Nostalgia & History > Pre-Amtrak TV and radio passenger train ads

As a kid in the 1960's, I remember seeing TV commercials for the Northern Pacific's North Coast Limited. I vividly recall it featuring a neat run-by at speed, and a catchy jingle reminiscent of the old Chevy jingle (see the USA in your Chevrolet). This was in Seattle where I grew up. I don't specifically remember ads for the Great Northern, but I do remember the announcement during the news broadcast, that it was "brought to you by Great Northern. Go great, go Great Northern".

I imagine that the railroads in other TV advertising markets ran spots for their passenger services in those areas too; such as the SP and Santa Fe in California, service to Chicago and Florida in the NY-DC markets, and pretty much all railroads on Chicago TV stations. Does anyone here "of a certain age" remember ones they saw on TV those many years ago?

I have been wondering for awhile, where one might be able to find preserved any TV commercials for passenger train travel in the pre-Amtrak years. I have always been interested in railroad advertisements, particularly passenger. Print ads are widely available on the internet; but so far in my experience, TV and radio ads are virtually non-existant. Probably this is due mainly to the primitive video recording technology at the time; kinescopes, which I believe was the technology, were used for what was considered more important things than commercials. The only pre-Amtrak ad I've seen (on YouTube, as well as here on TO) is an animated one for the UP's City of Los Angeles. It's a pretty cool commercial in my book. There must be others out there. Does anyone know where? Is there a link to a website, a phrase to search YouTube with, or even something here on TO that I'm unaware of, that someone can provide me? If anyone here happens to have a video or audio recording of a pre-Amtrak TV or radio ad, I think many users of TO would consider it a great service if you posted it here.

I grew up in Dallas, and remember Chico telling us  on the telly “”Santa Fe, All The Way, Its Fun to Ride the Train”

Santa Fe ads were common on the evening news in Kansas City in the early 60's....maybe even later?

Jeff N
Olathe

rio grande was a big advertiser in denver

While  I remember the Santa Fe passenger train commercials fondly, I also enjoyed riding the City of Los Angeles and seeing that commercial. Go to youtube.com and key in Old Union Pacific Commercials and you will find 2 commercials- the first one is a brief one for the City of Las Vegas and the second longer one is for the City of Los Angeles.

Jeff Geldner
Sequoia National Park, CA

I remember hearing radio ads for "The great trains of the Illinois Central" back when I was a youngster growing up in Memphis.   

I remember the Chico tv ads for Santa Fe here in Southern California.

National Geographic magazine had some wonderful full page Railroad ads, say from 1950's on back to the 1930's, Plus the railroads really advertised in National Geographic in pre-television days.
I have some cut out pages saved, especially some advertising Sun Valley, Idaho by UP, funny I was just looking at them a few days ago, will have to scan and post them later in a separate thread, as soon as my computer is working again!

Look and Life Magazines also I think, but those had great Car ads in them

I collected many of the older 1930 to 1960 National Geographics during the 90's, mostly for those RR ads, but they soon became too heavy and cumbersome to have around, but think I cut out and saved the pages I wanted, before tossing out the magazines!

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/20 08:37 by RailRat.

The Erie Lackawanna had radio ads that played on various radio stations along New York's Southern Tier in the mid-1960's.

"Take a ticket to contentment, take a ticket to contentment: Great Northern EMPIRE BUILDER"

Art House

Also the jingle (on radio?)
"You can always get the right time of day,
On the Atchison Topeka and the Santa Fe"

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/20 08:41 by RailRat.

In Chicago in the late 50's and early 60's, the 10 pm news was sponsored by the ATSF.  They did a great job showing Leg Rest Coaches.

Remember the weekly AAR radio show.    ABC Monday Nights.  Gordon Mac Rae and Lucille Norman.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/20 19:51 by mundo.

early sixies - early evening sunday WBBM channel 2 CBS Chicago
In between Lassie and Dennis the Menace
like clockwork
short spot with various three quarter shots, one per spot of the Super Chief or El Capitan at speed etc.
with the jingle "It's fun to ride the train today when the rain You ride is Santa Fe  - Santa Fe All-The-Way!"
For a streamliner-crazed little kid back then, it was MUST SEE TV!

One of the railroad video companies (maybe Pentrex) had a VHS tape for sale called "Those Great Old Railroad Commercials" or something close to that. Perhaps you may be able to track one down on EBay? Not pre-Amtrak, but I remember the Auto Train commercials of the 1970s. I still find myself humming the jingle from time to time.
Ken Gear

Seaboard Coast Line ran radio ads in the DC area for the seasonal Florida Special - "The Champagne Train Rides Again".