• Adult Male Passengers Only … and other odd rules

  • This forum is for discussion of "Fallen Flag" roads not otherwise provided with a specific forum. Fallen Flags are roads that no longer operate, went bankrupt, or were acquired or merged out of existence.
This forum is for discussion of "Fallen Flag" roads not otherwise provided with a specific forum. Fallen Flags are roads that no longer operate, went bankrupt, or were acquired or merged out of existence.

Moderator: Nicolai3985

  by Pensyfan19
 
A while ago, I found a very helpful website called Bob Cozby's Railroad Line, Passenger Train, and Station Index which lists a wide variety of fallen flags, the named and unnamed trains which towns hosted, and branch lines of class Is and class IIs alike. During my research, I noticed that four branch lines for the railroad (listed below) have the same note: "carries Adult Male passengers only". This means that for some reason, the Minneapolis and St. Paul barred women from riding their mixed trains. Does anyone happen to know why this is so, and if there are other similar examples of odd railroad rules for passengers/freight customers which you can list?

#71, Albert Lea MN to Hopkins MN

#57, Fort Dodge IA to Spencer IA

#75, Morton MN to Watertown SD

#61, Spencer IA to Winthrop MN
  by NRGeep
 
Perhaps an unfortunate side effect of the error/era when adult women were lumped together with children in the perception by men in power as being "frail and naive?" Who knows what mischief those ladies may have caused if they made their way into a box car on those mixed freights?
(sarcasm)
  by edbear
 
It was probably the rudimentary accomodations, most likely a caboose or bare bones combine. Also, I believe the road also offered conventional passenger service on those routes.
  by ExCon90
 
In an Official Guide from the 1920's, in the pages of boilerplate up front listing news items, new services being introduced, etc., there is a report of a sleeping car (presumably a 12-1) on a PRR overnight train from NY to Pittsburgh, designated for male passengers only. I forget the exact wording, but the inference was invited that niceties like a bathrobe would not be required for nocturnal visits to the men's room -- the ladies' would also be available. The attention of ticket sellers and reservation clerks was drawn to the need for care in assigning space.
  by edbear
 
Early in the streamliner era and for a time after World War II, a number of railroads had a women & children coach. At the end of World War II, when short run sleepers were requisitioned for bringing home uniformed service members, the New Haven ran an all-parlor OWL, Boston to New York. One parlor was designated for women and their escorts (presumably spouses). The rest of the train was for men. Since the all-parlor OWL had both food and drink service open about 9 pm (the regular OWL had not provided this service), some of the male passengers were probably pretty well loaded when the train finally got going about 12:30 am. When some of these guys finally took their seats some were probably totally undressed. After all, most them had probably served at one time or another. At Grand Central and South Station, upon arrival, attendants met the passengers and escorted them to the the station facilities equipped with showers.
  by edbear
 
One Chicago and Eastern Illinois timetable in the late 1940s had the DIXIE FLAGLER, Chicago-Miami streamliner, shown as running EVERY THIRD YEAR, instead of EVERY THIRD DAY. This was a misprint. I have one in my collection.
  by ExCon90
 
Speaking of women and children, I recall reading that in its early days the Hudson & Manhattan had a car on each train designated for women and children only. Don't know how long that lasted.
  by eolesen
 
The women & childrens' car was likely the first attempt at a non-smoking section...

As for having restrictions on certain services at certain times of night, it could have simply been a matter of no ability to ensure their safety at some of those outposts. Men would be left to fend for themselves, but women and children are different.
  by D Alex
 
I'm assuming that the 'mixed' train was really a freight with just a very rudimentary car with hard benches, maybe with heat, certainly without air conditioning, and toilet facilities were the trees along the tracks...cigars and bottles of brown liquid were likely consumed onboard in large quantities.
  by Bracdude181
 
On the Newfoundland Railway only males were allowed in the smoking lounges that some passenger cars had. Found that out while volunteering at Pine Creek where two ex Newfoundland Railway coaches reside.
  by Engineer Spike
 
NRGeep wrote: Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:29 am Perhaps an unfortunate side effect of the error/era when adult women were lumped together with children in the perception by men in power as being "frail and naive?" Who knows what mischief those ladies may have caused if they made their way into a box car on those mixed freights?
(sarcasm)
My wife and I were traveling in Central America. There it is seen as improper for a lady to travel unescorted my a gentleman.
  by Gilbert B Norman
 
"Men Only" was even in the skies as well. United and American both had named MDW-LGA flights named The Executive and The Admiral respective that had such a rule. Nevermind how the all-First Class cabins "reeked of the Foul Fog".

Of interest is a PBS TV show of a new version of "Around The World in 80 Days" which is presently airing. Here a woman DARED set foot in a Men Only club.
  by ExCon90
 
I recall that in the original movie, almost at the end a large framed portrait fell off the wall when a woman entered the room; I hope the PBS version includes that.

For a long period as late as the 1960's the PRR had reduced "Ladies' Day" excursion fares for women only from Philadelphia to New York on Wednesdays, that being the socially approved day for "housewives," as they were then known, to go into town shopping, the laundry having been done on Monday and the ironing on Tuesday.
  by Gilbert B Norman
 
So did the New Haven during Pat's era, Mr. Ex Con.

Their train, a locomotive hauled New Haven-GCT "local-express" was Wednesday and women only; with only the Train Crew as exceptions.

The train even had a name: "The Distaff".