouse standing beside a car waving to a train engineer.)

[Abby] Despite this, railroad companies were still required by law to offer passenger service. In 1970, all of that changed when the Rail Passenger Act of 1970 removed that requirement and created a dedicated train passenger company called Amtrak. Amtrak still operates today, and many people enjoy riding the rails all over the United States for long trips, or even short trips from city to city. Here at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, we can take a look at what train passengers might have experienced before the Railroad Passenger Act of 1970.

(A Union Pacific railroad sign in the shape of a shield. The top of the shield is dark blue and the bottom of the shield has orange and white strips. The shield reads "Union Pacific Railroad Welcomes Passenger Business" in white lettering.)

[Patricia LaBounty, Union Pacific Railroad Museum] In the 1930s, Union Pacific developed a special service during the Great Depression that was more affordable, and it even came with a registered nurse. This registered nurse would help young mothers with children or older people that might have had a medical complication on board the train. And as you can see behind me was a lot more comfortable than plane travel.

(music)

(Patricia has shoulder length brown hair. She is wearing glasses. Patricia has on a blue blazer with a black top and dark pants. Behind Patricia is a replica of a train car from the 1930s. The interior of the train car is painted a lemon yellow and has two large windows on each side of the train car.  There are 10 gray and green passenger seats that look like cushioned movie theater seats. The seats are arranged in sets of two and are divided by an aisle that runs down the middle between the pairs of seats. There is an open metal shelf above the seats. A brown, leather suitcase sits on the metal shelf. At the front of the exhibit are two wax mannequins. The man is dressed in a long, dark colored jacket with four buttons down the front. His has on a white shirt with a black tie and a hat like an officer in the military might have. The woman is dressed in a grayish-blue suit with a soft grayish-blue hat like a naval sailor might wear. She has on a white shirt with a man’s yellow tie. There is a landscape painting of a waterfall flowing into a river that is running through a canyon to the left of the man. To the right of the woman is a painting of a Second two-part waterfall in a forest. The First waterfall runs down the center of the painting with the second smaller waterfall in front of and to the right of the longer waterfall.)

[Patricia] One of the best things about train travel is that you can get up and walk around between car to car. The car behind me is a lounge car. This is where people come to have a drink, chat with friends, write letters, play games, or look out at the scenery outside the big windows.

(music)

(The interior of the replica of the lounge car is a light green color. To break up the curve wall, there is a pastel colored illustration of a train running through the western United States. In front of the illustration is a wax mannequin standing behind a waist high, tan bar with a white counter top, service bar. To the man’s right is a set of classes in different sizes lined up like kids on risers. To the man’s left are two classes with colorful stir sticks and a white napkin. The man is holding a glass with a stir stick. He is wearing a white, long sleeved button down, collared shirt under a white, vest with the Union Pacific shield logo on the left pocket. 

A still image of two women sitting in red, plush chairs at a round table with drinking glasses in front of them.

A still image of two men and three women sitting in front of the service bar in the lounge car. The women are in dresses and the men are in business suites. There is a man in a business suite talking with the bartender behind the service bar.

A still image of a man talking with the bartender as he pours a drink. Two women in dresses sitting around a small table in front of the service bar. A couple walking towards the lounge car.

A still image of the dining car. There are square tables on each side of an aisle. The tables on the left sit two people facing each other. The tables on the right sit up to four people facing each other. Each four person table has a metal pitcher with a lid at the end of each table. Down the left side of the car is a woman in a green sweater reading a map. Two men in business suites speaking with a waiter as he serves them. and a man in a gray business suite looking out the window. On the right side of the car is a family of three - a woman, a girl with blonde hair and pigtails and a boy in a flannel shirt. Behind the family is a man in a business suit and a woman in a white shirt with a red vest. Behind the man and women is a man in a gray business suit/ Behind the man in the gray business suit are two women. One is in a light blue and white dress and the other woman is in a red dress with a black collar. Above the dinners is a mural painting of the western United States.) 

[Patricia] One of the best cars you can visit on your journey by train was the dining car. So this is where you would come in. You would be seated just like a restaurant and be served food. You can see beside me that wasn't just plastic plates and plastic silverware that you were given. It was real china and real silver. And kids even got their own menus.

(music)

(Four white and gold china place settings with sterling silver eating utensils laid out on a white linen table cloth. The four place settings consist of a white china dinner plate with a white china, gold rimmed bowl on top of the plate. To the left of the bowl and plate are two sterling silver forks on a pink linen tablecloth. Above the forks is a small white china bowl with a lip like a spout. The small bowl has a ring of gold just below its rim. To the right of the small bowl and above the large bowl and plate are two pear shaped clear drinking glasses and a white china coffee with a gold rim around the cup sitting on top of a small gold rimmed plate. To the right of the bowl and plate is a sterling silver butter knife and a sterling silver spoon. To the right of the second place setting is a white china cream pitcher, a small china teapot and a small white china sugar bowl. There is a sterling silver water coffee craft in the center of the table between the four place settings.

A table set with Four place settings similar to the first table. The first place setting is a child’s place setting. The setting has a white bowl on top of a white plate. On the plate is a clown face, inside the bowl is a sea lion balancing a yellow and red striped ball on its nose. Beside the plate and bowl is a white mug with a red and blue drawing on it. Above the place setting is a children’s menu. Behind the menu is a drawing of two bears.)

[Patricia] What you might be surprised to find as you were walking from the lounge car to the dining car, are some really famous people because Hollywood chose to travel by train almost to the exclusion of anything else.

(music)

(a black and white photo of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin boarding the train.

An Amtrak passenger train moving through green farm land.

Abby is standing in front of a yellow and red informational exhibit. She is wearing a purple zip-up jacket with a white shirt underneath. The large print on the exhibit reads "A National and Global System." "Get to Know Union Pacific. . . "A Progressive and People-Focused Railroad".)

[Abby] Today, passengers ride the Amtrak on the Transcontinental railroad. But here in Iowa, there are still lots of freight trains. Take a look out your window when you're driving around Iowa. You're probably going to see one.

(music)

(A freight train moving along the railroad tracks.)

(a railroad crossing bell)

(ding, ding, ding)

[Announcer] Funding for FIND Iowa has been provided by the following supporters.

(text on the screen) FIND Iowa, The Coons Foundation, Pella, Gilchrist Foundation

(text on the screen) Iowa PBS Education