Pullman Tourist Cars

[pajrr]

I just was given a book that lists typical passenger train consists in the 1940's. It is a great read. On most trains it lists sleeping cars by their names, however a few trains carried cars simply known as Pullman Tourist Cars. Most seem to have had 16 sections. They also mostly seem to carry road numbers in the 4000s.  What were these cars? Were these high -capacity sleepers rented out by Pullman for short term peak periods? I am pretty familiar with most Pullman operations but this is the first time I had ever seen cars designated as Tourist Cars. Is there anyone out there who knows the answer? Thank you in advance! pajrr

[ZephyrOverland]

Pullman tourist class was a sleeping accommodation which cost about half in comparison to first class accommodations and mostly utilized older 16 section Pullmans.  Tourist class had existed from the 1880's, but its popularity was at its height in the years before WWI, with a resurgence during the 1930's.  What did you get in a tourist accommodation?  You got a section space.  Initially you brought your own sheets (and pillow cases?) but eventually sheets and pillows were included.  A number of tourist sleepers had small basic kitchens on one end of car for passengers to prepare their own meals.  I'm not sure if porter service was available in these cars before WWI, but I believe it was available afterwards. 

These cars were popular on western trains.

The 1930's, there was a resurgence of popularity of Tourist service, especially for travelers who traded down during the depression years.  Trains such as the Challengers featured Tourist class sleepers as well as upgraded dining and lounge facilities.

Tourist sleepers were commonly used on troop trains, but after WWII, Tourist class accommodations were being phased out with the Milwaukee Road being a holdout with its Touralux cars which were available through the 1950's.

[pajrr]

Thank you for the answer to my question. I did notice from the book that it was mostly Western trains that carried them, but if you check the dates of the trains that were studied in the book, even Eastern roads used them during the war years for moving troops. I grew up with Amtrak. I think the Slumbercoach was the Amtrak version of tourist class. I personally liked slumbercoach rooms. Just having privacy and quiet was enough for me I didn't need all the fancy extras that roomette and bedroom service provided. Also, one did not have to put the bed up to use the toilet! Thanks again. pajrr

[ZephyrOverland]

pajrr

Thank you for the answer to my question. I did notice from the book that it was mostly Western trains that carried them, but if you check the dates of the trains that were studied in the book, even Eastern roads used them during the war years for moving troops. I grew up with Amtrak. I think the Slumbercoach was the Amtrak version of tourist class. I personally liked slumbercoach rooms. Just having privacy and quiet was enough for me I didn't need all the fancy extras that roomette and bedroom service provided. Also, one did not have to put the bed up to use the toilet! Thanks again. pajrr

In essence, the Slumbercoach was the latter day tourist class.  Your comment about not needing the fancy extras of first class could definitely be applied to someone who utilized Tourist class service.

I personally also liked traveling by Slumbercoach under Amtrak.  I had utilized them on a number of trips on the Broadway Limited.

[FlyingCrow]

I have an entire list of TC , or Tourist Sleepers if you would like them.     Many were converted from Plan 2410, or old 12sec-1DR cars.     

 

 

[daveklepper]

Staring in time for the opening of Penn Station, Manhattan, in 1910, Pullman began replacing wood sleepers with steel.   The wood sleepers were donwgraded to tourist sleepers.   These sleepers generally had rattan seats instead of plush.  I am not sure if steel sleepers similarly downgrqded in the 1930's also got the more durable and easier to clean rattan seats, which were somewhat less comfortable.

[Deggesty]

pajrr

Thank you for the answer to my question. I did notice from the book that it was mostly Western trains that carried them, but if you check the dates of the trains that were studied in the book, even Eastern roads used them during the war years for moving troops. I grew up with Amtrak. I think the Slumbercoach was the Amtrak version of tourist class. I personally liked slumbercoach rooms. Just having privacy and quiet was enough for me I didn't need all the fancy extras that roomette and bedroom service provided. Also, one did not have to put the bed up to use the toilet! Thanks again. pajrr

Slumbercoaches were introduced in the Fifties, a few years before anybody dreamed of Amtrak. The cars built as such were operated by the B&O, CB&Q, NYC, NP, and MP (through service with the B&O). The NYC also had ten 22 roomette sleepers rebuilt to a 16 single and 10 double bedroom configuration; the NYC cars called its cars "sleepercoaches." Various roads began operating standard sleepers as "slumbercoaches," with reduced amenities.

I agree that it was convenient not to have to put the berth up when it was necesary to use the toilet at night (did you ever have to get up in a roomette in the middle of the night when your stomach was unhappy? I did, once--and was quick enough). But, the accommodation was cramped, and there was no place to put a large suitcase in a lower level room (four of the lower level single rooms in the converted NYC cars did have enough room).

Here is a link which gives an excellent history of the use of slumbercoaches: http://www.srmduluth.org/Exhibits/SlumberCoaches.pdf

[wjstix]

Note that the tourist cars were 16 open sections - pairs of seats facing each other. At night you'd have one berth over another, with curtains for privacy...just like the other Pullman cars were. They weren't individual rooms or roomettes. A men's restroom was at one end of the car and a women's at the other end.

Walthers "Passenger Car Plans" book says this about 16 section Pullman cars:

"Over 370 cars were built. Most of these were converted into tourist cars in the 1930's. At that time the car name was dropped and a number was given to the car. The cars were numbered either as shown (numbers on each end of the car about 10' inside of the doors) or with the word TOURIST over the number centered on the car side (below the windows) where the car name would normally be. The tourist number series was 4000's, 4100's, and 4200's."

Note that the letterboard said PULLMAN and that originally Pullman only gave cars names, not numbers.

http://www.nkpcarco.com/images/Tourist%204136-2%20Stauss.jpg

[Deggesty]

A note about the tourist cars that were used in troop train service. According to Pullman Conductor William Moedinger, these cars were well-maintained by Pullman even though there were no lower berth fans, carpeting on the floor, or outlets for electric razors [not surprising, since some were built in 1910], but--they were as clean as though they were in first class service. (Trains, February, 1970, p. 45)

The standard sleeping assignment on troop trains was two men to a lower berth and one to an upper berth (it is difficult enough for the inside person to get into or out of a lower; imagine how it would be in an upper berth).