The fifth Charles Russell menu in the series has a painting on the cover called Indian Women Moving. Russell painted at least two other paintings titled “Indian Women Moving Camp”; though this one lacks the word “Camp,” it obviously depicts … Continue reading
This blog has been somewhat chronological: first were pre-war streamlined trains; then post-war streamliners; then post-war domeliners. Before taking the logical next step of describing the decline of streamliners in the 1960s, I want to pick up some streamlined memorabilia … Continue reading
Like the California Zephyr‘s observation cars, the lounge under the Denver Zephyr‘s last dome, known as the “Colorado Room,” had a linoleum carving by Pierre Bourdelle and a mural by Russell Patterson. Patterson also did murals in the parlor portion … Continue reading
The Denver Zephyr‘s dining cars were remarkably similar to those of the California Zephyr, from the Pierre Bourdelle linoleum carvings at the steward’s stations to the Mary Lawser sculptures of grapes and grape leaves above the entry ways. The dining … Continue reading
The Chuck Wagon room was the Denver Zephyr‘s equivalent to the California Zephyr‘s Cable Car Room. Like the Empire Builder‘s Ranch Car, the Chuck Wagon was decorated to look like the dining hall of a dude ranch, though it probably … Continue reading
Union Pacific menu covers often displayed spectacular photos of parks and other scenic areas that could be reached by taking a Union Pacific train. But this City of St. Louis menu has a prosaic photo of the train station for … Continue reading
Pre-Canadian Canadian Pacific menus tended to have pictures of mounties, mountains, or Canadian Pacific hotels. But for the Canadian, the railroad used this grand painting of the train on Morant’s curve. The painting was done by Chesley Bonestell, who–shades of … Continue reading
This 1955 dinner menu features Olvera Street, a Mexican-style marketplace that still operates today in Los Angeles, on the front cover. Like a previous lunch menu, the inside of this menu appears to have been edited in preparation for another … Continue reading
This 1958 dinner menu from the City of Portland is unusual for a Union Pacific menu in that it has a second fold, solely for the purpose of repeating the Union Pacific logo. It is also unusual for a dining … Continue reading
Santa Fe publicity promoted the Turquoise Room as “the only private dining room on rails.” After 1954, when Union Pacific included a private dining room in the dome-diners of the City of Los Angeles and City of Portland, this changed … Continue reading
