![]() The "Pioneer" sleeper would be 54 feet long and 10 feet wide, with accommodations for 50 passengers. ![]() His idea to raise travel to an unimagined level began in a shed near Chicago's Union Station. ![]() In 1862 while running a trading store in Colorado, Pullman continued to develop plans to build an even more luxurious sleeper. Business grew slowly but steadily as the country headed into the American Civil War (1861 –1865). Such luxury in George Pullman's sleepers was met with modest success in 1858. Lining the berths with rich cherry wood, and upholstering the seats in plush fabrics, all basking in the soft glow of oil lamps. Most importantly Pullman paid enormous attention to details. For extra convenience, linen closets and toilets were built at both ends of the car. He hinged the upper berths so they could be opened at night and did the same with the chairs, so that they could swing back up out of the way. Pullman rebuilt two oversized coach cars, dividing the space into 10 sleeper sections with curtains. Pullman formed a partnership with Benjamin Field, who had the rights to operate sleepers on the Chicago and Alton, and the Galena and Union railroads. With the growing number of businessmen traveling between cities, Pullman realized there was a market for comfort. Many who sat up all night suffered back-jarring rides on stiff benches in cars filled with dust in the summer and wood smoke in winter. Although sleeping cars on railroads were not new, passengers were accustomed to little more than cots or mattresses and little privacy. Sharing the discomfort with fellow travelers and unable to sleep, Pullman decided there had to be a better way to travel. Travelling from Boston to Westfield, Massachusetts, in 1851, he attempted to rest on a rough mattress. George Pullman's first overnight train ride was as memorable as it was uncomfortable. With a $20,000 stake made from the elevation business, Pullman turned his hand to more luxurious ideas. He successfully supervised this tremendous feat, which involved the simultaneous turning of five thousand jackscrews by twelve hundred men. In 1858 Pullman faced the challenge of lifting and rotating the stylish Tremont Hotel. ![]() Pullman stepped into his deceased father's business of raising the foundations of dwellings that were built in the low lying flood areas of Chicago. One of the last industrialists to operate a company town, George Mortimer Pullman (1831 –1897) entered adulthood fueled by ideas and ambition. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |