Nostalgia & History > Off-peak pricing on B&O, 1964 -- did other RRs do it too?

Once upon a time, RRs often offered low fares for
special occasions, but this B&O off-peak discount
in 1964 isn't like that. Did other RRs try anything
similar?

Wasn't Reistrup with B&O?

Next question: what difference between a
slimbercoach (to Chicago) and a slumber-room
coach (to St Louis).

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timz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Once upon a time, RRs often offered low fares for
> special occasions, but this B&O off-peak discount
> in 1964 isn't like that. Did other RRs try
> anything
> similar?
>
> Wasn't Reistrup with B&O?
>
> Next question: what difference between a
> slimbercoach (to Chicago) and a slumber-room
> coach (to St Louis).

I presume the regular slumbercoach was all one and two person rooms not unlike roomettes as we know them now...the Slumber-Room coach seems like it may have regular rooms and thus the higher fare. May have been some marketing fluff by B&O but is actually a regulation sleeper with standard size rooms. 

Slumbercoach to Chicago was a  24/8 Slumbercoch . The  Slumber Room  Coach to St. Louis was a 16/4 Sleeper  ( 16 duplex roomette/ 4 double bedroom - located in the center of the car ). The 16/4 cars were the " Birds" - Cardinal,Bobolink, Wren, Oriole,Robin etc. . The B&O "Bird' series went to Hamburg Industries / SCL and on to Amtrak where the cars were first numbered in the 2010 series (SLCO) and later in the 2530 series (SL) when it was pointed out that they were first class sleepers and not a 24/8  or  16/10  slumbercoach . Paul H. Reistrup was with the B&O and tried many things during the two year period that B&O  President  Jervis Langdon Jr. gave PHR to see if the passenger service could "break even ".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/26 14:09 by mvrr10.

In the 1960s, CN in Canada introduced “red, white and blue” fares that designated days of week or times of year into lower and higher fares depending on typical demand for those days.

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Rooms in slumbercoaches were much smaller than in regular sleepers.  Single rooms were on two levels to squeeze them all in.  It was much better than coach--you could lie down and there were facilities in the room--but the seats and beds were small and you always felt cramped.  The double rooms were a little better--all on one level--but not much--the beds and seats were still very narrow--, and facilities in the room was a problem for two people.  It was, however, much cheaper than first class and once in a while you might get a regular Pullman car (generally in not-great condition) substituting for the regular slumbercoach.  The Slumber Room car, as someone has said, was a regular sleeper with duplex roomettes and regular bedrooms--much better.  I never had a chance to ride one.

As to fares--the B&O (and I think its C&O overlord) did try to stimulate traffic by reducing fares, like the CN in Canada.  I don't know how successful it was, but at least they tried.