The other day a very interesting question was asked regarding ownership of
Pullman sleeping cars prior to the late 1940s. This is one of those hazy areas
shrouded in fogs of paper corporations and incomplete explanations. It
certainly could use some clarification.
My knowledge is far from complete and I hope others will correct what I have to
say or fill in the blanks. My understanding is the same as Jack's. Before 1945
the Pullman Co. owned or operated all the sleeping cars on American railroads.
Sleeping cars were first built by Pullman Standard Company (orits
predecessors). Pullman Standard was a completely separate entity from Pullman
Co. The cars built by Pullman Standard were purchased either by Pullman Co. or
by individual railroads. Those purchased by the Pullman Co. were staffed,
supplied and maintained by their own employees. Those purchased by individual
railroads were staffed, supplied and maintained by Pullman Co., which
contracted to furnish this service.
The cars? interior configurations followed set designs. They were standardized.
A Pullman porter could get off one type of sleeper and enter anotherof the same
type, even if it was on another railroad, and immediately knowwhere everything
was located. This made for a lot of efficiency and was a situation which lasted
for many years.
Trouble began for Pullman Co. with the introduction of lightweight
stainless-steel cars in the 1930s. As is well-known to Burlington fans, Budd,
not Pullman Standard, was the leader in producing stainless-steel cars.
Railroads such as the Burlington and Santa Fe began acquiring entire train sets
of stainless-steel cars from Budd. These train sets included sleepers, some
ofwhich were articulated. As had been their practice of the past the railroads
approached Pullman Co. and asked them to staff, supply and maintain these
sleepers also.
Because they were not standardized, Pullman Co. alleged there would be a lot of
extra expense involved and so they charged a stiff premium for staffing,
supplying and maintaining sleeping cars built by Budd. This significantly
eroded the railroads? profits from these sleeping cars. In practice, the effect
was to try to force the railroads to buy sleeping cars from Pullman Standard,
not Budd. (Pullman Standard eventually began making lightweightstainless-steel
cars).
The Burlington?s legal department figured the Pullman Company?s practice of
charging a premium for servicing Budd-built sleeping cars constituted a
violation of anti-trust laws, and filed suit. In 1945 the Burlington prevailed
on their claim and thereafter the Pullman Co. divested itself of its sleeping
car operations and equipment, selling them to individual railroads.
I hope someone will expound and elaborate on this further.
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