Before the Streamliners

Before the streamliners, twentieth-century passenger trains were sometimes known as “standard” trains, after Pullman-Standard, the leading manufacturer of passenger rail cars. Pullman-Standard was the result of a merger between Pullman and the Standard Steel Car Company. As lightweight streamliners became popular, non-streamlined trains also became known as heavyweights.

Posts about heavyweights begin here and continue for about the next ninety posts. These posts focus on western trains that were popular before the streamliners, including the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Empire Builder, North Coast Limited, and many others. Use the drop-down menu on the right to find posts about particular trains.