For sixty-five years, the Twentieth Century Limited train provided passengers with a one of a kind luxury travel experience. Running from Chicago to New York City, the train was coal powered and steam driven. Arriving passengers were ushered along a red carpet. Today we owe the popular use of the phrase, “roll out the red carpet” to the Twentieth Century Limited.
June 15, 1902 marked the train’s first run. Travelers were greeted at the door with a small gift – carnations for men and perfume for women. At the time, luxury travel was limited to ocean liners. The airplane had yet to be invented and automobile travel was still a novelty.
A trip on the Century was expensive, but the train’s wealthy clientele paid to be catered to. Staff on the train included a small army of porters dressed in white jackets and red caps, a barber, a tailor and a stenographer.
Travel vicariously aboard the Twentieth Century Limited train by reading the Phillip H. Ault papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.
For more information, visit the American Heritage Center site.