Train Bling!

There were two unofficial classifications of Private Cars:

1. Cars which were owned by railroad companies for the "official" use of their executives and Board of Directors were called "Business Cars".  This name came into use roughly around the early 1900's when railroads didn't want to appear "that wealthy" in the eyes of the public.   However, some of these "Business Cars" could be as luxurious and expensive as non-railroad "Private Cars".   But, many Business Cars were, actually, just comfortable mobile-offices for the use of slightly-lower-pecking-order executives.  

2. Cars that were owned by individuals, families, non-railroad companies, and those owned by the Pullman company for short or long-term lease, were called "Private Cars".   Many of the Pullman "for lease" Private Cars were previously-owned bling-mobiles which were traded-in for more impressive bling-mobiles.  

Like Private Jets today, there were many uses for Private Cars:

1. The wealthy traveling in comfort and solitude.

2. The wealthy showing off their wealth.

3. Rich celebrities showing off their status as celebrities worthy of worship.

4. The wealthy, the unfortunate accidentally famous, and rich celebrities trying to travel in solitude while not being bothered by tiny-brained nitwits who worship wealth and status.

5. Wealthy people, large companies, and railroads sharing their Private Cars / Business Cars with:

   •  "friends" who might become new customers.

   • wealthy people who might become new "friends".

   • politicians that just happen to be voting on "matters of interest" and, you know, might become "friends" too (But, no, it's not bribery; it's what any "friend" would do for another "friend").

6. Executives traveling in the style that they know they are entitled to.

7. Politicians creating Beautiful Stories for the gullible from the rear platform.

8. The POTUS.

9. Private Cars could also be used for huntin', fishin', n campin'.   Before good flattop-roads existed to remote areas, the railroads would happily park a Private Car on a remote siding where the occupants could participate in the first glamping expeditions.   Some Private Cars were specifically outfitted for the above activities; turning them into the world's first RV's.  

There's one big problem with bling: it's just a never ending race with other narcissists who always seem to have more or better bling than you do!  All a narcissist can do is keep getting bigger and better bling.  Which means the cost of bling is always an ever increasing amount.  If one narcissist sees another narcissist with a Private Car, his next Private Car will cost more (narcissists know size matters).   The Private Cars with the gold-plated plumbing fixtures and rare woods carved by imported European craftsmen - in the 1870's - started at a cool million (in today's money), but this rose to around four million by the late 1890's.  And, while this doesn't seem like much compared to a Private Jet, a railroad car doesn't fly and isn't self-propelled.   Most of the cost was the interior, not the car-body itself; unlike a Private Jet which is a very sophisticated piece of equipment (with or without the narcissist on the inside). 

Tradition.   Private cars were always attached to the back of a passenger train.   This was required as you didn't want mere people walking through the Private Car to get to another car  And, at the front, the noise from the locomotive would be an annoyance.   However, the train's Conductor still had access to the Private Car for various job duties.   The rear platform was a pleasant place to sit and watch the scenery go by while sipping a Highball.  But,  what if there were two Private Cars, each with its own narcissist!?  Who got the coveted last-car-spot?   If the Private Cars each had a railroad executive (which makes them "Business Cars"), the cars were arranged in the order of executive pecking-order.   But, I don't know how the cars of the wealthy narcissists were ordered; the Pullman Company must have had rules in place to handle situations like this though; as narcissists can be nasty.  

No, that's an optical illusion created by the raised platform.   The car is slightly shorter than most modern passenger equipment, at roughly 80' (feet)  by 10' wide (outside diameter).  That makes for a (usable) interior space of (roughly) 700 square feet.  The museum's 1929 Standard Pullman Sleeping car is about 85' x 10'.  

Prudence and Airplanes...  The "Great Depression" of the 1930's caused the wealthy people to become more prudent in showing off their bling.  If "the people are revolting" you don't want to be a target in a large bling-mobile.  Then, during World War II (1939-1945), the government banned the use of Private Cars.  After the war, the airplane became the object of narcissistic desire.  Being seen in 1st Class on one of the new propeller airliners was far better than being cooped up in a Private Car.   Eventually, only people who didn't like to fly or those who liked trains were left on the Private Cars; and by the mid-1950's this became true for all the passenger trains in the North America.  

There are number of Private Cars that still exist.   Many are available as organized (scheduled) tours and others for charter by individuals or groups.  

Here's a small sample:

• Association of Private Car Owners:
  list of cars

• Railroad Passenger Car Alliance:
  list of cars

• Trains and Travel:
  charter info

(Note:  Neither this website nor John Luther Jones is affiliated with any of the organizations in the links above.)