Parlor Cars were years and years and years before your time Linda! You kids missed out on that ornate Victorian Era when the "Varnish" ruled the Mainlines. The last car on a passenger had a rear door that opened onto an open vestibule, a back porch, complete with an iron fence with three gates. You could sit out there in folding chairs. Inside the car was BUT PLUSH, all wine colored deep pile velvet and gold brochade with goldleaf bevelled mirrors and rolled and pleated leather wing chairs each with its own foot stool. Even the rockers had foot stools. Polished brass spittoons (Cuspidors) were always within easy reach. Some had small roometes, baths/toilet, and a barber on board. Real Ladies were discouraged from entering. In fact, curtains covered the vestibule doors to prevent wives, snoops, buisy bodies and police, from peering inside, because there was occasionally a person who could get on board at some small town and then suddenly de-train at the next small town a little wealthier than before! The kerosene lamps that swung from big hooks in the ceiling were turned low at night. There were many big business deals made in the parlor cars of the day, and quite a bit of skull duggery by the ruffians, despots, and villians who occasionally lurked in the shadows! The liquor was usually in your own coat pocket, although there were a few cars outfitted with a small bar of sorts in the waning years. Those are the choice cars people want for private cars to own today. Club cars are from the modern era. The Streamliners had the last car on a passenger train enclosed, usually with a bullet nosed end design. Windows went all around, a full wet bar was a permanent design, and the atmosphere was one of bright carefree luxury. Sandwitches could be had along with soft drinks, and whole families could stay awhile. Ladies were welcome, gentlemen were welcome. Any oassenger who became unruly in a railroad club car quickly found himself handcuffed to a pole standing in the baggage car until he was handed over to the police at the next town. If he was too hard to handle, he was simply thrown off the train as soon as it could get stopped, no matter where they were. There was a rear door that could be opened with a key, but that was not for passengers. The passengers could only use the "train" end doorway. Normally this door would not even be noticed, so well was it blended into the interior design. It could be used for emergency exit if needed, but was occasionally used when a private car was tacked on the rear. This door was also used by the cleaning crew between runs. That was a whole tale alone, started by Mr. Pullman.
Thanks Watash.......it is the club car that I had in mind. My rail-riding experiences have always been in coaches.....the latest being a trip from New York to Greensboro, NC. on Amtrak.
I recall that my brother had a Lionel trainset with 3 passenger cars, one of which was a parlor car. The engine was the electric type used by The New Haven RR and everything was painted a light green and pale yellow.
We can still experience the parlor/club car world today, if we pick the right excursions to ride. My wife and I were fortunate to be residents of the "Dover Harbor", a 1923 heavyweight, during the 1993 New River Gorge excursion. It was a Pullman, originally assigned to the NYC, had a few bedrooms, and in '93 was configured more as a parlor car with plush furniture, lots of room (no airliner, Lindalace9 and Watash), great car hosts. Rode like a dream on those six wheel trucks.
Well dear.......as was pointed out.....they were pulled by Niagaras.....the club cars at least. Let me repeat...very romantic!
