"The Ferdinand Magellan, a Pullman car rebuilt in 1942 for presidential use, was the president's official mode of transportation between 1943 and 1954. The car is also known as US Car No. 1. The armored car was the heaviest railcar ever built in the US after it was fitted with detailed security features and enlarged spaces for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the height of World War II."
"Today, it is the only passenger train car to ever be declared a National Historic Landmark. While it pales in comparison to the Air Force One in space and technology, the Ferdinand Magellan allowed the president to continue his duties in comfort while on the move. The car was often accompanied by other train cars dedicated to radio communications, White House staffers, and members of the press, making it a "White House on wheels.""
The Ferdinand Magellan, a Pullman car rebuilt in 1942 and known as US Car No. 1, served as the presidential rail car from 1943 to 1954. The car measured ten feet wide and was fitted with armor and detailed security features, becoming the heaviest passenger railcar ever built in the United States. Designed with enlarged spaces for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the car provided comfortable, mobile working quarters and was often accompanied by additional cars for radio communications, White House staff, and the press. The ensemble functioned as a White House on wheels. The Ferdinand Magellan remains a National Historic Landmark and can still be borrowed.
Read at Business Insider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]