Once upon a time, the United States could boast of the most developed railway transport system in the world, but after World War II, the Americans actually deliberately destroyed the mass transportation of people by rail.
The last gasp of the Great Railway Era was the 1950s, which were the beginning of the end. At that time, the Sunset Limited was still running — the oldest named train in the world In the United States, running since November 1894. We suggest you take a look at his carriages.
These amazing photographs from the digital collections of SMU libraries were taken by American photographer Robert Yarnall Ritchie and showcase the luxury of the Sunset Limited Southern Pacific Railroad in 1950.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the length of the US railways reached a fantastic 416 thousand kilometers even by modern standards. In the 1950s, the “Great Rail Pogrom” began in America, which led to the decline and degradation of almost all railway transport, and especially its passenger part.
But then the Great Rail Pogrom began, which lasted until the 1970s. The grandiose railway stations built in the rail “golden era” were ruthlessly demolished, reconstructed and simply abandoned.
Already in 1957, a sharp reduction in passenger traffic by rail began. The development of high-speed air transport made long-distance rail travel an anachronism. By 1965, only 10,000 passenger cars remained in regular operation in the United States, which was 85% less than in 1929.
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