First Post-War Streaminer

In 1946, Pere Marquette Railway introduced the first post-war streamliner, the eponymously named Pere Marquette. This blotter from the Dale Hastin collection says the train offered luxury travel at coach fares.


Click image to download a pdf of this blotter.

A 1946 magazine advertisement explains that the Detroit-Grand Rapids train is “40 minutes faster than the previous best time,” lounges in each coach, comfortable seats, diagonally-set dining tables, and “no tipping, please!” In 1947, the train’s route was extended to Detroit-Chicago.

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This postcard offers a different view of the “dining nooks.” Notice the extremely fake food on the table.

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Père Marquette’s parent company, Chesapeake and Ohio, would completely take over the Michigan railway in 1947. Fourteen years before that, Chesapeake and Ohio ran an ad with the image of a cat and the words “Sleep like a kitten.” The ad was so popular that C&O named the cat Chessie and continued to use the image for decades. Since this blotter from Dale Hastin’s collection doesn’t name the kitten, it could be from 1933.


Click image to download a pdf of this blotter.


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