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National Park Service to manage Pullman site
All of the Pullman-Standard passenger cars we rode were built at this factory except for Amtrak’s Superliner I’s. I favour Pullman-Standard over other railway car builders for their gentle convex corrugated pattern on the sides of stainless steel passenger cars in contrast to the stark concave corrugated pattern adopted by Budd.
Had North American passenger trains not been neglected as a transportation mode, Pullman-Standard would still operate under its own name. And, this factory would continue thriving through this day.
About time! I take pride, Chicago is MY hometown!!
I am glad that Pullman is coming into histical site. Its about time. I was that the Budd Site didn’t. Made in America
As a former NPS seasonal ranger (13 summers), I’ve seen that NPS has the resources to do a first-rate job of preservation, restoration, and interpretation for the public, and they usually succeed. It will be interesting to see what NPS does with the Pullman site. I hope they get it right!
This is great news. The Pullman era should be commemorated in several ways. I agree that its role in the advancement of better labor relations is important and noteworthy. Also notable in my mind is its contribution to CIVILIZED long-distance travel. Today, I can get up at 4 a.m. to go to my local airport for a one-day trip to Chicago and back, for business reasons. Trouble is, I have to take my shoes off to board, I’m frequently squeezed into a cramped middle seat, and there’s no decent food available. I can no longer board the Broadway Limited, have a nice supper, and arrive in Chicago refreshed, with a complimentary shoe-shine thrown in. Yes, Pullman car travel between the East & Midwest usually took three days out of your schedule instead of one, but is “progress” really worth it?
As a lad growing up in Charlotte in the 1940s and 1950s I was frequently at the Southern Rwy. terminal where we met most of our out-of-town guests. As the streamliners roared into the station I was mesmerized, almost standing at attention. Emblazoned on the sides of “sleeping cars” and others was the word “PULLMAN.” I had no idea what it meant but I accepted that it went with the turf. Not until researching a book in the 21st century did I investigate the background of the man and company that made the word so prominent. Only then did I understand what a powerful influence it made on passenger rail transportation. I’m glad it’s being celebrated now.