Passenger Car - Drawing Room

[blueriver]

What is the purpose of a drawing room on a passenger car? I think I have seen them in sleepers, business or observation cars, and coaches. Will someone please enlighten me to their reason of existence?
I would really appreciate it.

Thanks

blueriver

[tatans]

Basically more room, rooms could be connected by a door or folding compartment walls for different configurations depending on passengers needs. I'm sure some railways had full compartments with drawing rooms. -- ahhh, the good old days eh?

[ndbprr]

space wonderful space. to stretch out, move around, etc. Space is always at a premium in a train and Drawing rooms were the ultimate in accomodations and price.

[Anonymous]

The drawing room was the most spacious (and expensive) private room generally available on a railroad car. They usually could accommodate 3 adults in comfort, for riding, dining or sleeping, and were equipped with a private toilet annex.

Prior to the Amtrak Superliners, the only larger private rooms were the "master rooms" found only in a few New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad observation-sleepers, or the conference rooms found in a couple of PRR parlor cars.
As far as I know, drawing rooms were found only in certain sleeping and parlor cars (including some business and observation cars), but never in coaches.

Drawing rooms were introduced during the time when passenger cars were constructed of wood; the last drawing-room equipped sleepers to be built were the "Ocean"-series cars built by Pullman-Standard in 1955 for Union Pacific.

[passengerfan]

Southern Crescent also operated master rooms. The Parlor Drawing Room for day use was for up to five passengers with a private bathroom annex. Drawing Rooms for sleeping were for three passengers. Those Drawing Rooms in the California Zephyr Sleeper Lounge Observations Budd built had showers installed in the annex, the only Drawing rooms so equipped. Pullman sold space in a pair of adjoining double Bedrooms with a partition that opened between at the Parlor car rate in postwar streamlined cars this gave two bathroom annexs was especially popular with families. Those railroads with true drawing rooms postwar were AT&SF, UP, GN, CB&Q, D&RGW, WP, CN and CP in the west. IC operated drawing rooms in City of Miami and Panama Ltd. In the east NYC, PRR, B&O, SAL and ACL to name a few operated true drawing rooms..

[Dayliner]

When I was six years old, our family of four travelled from Vancouver to Montreal on The Canadian--in a drawing room. I believe my sister, who was under five, travelled for the ridiculously low fare of $7.00 (this was in 1967). You could just squeeze two adults and two children into a drawing room. As I recall, there were only three beds.

[tatans]

Are you sure this was a drawing room? it sounds like a compartment, or double compartment, drawing rooms were rather palatial, and they cost a mint, the C.P.R. had different room configurations than U.S. railroads, a drawing room equates today like a suite in a hotel.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Dayliner

When I was six years old, our family of four travelled from Vancouver to Montreal on The Canadian--in a drawing room. I believe my sister, who was under five, travelled for the ridiculously low fare of $7.00 (this was in 1967). You could just squeeze two adults and two children into a drawing room. As I recall, there were only three beds.

[passengerfan]

Old Age or what creeping up on me. I meant to say the two Double Bedrooms in suite were sold as drawing rooms not Parlor car rates. The Canadian operated with two types of sleeping cars with drawing rooms the first was the Chateau series sleeping cars with 8-Duplex Roomettes 1-Drawing Room 3-Double Bedrooms and 4-Sections. Two of the Bedrooms of this car opened in suite as well. The second type was the Park series 3-Double Bedroom 1-Drawing Room Bar 12-seat Lounge 13-seat Lounge 24-Seat Dome Observations. In addition their was the Manor series sleeping cars with 4-Sections 1-Compartment 5-Double Bedrooms and 4-Roomettes. 4 of the bedrooms opened in suite and could be sold as drawing rooms or the fifth bedroom opened in suite with the Compartment and could be sold as master room without shower annex.