Question about the passenger train streamliners run by the private railroads

[GN_Fan]

I rode NP's North Coast Ltd between Chicago and Missoula, MT for 4 round trips plus a one-way in the mid-60's.  All the cars were Lewis and Clark oriented, especially the Traveler's Rest which had a wall-to-over-rhe-ceiling mural of the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1805-06.  I also rode the Empire Builder from Libby, MT to Chicago in 1965, and it had the theme of Blackfoot and north coast Indians in every car.  Amtrak's full dome (now deceased), along with all the coachs having partitions decorated with frosted glass panels of NW indians.  It was all one of a kind thing.  Amtrak gutted all GN decorations on the Ocean View favor of a bland, we favor nothing and offend no one decor.  What a waste.

[BaltACD]

CMStPnP

 

JPS1

Some of the pictures in this link show the southwest decor that was used for the El. Capitan cars. http://www.rtabern.com/ppc/santafe.html 

They had some pretty neat sand paintings in some of those cars as well I believe I saw on one publicity photo.    I think the Acoma has one in it (it's a private chair car now).

I think my favorite was seeing an old Northern Pacific Diner at Ozark Mountain Rail with the black and white cow hide snack bar seats and the old Montana Ranch out West Decor......that was really cool.    I guess one of their famous menu items was either an Idaho or Montana baked Potato.

Northern Pacific advertised the 'Great Big Baked Potato' - almost from the dawn of advertising.  I believe Idaho is known for potatos, Montana not so much.

[CMStPnP]

JPS1

Some of the pictures in this link show the southwest decor that was used for the El. Capitan cars. http://www.rtabern.com/ppc/santafe.html

They had some pretty neat sand paintings in some of those cars as well I believe I saw on one publicity photo.    I think the Acoma has one in it (it's a private chair car now).

I think my favorite was seeing an old Northern Pacific Diner at Ozark Mountain Rail with the black and white cow hide snack bar seats and the old Montana Ranch out West Decor......that was really cool.    I guess one of their famous menu items was either an Idaho or Montana baked Potato.

[JPS1]

Some of the pictures in this link show the southwest decor that was used for the El. Capitan cars.

http://www.rtabern.com/ppc/santafe.html

[CMStPnP]

BaltACD

The 'artistic' theme of trains represented the area's the operated in.  The Art Deco aspects of the trains were in the objects one took for granted - chairs, ash trays, arch ways and door ways. Add Quote to your Post

Well for the Hiawatha and Eagle on the exterior the porthole and  window frames were a give away as well.    Mo-Pac Eagle on diesel nose.....definitely Art Deco.    C&NW had normal window frames same with Santa Fe.

[BaltACD]

The 'artistic' theme of trains represented the area's the operated in.  The Art Deco aspects of the trains were in the objects one took for granted - chairs, ash trays, arch ways and door ways.

[JPS1]

diningcar

 Santa Fe's Super Chief and its other trains utilized southwestern decor which promoted its location through that area of the USA.

I rode the El Capitan from LAX to Chicago and back in 1960.  I was going home on leave after having been overseas for 18 months.  I remember it as having a Southwestn theme.

 

I also rode the Seaboard Airline’s Silver Meteor from New York City to Miami in the mid-60s.  If I remember correctly, it had a Florida theme, i.e. pictures of beaches, palm trees, etc. 

[charlie hebdo]

I suppose it depends on the specific train on a railroad.  Zephyrs had art deco/moderne features.  C&NW 400 services not.  SP does not look like it did. 

[diningcar]

Santa Fe's Super Chief and its other trains utilized southwestern decor which promoted its location through that area of the USA. 

[BaltACD]

The Denver Zephyr and El Capitan high level trainsets were placed in service in the middle 1950's - the last streamlined trains to go into service.

I don't know how much if any art-deco design elements may have been incorporated in these trainsets and their cars.

[CMStPnP]

Hey,

I am just curious were all the last versions of the various private railroads streamliners done in the Art Deco style on the interior.    Seems the California Zephyr, Hiawatha, Texas Eagle, and other trains all had touches of Art Deco in the interiors just curious if anyone remembers a past streamliner that was updated in the late 1940's and early 1950s that did not have any Art Deco influences on the interior design?