Identifier: storyofpullmancahusb (find matches)
Title: The story of the Pullman car
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors: Husband, Joseph, 1885-1938
Subjects: Pullman Company Sleeping cars (Railroads)
Publisher: Chicago, A. C. McClurg & co.
Contributing Library: Boston College Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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l wasfraught with discomfort and inconvenience beyondthe realization of the present day. Travel by canalboat had at least offered a relative degree of com-fort, for here comfortable berths in airy cabins wereprovided as well as good meals and entertainment,but the locomotive, by its greatly increased speedover the plodding train of tow mules, instantly com-manded the situation, and as the mileage of thepioneer roads increased, travel by boat propor-tionately languished. The first passenger cars were little better thanboxes mounted on wheels. Over the uneven trackthe locomotive dragged its string of little coaches,each smaller than the average street car of today. (19) THE STORY OF THE PULLMAN CAR From the engine a pall of suffocating smoke andglowing sparks swept back on the partially pro-tected passengers. Herded like cattle they settledthemselves as comfortably as possible on the stiff-backed, narrow benches. The cars were narrow andscant head clearance was afforded by the low, flat
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Car in use in 1844 on the Michigan Central Railroad. In-teresting as showing the rapid improvement in passenger coachesand how soon they approached the modem ttjpe of car in generalappearance. roof. From the dirt roadbed a cloud of dust blewin through open windows, in summer mingled withthe wood smoke from the engine. In winter, a woodstove vitiated the air. Screens there were none.By night the dim light from flaring candles barelyilluminated the cars. In addition to these physical discomforts wereadded the dangers attending the operation of trains (20) EVOLUTION OF THE SLEEPING CAR entirely unprotected by any of the safety devicesnow so essential to the modern railroad. No roadboasted of a double track; there was no telegraphby which to operate the trains. The air brake wasunknown until 1869, when George Westinghouse

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