The Republican., 1943-02-18
End Of Luxury Railroad Train Travel Is
Approaching, Railway Officials Say
Club, Observation And Lounge
Cars Being Converted to Meet
Increased Demands


servation and lounge cars into ordi-
nary coaches; enlarge dining cars to
crowd in more passengers and, in gen
eral, eliminate most, if not all, of
the special services which formerly
were available.
Officials of the Baltimore and Ohio
and the Pennsylvania railroads on
Saturday asserted that their respec-
tive roads were bending every effort
to the job Of providing space for the
enormously increased number of trav-
elers.
Old Coaches RccOnditioned
To do this, it was said, lounge cars
which once were at the disposal of
those with sleeping car accommoda-
tions, now are filled with numbered
seats and the seats are sold to travel
ers going short distances. Those who
formerly used these cars no longer
have this additional facility availa-
bic.
Old passenger coaches which, in
peacetime, had been relegated to the
use of work and repair crews of train
men now have been rcconditioned and
put back on passenger runs. Box cars,
furnished with benches, have been
provided for the work crews.
In order to effectively move hun
dreds of thousands of troops, the rail
roads now are borrowing and lending
all types of passenger equipment to
each other, something that was done
only in rare emergencies in pre-war
days.
b. & o. Coaches Travel
Now, according to w B, Galloway,
general passenger traffic manager of
the B. & O., it is the usual thing for
B. & 0. coaches to be found on almost
any line in the country.
If a trainload of troops is to be
sent from Fort Meade to somewhere
in the Middle West, for example, off
20 the B. & O. coaches on a junket
which might see them sent next to
Texas, then on to the West Coast and,
finally headed back home. Meanwhile,
of course, the B. & O. has called on
other railroads for enough coaches
to enable them to carry on opera
tions.
Such requests for equipment some
times were made between railroads
during peacetime, but the lending was
entirely voluntary and if a railroad
felt it needed the cars the request
would be turned down.
H0n0red Automatically
All that has been changed. Now,
Mr.. Galloway said, all the railroads
are being operated exactly as if they
were being run by the Government or
by some other central control Re
quests for the loan of equipment are
honored automatically.
Before the war if there were more
than 125 passengers on q train, an
other diner was added. Now only one
diner is included regardless of the
number Of passengers
Tables and chairs in the diners are
being reduced in size SO that more
passengers can be taken care Of at
one time, he said
Observation cars, in many cases,
now are serving three purposes. One
section of such cars is used as sleep
ing quarters by the train crew, an
other section is used as a buffet, selv-
ing drinks and thereby
taking some of the strain off the din
ing cal-whilc in the third section
numbered seats have been made avail
able for travellers.
Barbcrshops Eliminated
More than a year ago the B. & @.
eliminated barbershops and personal
maids from its crack trains, convert
ing the space to more necessary uses.
Just recently the New York Central
and the Pennsylvania followed suit
on their luxury trains,
Even washrooms have been elimi-
mated on some coaches and additional
seats placed in the space made avail
able.
Converted box cars equipped with
benches, have been placed on short
runs by some railroads and some such