Evening star., 1937-08-01
RAILS CAP PTUR|NC
=H|GHWAY TRAVEL
Low Fares, Novelty Spe-
~cia|s and Added CON-
6 6 forts Winning Public.
b. the Associated Press.

years.
Agents of all principal lines eSti-
mated this Summers traffic will be !
II to II per cent greater than last
They admit revenue is not picking |
UP because cheap fares are among |
reasons cited for this increase. New |
equipment increased comforts and |
prosperity" are other reasons.
But these do not account for the |
fact that Winter traffic has remained |
steady while Summer traffic doomed |
Bravlng the wrath of shippers of steel |
and automobiles, some agents said |
this Is because private automobiles. |
left IN garages in Winter are still !
there when owners go on long Sum-
mer trips
Highway Toll Cited.
They point out highway safety has |
become very real national prob
lem.
F. j. Wall, vice president of the
New Haven Railroad summarized this
reasoning as follows:
We believe the hlgh-rate accident
statistics and safety campaigns con-
Quoted by the press and the NUM-
clpalltes are lmpressing people that
the railroads are the safest means of
travel
He estimated revenue passengers,
excluding commuters carried by the
New Haven in June of this year will
show total of 3,229,OO0, as COM
pared with 2,790000 in 1886. 2,45O,0 900
in 1885 and 4 4563,0 900 in 1928.
All railroad lines serving New Eng
land are jubllant over the victory"
they have scored over motor traffic.
This year they have persuaded many
New England resorts to distribute
railroad advertising literature and
time tables. They convinced the re-
sorts that guests are likely to stay
longer If they come by train.
Railroad Develops Play Spot.
The biggest vacation project OF any
railroad in the country is the Sun
Valley, Idaho. development of the
Union Pacific. 1t is the first Amer
lcan road to follow the example of
Canadian lines by purchasing territory
and building hotels for resort pur-
poses.
This great virgin wilderness. larger
than Massachusetts, Connecticut and
Rhode Island combined was opened
last December as ski center, winch
Kept many Of societys elite at home
instead Of heading for the Alps anG
DolomlteS. Now it is in it's first season
as Summer sports resort and a new
and cheaper hotel is being built.
A novel promotion stunt for rail-
roads is the Baltimore & Ohios free
for-all contest for prize letters and
snapshots of My 1887 Vacation Out
West The B. & o. also is the first
Eastern line to follow the lead of
western roads by putting stewardesses
on Its new train the Shenandoah.
The Chicago & North Western has
put on the first streamhned steam
tram, the FortyNiner from Chicago
to San Francisco, which will attempt
10 make the same time as the Diesel
engine trains, and it is doing new
things in bed rooms. This train has
a tWo-car rear unit. with what thev
call up and downstairs bed rooms"
ana IN the Fall another new train
Will have drawing rooms with beds
that disappear in the walls and
movable chairs.
Pioneer in Further Comforts.
The Pennsylvania. still LEADING the
neld IN air-conditioning with 5O0
aW-regulated cars is now bidding for
tne cheaper coach fares on long hauls
bV hS new coaches with reclining
seats as we'll as air. conditioning The
Chlcago, Milwaukee line is pioneering
IN roller bearings all through its
trains and New York Central is spe-
clallzlng in self service grill cars for
Inexpensive meals.
Ihe New Haven line has outdone
eIi others in organizing all kinds of
one-day special outings for particular
enthusiasts. 1t has literally run wild
with the idea since the Boston 4,
Maine took skiiers into New Hamp-
Shlre on the first snow train in this |
country four years ago.
AhIs yedl tne New Haven has had
I'VE bicycle trains and four folding
rubber boat trains out of New York
furnishing the bikes and the boats
and has run four specials each from
New York and Boston for camera and
sketchlng enthusiasts. The bicvclo |
trains Will start from Boston, too. now
that State law against renting bikes
on sundays there has been repealed.
Lack of Fish FoiIs Special.
Inc New Haven even tried hiking
eno deep-sea fishing trains, but thew
1alIeo, the latter because they found
no 1lSh of New London. Conn.
Inc Long Island Railroad has trans
ported 10000 Would-be fishermen out
10 Montauk Point, eastern extremity
OF the island, providing them with
everything but the clothes and fish
even Tree ADVICE. The c. & W., with
trips INTO Wisconsin, and the Seaboard
AR Line, with groups bound for Flor
Ida from here, have gone in for fish
ermenS specials, the B. & O. had a
camera train out of Pittsburgh: the
Chlcago, Milwaukee runs bicvcle trains
out OF Chicago the PENNSYLVANIA on.
crates oH-the-beaten-track" tours on
old' llttle-used freight lines into pic
turesque country, and the New York
Central has its "day-o the farm" trim
70 Elk Park Farm. near Vandalia.
Mich.
A half dozen lines have had rail-
eoad enthusiasts specials to show off
Lhelr shops and roundhouses.
The Southern Pacific, which oper-
stes steamship line to New Orleans
Is going to announce its first combina-
tlon rail-ship excursions there this
Fall from New York.
1850 MILES OF PARK