Travel by Pullman: A Century of Service, 1865-1969 | 
 enlarge | Authors: Joe Welsh, Bill Howes
Publisher: MBI
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
Buy New: $18.11
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New (27) Used (9) from $12.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 125578
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 160
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.4
Dimensions (in): 10.2 x 10.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0760318573
Dewey Decimal Number: 385
EAN: 9780760318577
ASIN: 0760318573
Publication Date: October 11, 2004
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Every evening for much of the twentieth century, 50,000 or more travelers snuggled under crisp Pullman linens, falling asleep in one state and awaking in another. This nostalgic look back at what was essentially a rolling hotel company contracted by the nation's railroads to provide guest accommodations, covers every aspect of Pullman operations, from the emerging popularity of steam-powered rail travel in the early twentieth century to its diesel-powered zenith and its eventual nadir in the 1950s and 1960s. Pullman's entire complex network of employees and services is featured, from the ticket offices that manually handled millions of reservations each year to the six car shops spread across the nation to perform heavy maintenance and repairs, and all of Pullman's porters, mechanics, cleaners, electricians, cooks, barbers, shoeshiners, and more. Illustrated with both black-and-white and color period views depicting Pullman interiors and facilities, as well as memorabilia and sales literature.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Excellent history of the Pullman service May 12, 2007
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This book shows diagrams and real advertisements from the Pullman company, named after George Pullman. To address legitimate concerns about the African-American employees who helped make the service what it was, I suggest the DVD video, made by Showtime Productions, called "10,000 Black Men Named George." It tells the true story of how employees at first weren't paid a salary, as Pullman figured they would make great tips. The riders thought they made great wages and were skimpy with tips unless the service was particularly great. The movie goes into detail (available from amazon) about A. Phillip Randolph and his efforts to unionize the employees. Employees were expected to look clean and sharp at all times despite the sparce sanitary facilities for the employees on the trains, and they could be transfered anywhere in the country on a moment's notice.
Otherwise the reader will get a real feel for what it was like to have a "hotel on wheels." The Pullman Company operated most of the sleeping car service for the railroads until 1968, even providing the repairs for the cars, which usually carried the host railroad logo and paint. The exit of the Pullman Company, and the railroads loss of the Postal Service contract to haul first class mail, were among the many death knells for the passenger train run by individual railroads, and led to the formation of Amtrak in 1971. Ironically the first generation "Superliners" were built for Amtrak by Pullman-Standard. Enjoy the ride and pleasant dreams!
 Operational excellence February 13, 2006
1 out of 9 found this review helpful
Interesting book and although factual description of Pullman travel. The Pullman car would not have been sucessful with out the Pullman porter.This book seems to imply that service in the cars was provided by the entire train crew while in fact the train was sucessful only because of the porters. A blunder on the part of the author.
A Historical Re-write? December 27, 2005
8 out of 20 found this review helpful
Although this book has some interesting photos and a bare bones history of the Pullman Car phenomenon, it is truly deficit in any mention and documentation of the Pullman Porters. How can a history of any sort be written about the Pullmans without talking about these hardworking porters and their service, which, by the way, sold the seats? In fact, much photographic documentation of these men exists, as Pullman used many photos of them in the corporate image advertising and some exists also from the porters' own historic unionization efforts. The fact that there is not a reference in even the index, and that less than a handful of pictures including these men can be seen in these pages makes me wonder about the author's grip on the material. After all, the berths did not lower and make themselves! For me, this book represents a simplification and sanitation of some very important American history.
Excellent Presentation of Pullman Service August 6, 2005
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful book! Very thorough, excellent photos/graphics, well written text. Absolutely a must for anyone interested in overnight train travel; what it was, and what it could be.
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