Pardon me while I fast-forward to the present day, where, for better or worse, the trains aren’t so different than they were in the streamliner era. We don’t have high-speed trains as they do in so much of the world, so you can still travel across the US, and up and down its east and west coasts, on schedules close to those of the ‘forties and ‘fifties. And today’s train equipment and consists are similar to what they were in the streamliner era. Amtrak Superliner roomettes are equivalent to what were called “enclosed sections” on the 1930s Super Chief. Amtrak bedrooms are like Pullman bedrooms. Amtrak Superliner coaches are modeled after Santa Fe El Capitan coaches. And the essence of the dining car experience remains intact, although admittedly more casual in part because of how travelers dress today.

The photo above I took in the diner on the northbound Silver Meteor this June. The photo immediately below is of the diner section of the diner lounge on the westbound Cardinal, June, and the bottom photo is of the diner section of the diner lounge on the eastbound Texas Eagle.