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of the Overland Trail (formerly Southern Pacific 2981), the San Francisco Overland, along with some thoughts and history regarding the Barbershop and Stewardess functions on the Overland Trail ... as well as similar services offered by other railroads.

The Overland Trail is a 39 seat Club Lounge with Barbershop and Shower. It was built by the Pullman Standard Car Manufacturing Company for delivery to the Southern Pacific Railroad in December of 1949. Numbered SP 2981, the car was specifically ordered in October of '47 for the San Francisco Overland, a train jointly operated by the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, and the Chicago & North Western railroads between Chicago, IL and Oakland, (San Francisco) CA.

One of six sisters (built to Lot 6806, Plan 7580), cars 2981, 2982, and 2983 were assigned to the San Francisco Overland, while cars 2984 and 2985 (ordered June '46) were assigned to the Golden State. Car 2986 (ordered August 47) found itself assigned to the City of San Francisco. This car order (Lot 6806, which included cars of many different configurations) was actually part of a larger order of lot numbers 6805, 6815 and 6816. Between 1946 and 1954, the Southern Pacific purchased 261 new passenger cars at a cost of $48 million dollars (the Overland Trail cost approximately $200,000 when built). In 1949 and 1950 the Southern Pacific placed more new streamlined cars into service than any other two year period in the company's history. In 1950 alone, 119 new cars were placed in service.

The Southern Pacific, along with many other major railroads, anticipated delivery of their cars right after the war ... they were eager to re-equip their worn out equipment after tremendous overuse during W.W.II. However, the demand for consumer goods, combined with continued post war material shortages, and rail car manufactures giving precedence to freight car orders, delayed delivery of passenger cars for several years ...

The 2981 served faithfully, racking up millions of miles for the Southern Pacific during its railroad career, however, as the fortunes of passenger trains waned in the 1950's and 60's, so too did the glory of this stylish railcar, when in October of 1966, the beautiful lounge of 2981 was stripped and converted into a dance floor. Purchased by Amtrak in 1973, she finished her railroad career assigned to Oakland, CA were she served on various Amtrak trains including the Reno Fun Train, San Joaquins and the San Francisco Zephyr ... alternating between a dance car (with the lounge stripped) on the Reno Fun Train and a normal lounge with the furniture replaced on the other trains. A new chapter has begun for the tireless car as we have moved into the new millennium ... the Overland Trail continues to soldier on, having been brought up to Amtrak operating requirements in the 90s and with major structural repairs completed on the eve of year 2000, the car is set to travel on, a living history example of the twilight of the STREAMLINER ERA! You too, can partake, by joining us aboard the incomparable ... OVERLAND TRAIL!

The Overland Trail is equipped with (what is thought to be) the sole operating streamliner era railroad barbershop in the world. Once a common feature aboard the premier trains of old ... the railroad barbershop succumbed to the realities of the jet age in the mid 50s. The honor of carrying the last barbershop probably falls to the famous Super Chief, flagship of the former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The train, affectionately known as “The Train to the Stars”, because of its Hollywood celebrity patrons, lost several premium services on January 10th 1954 including the barbershop.

Before the jetage, the business traveler made up a very important percentage of the railroads ridership ... and they needed to arrive at their destination clean, well groomed and “dapper”, if they wanted to “make that sale”. The onboard barbershop made all that possible as quite typically, the barber not only provided the tonsorial arts at speed, but also presided over a shower bath and pressing services as well. Indeed, the Overland Trail sports a quite substantial 32 volt “American Beauty” pressing iron. As an annex off of the barbershop, there is a complete toilet room with vanity mirror, guest clothes locker, sink, toilet, and a spacious “monel metal” lined public shower.

In this new millennium, the barbershop elicits “dropped jaws of unbelief” as visitors and patrons pass down the hall way and spy the barbershop!. If underway during one of our frequent public “day trips” out of Los Angeles (or the occasional steam special anywhere around the western USA), chances are that you'll find our stalwart barber extraordinare, Earl Nickles manning the shop and providing that time honored tradition ... the tonsorial arts at speed, while transverseing the silvery rails from city to city.

I met Earl at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in the mid 80s. I found out that we shared similar railroad and spiritual passions ... and I found out one thing more ... he was a barber by trade! At the time, I was nearing completion of the lounge car (at least enough to operate) and had our maiden voyage looming (as part of the train that would be pulled by the magnificent and beautifully restored 1927 built, ex-AT&SF steam locomotive, 3751 ... also making its public “maiden run”). Naturally, I had to have a barber aboard for this extraordinary journey (from LA to Barstow to Bakersfield and return) and hoped that Earl would be interested in a “busman’s holiday”. Although Earl was beside himself with the prospect of “cutting hair at speed”, unfortunately, he was unable to “open the shop” on the cars first outing as a full-fledged barbershop lounge car in decades.

Debbie had a “brother in law of a friend” (affectionately known as “John the barber” to the Hatricks), who made the maiden voyage with us and resurrected a dead tradition in grand style ... behind a steam locomotive in late 1991.

Earl has been THE barber of the Overland Trail, but other barbers have had a chance to helm the last operating barbershop: Sandy in Oregon has made three trips, Lee Weaver several trips, and cameos by “John the barber”, Doyle Henderson, Ed Holt and C. Ford Haskel.

Some have said (my thoughts as well), that the barber’s chair is the “best seat in the house” (test question ... how many seats are aboard the Overland Trail? Count every single one!) I’m closing in on 50 haircuts. Sorry, ... doubt that anybody in the world will ever break my record in the Guinness category of “hair cuts in moving railway car”.

“YOU sir / madam, are you next? Please have a seat”

Stewardess Room: The Overland Trail was built with a special double bedroom that was originally designated as the quarters for the stewardess/nurse assigned to the San Francisco Overland.

The physical bedroom quarters on board the Overland: Although the car was built after the war, the room is typical of prewar construction -- that is, the sink and toilet are in the same room as the bed. Most post war cars featured a toilet annex in each multi-bed room that helped ease the awkwardness of using the facilities while the room was occupied by your travelling companion. The room was designed with the very popular "full width" (perpendicular to the lenght of the car) lower sofa berth (which folded down for night use) plus the upper which folded away into the upper wall when not needed.

The balance of the features were typical of bedroom appointments: lighted mirror, folding sink, toilet with vanity seat cover, rubber bladed fan, independent heat control, mini closet and waste receptacle. It appears that a 110 volt outlet was added as an after thought (tapped through the wall from a barbershop outlet).

An important item missing that would always be found in a normal public sleeping car space ... the ever present "shoe locker" that would allow the sleeping car porter to exercise that time honored, nocturnal tradition of a shoe shine. Some items present that wouldn't normally be found: a folding table built onto the wall (for any paper work the stewardess might have to complete?) and a privacy curtain similar to the classic dark green open section curtain. I suppose for added privacy should a male crewmember seeking an audiance with the Stewardess, forget his manners and barge in without knocking. After all, at that time, it still was very much a man's world out on the railroad.

In the railroad vernacular, a bedroom is always a two person room (as opposed to a roomette, a single person room or a drawing room, which sleeps three). I am puzzled by the fact that the railroad had the room built with two beds ... maybe the thought was the room could later be used for both the barman and waiter that might be assigned to the car.

The role of "Train Hostess/Stewardess/Nurse"

More to come