Troga auto5/27/2023 The cook had to do his job even when the car was moving down the tracks at up to 90 miles an hour, a true feat of coordination if ever there was one.Īlthough most railroad business cars have long since been scrapped, a number still serve the railroads today. A shopping list of hundreds of gourmet items would have to be stored in the limited space in the kitchen. The cook would be in charge of preparing sumptuous meals for the passengers to enjoy in the dining room. The secretary could type up messages and toss them off at any station, where the agent would telegraph the information ahead. ![]() ![]() Given the need to do business wherever the car might find itself, a fully-equipped secretary’s office was usually part of the plan. Most business cars traveled with a crew consisting of a cook, one or more servants, and a secretary. Some cars were even equipped with bathtubs and fireplaces, a real rarity since the cars must travel down the track safely. Sometimes the decor was limited only by the imaginations of the designers. Polished brass, gold leaf, and fine silver adorned the interiors outfitted with luxurious linens. Brazilian mahogany, rosewood, zebrawood and many other exotic woods found their way inside. Skilled craftsmen sometimes spent years installing interiors of the finest imported woods. Railroads often spared no expense in building and decorating their business cars to make them quite literally rolling works of art. ![]() It was quite simple to add the car to the end of an existing passenger train and head off for the farthest corners of the railroad to inspect operations, entertain shippers, and woo politicians. When a railroad executive needed to travel, the business car was the means of choice. The railroad business car was, in its heyday, the equivalent of today’s corporate jet.
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