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- Dining Car, Pennsylvania Limited, Pennsylvania Railroad, circa 1900 - Railroads took pride in their dining cars. They were expensive to operate, but quality food and service helped a railroad distinguish itself from competitors. For African Americans, working on a railroad dining car was one of the few avenues available to enter the Black middle class in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

- circa 1900
- Collections - Artifact
Dining Car, Pennsylvania Limited, Pennsylvania Railroad, circa 1900
Railroads took pride in their dining cars. They were expensive to operate, but quality food and service helped a railroad distinguish itself from competitors. For African Americans, working on a railroad dining car was one of the few avenues available to enter the Black middle class in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Henry Ford's Private Railroad Car "Fair Lane," 1921 - By 1920, Henry and Clara Ford found it increasingly difficult to travel with any degree of privacy. They purchased a private railcar and named it <em>Fair Lane</em>. The car had four private rooms, an observation lounge, a dining room, and a fully equipped kitchen. It could accommodate eight passengers. The couple made over 400 trips using <em>Fair Lane</em> before selling the passenger car in 1942.

- June 23, 1921
- Collections - Artifact
Henry Ford's Private Railroad Car "Fair Lane," 1921
By 1920, Henry and Clara Ford found it increasingly difficult to travel with any degree of privacy. They purchased a private railcar and named it Fair Lane. The car had four private rooms, an observation lounge, a dining room, and a fully equipped kitchen. It could accommodate eight passengers. The couple made over 400 trips using Fair Lane before selling the passenger car in 1942.
- Train with Steam Locomotive, Passenger and Freight Cars, circa 1856 - Locomotive boilers had to stay hot to produce steam. Lagging -- insulation around the boiler -- was crucial. This American-type locomotive of the 1850s had narrow wooden strips mounted around its boiler for insulation. But the wood deteriorated quickly when exposed to weather and sparks. Improved designs placed a protective sheet metal jacket over the wood.

- circa 1856
- Collections - Artifact
Train with Steam Locomotive, Passenger and Freight Cars, circa 1856
Locomotive boilers had to stay hot to produce steam. Lagging -- insulation around the boiler -- was crucial. This American-type locomotive of the 1850s had narrow wooden strips mounted around its boiler for insulation. But the wood deteriorated quickly when exposed to weather and sparks. Improved designs placed a protective sheet metal jacket over the wood.
- Passengers on the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad, South Dakota, circa 1895 - Passengers gathered for a photograph when the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley train stopped in a South Dakota mountain pass. The photograph, taken about 1907, shows the happy group on the back platform while the engineer and others peer out from the side.

- circa 1895
- Collections - Artifact
Passengers on the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad, South Dakota, circa 1895
Passengers gathered for a photograph when the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley train stopped in a South Dakota mountain pass. The photograph, taken about 1907, shows the happy group on the back platform while the engineer and others peer out from the side.
- Detroit Photographic Company Special Railcar on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, 1899 - Detroit Photographic Company promoted its thousands of images -- sold in the form of color postcards, prints and photo albums -- with railroad cars converted into mobile galleries. The company's photographs depicted everything from city streets to natural landscapes, and they were distinguished by the special "Photochrom" colorization process that made black-and-white images look like color photographs.

- 1899
- Collections - Artifact
Detroit Photographic Company Special Railcar on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, 1899
Detroit Photographic Company promoted its thousands of images -- sold in the form of color postcards, prints and photo albums -- with railroad cars converted into mobile galleries. The company's photographs depicted everything from city streets to natural landscapes, and they were distinguished by the special "Photochrom" colorization process that made black-and-white images look like color photographs.
- Hallmark "Gift Car" Christmas Ornament, 1991 - Already known for greeting cards, Hallmark introduced a line of Christmas ornaments in 1973. The company's annual release of an increasing array of ornaments revolutionized Christmas decorating, appealing to customers' interest in marking memories and milestones as well as expressing one's personality and unique tastes.

- 1991
- Collections - Artifact
Hallmark "Gift Car" Christmas Ornament, 1991
Already known for greeting cards, Hallmark introduced a line of Christmas ornaments in 1973. The company's annual release of an increasing array of ornaments revolutionized Christmas decorating, appealing to customers' interest in marking memories and milestones as well as expressing one's personality and unique tastes.
- Hallmark "Lionel Trains: Holiday Railroad" Miniature Christmas Ornaments, 2008 - Already known for greeting cards, Hallmark introduced a line of Christmas ornaments in 1973. The company's annual release of an increasing array of ornaments revolutionized Christmas decorating, appealing to customers' interest in marking memories and milestones as well as expressing one's personality and unique tastes.

- 2008
- Collections - Artifact
Hallmark "Lionel Trains: Holiday Railroad" Miniature Christmas Ornaments, 2008
Already known for greeting cards, Hallmark introduced a line of Christmas ornaments in 1973. The company's annual release of an increasing array of ornaments revolutionized Christmas decorating, appealing to customers' interest in marking memories and milestones as well as expressing one's personality and unique tastes.
- Appleton Car Mover Company "Atlas VII" Railcar Mover, circa 1920 - This tool allowed the user to move a railroad car by hand through the power of compound leverage. The user positioned the wedge under one of the car's wheels and pushed down on the handle. This motion simultaneously pressed a spur -- or fulcrum -- down onto the rail and pushed a small foot up against the wheel to ease the car forward.

- circa 1920
- Collections - Artifact
Appleton Car Mover Company "Atlas VII" Railcar Mover, circa 1920
This tool allowed the user to move a railroad car by hand through the power of compound leverage. The user positioned the wedge under one of the car's wheels and pushed down on the handle. This motion simultaneously pressed a spur -- or fulcrum -- down onto the rail and pushed a small foot up against the wheel to ease the car forward.
- Hallmark "Lionel New York Central Passenger Car" Christmas Ornament, 2008 - Already known for greeting cards, Hallmark introduced a line of Christmas ornaments in 1973. The company's annual release of an increasing array of ornaments revolutionized Christmas decorating, appealing to customers' interest in marking memories and milestones as well as expressing one's personality and unique tastes.

- 2008
- Collections - Artifact
Hallmark "Lionel New York Central Passenger Car" Christmas Ornament, 2008
Already known for greeting cards, Hallmark introduced a line of Christmas ornaments in 1973. The company's annual release of an increasing array of ornaments revolutionized Christmas decorating, appealing to customers' interest in marking memories and milestones as well as expressing one's personality and unique tastes.
- Hallmark "Noel R.R. Series: Candy Car" Miniature Christmas Ornament, 1997 - Already known for greeting cards, Hallmark introduced a line of Christmas ornaments in 1973. The company's annual release of an increasing array of ornaments revolutionized Christmas decorating, appealing to customers' interest in marking memories and milestones as well as expressing one's personality and unique tastes.

- 1997
- Collections - Artifact
Hallmark "Noel R.R. Series: Candy Car" Miniature Christmas Ornament, 1997
Already known for greeting cards, Hallmark introduced a line of Christmas ornaments in 1973. The company's annual release of an increasing array of ornaments revolutionized Christmas decorating, appealing to customers' interest in marking memories and milestones as well as expressing one's personality and unique tastes.