(erielack) Pullman Reservations

["Richard Recordon" <recordor_@_comcast.net>]

If I remember my grandfather's traveling salesman stories correctly, at least until Pullman was forced to divest itself of owning Pullman cars run on the various railroads, all Pullman reservations were sent by the local agent to the operating railroad's head passenger agent, who then confirmed the reservation with Pullman. As many of these cars were "sold" to the RRs and then leased back for Pullman to operate I assume the practice lasted longer.

I know this lasted at least until January 1943 when my Grandfather went down to the Newark Valley, NY Lehigh Valley station agent to attempt to get Pullman accomodations for my future mother to travel to San Diego, CA via DL&W; Owego NY-Buffalo, NKP: Buffalo-Chicago, ATSF: Chicago-LA-San Diego. There to marry my Chief Petty Officer future Father.

He was also making the reservations for my father's buddy's wife in Wisconsin, who was to meet my mother in Chicago for the rest of the trip.

As he told the story about an hour later the LV agent called the house and said all that could be confirmed was a single lower berth Chicago-LA. Which was eventually shared by the two women. Mom rode a through coach to Chicago DL&W-NKP.

I notice on the two 1919 telegrams that the request was sent at 9AM and the confirmation was back at 1PM. Pretty quick in an age where there were a heck of lot more interconnecting Pullman routes and operating sleepers, telegraph, some phones, and no computers.

Rusty Recordon

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