Evening star., 1939-12-10
Railroads
Point to
Resorts
Lines Ready
For Sun and
Snow Throngs

Cruising by rail" promises to be
this winters alternative to some
ocean voyages and the rail lines are
prepared with variety Of special
tours, grand-circle bargain fares,
modernistic trains and travel inno-
vations, to appeal to those who must
readjust their annual trips to world
conditions.
The escorted tour, for instance,
has come back"-not that it ever
was pushed very far into the back
ground, but 1t has suddenly found a
renewed popularity among many
travellers. An escort to attend to all
details provides a freedom from de-
tail and an opportunity to mingle
with their fellow travellers or to
remain aloof, as the whim of the
traveller may strike him.
There Is a renaissance in railroad
travel which is apparent even to
those who in recent years have
sought other modes of transporta-
ton. Statistics show that railway
passenger revenues, since the low
point of 1888, have shown a steady
upward trend In every year except.
ing 1887.
Travel Speeded Up
While Rates Are Cut.
Air-conditioning and streamlining
Of trains started the movement back
to the rails, and fast schedules and
low rates have given impetus to this
trend, it is pointed out in onicial
circles.
This, in turn, has led to even
greater investments in colorful, mod
ernistic speedsters of the rails, and
the bright yellow and green, the
stainless steel gray, the Tuscan red,
the bright green's and other hues Of
the streamliners have captured the
popular Imagination to an extent
which is filling these brightly-ca
isoned trains, whether they be the
transcontinental de luxe Pullman
trains or the all-coach creations
which fill various runs ranging from
to Is hours.
Progress on the rails is little short
OF phenomenal, contrasted with
schedules obtaining only a decade
ago. Then Palm Beach and Miami
were two nights journey from New
York or Washington, while Cali
fornia was three nights and two
days beyond Chicago Mexico was
a remote land, reached only by
arduous travel, while Colorado was
q hours from Chicago.
Today. the streamlined, roller
bearing Champion, on the Atlantic
Coast Line-Florida East Coast, and
the Silver Meteor, on the Seaboard.
eat up the miles to the Southland
with 21-hour schedules from WASH
ington to Miami, while the stand
ard-type equipped Florida Special,
with its n-entertainment
car, speeds southwark in two, three
or even five-sections daily with q
running-time Of less than ~ hours
from Washington to Miami. and
only overnight to many Of the
Florida East Coast resorts.
Mexico now enjoys de luxe through
trains from St. Louis to Mexico
City, with the daily Sunshine Spe-
cial and the weekly City of Mexico
a fast, de luxe train timed to con-
meet with the Westinghouse. Louis.
trains in each direction. Colorado,
with the streamliners such Is the
City of Denver, is now only over
night from Chicago. and California
is merely Saturday night to Mon
day morning jump on the Cities Of
Los Angeles or San Francisco, or
the other fast trains.
Gulf Coast Cities
Share Resort Spotlight.
With domestic resorts coming to
the fore, New Orleans promises to
become the center of vacation
land extending from the Mississippi
(See RAILROADS, Page G-5.)