Sightseer Lounge and Baggage Cart

This baggage cart, which is still in use at the Salinas Amtrak station, is a relic from another era. I'm guessing it dates back to at least the 1940s, the heyday of the Streamliner era. Shown here against the backdrop of a modern Superliner consist, specifically a Sightseer Lounge car, it looks out of place. But in reality, the Superliners have a lot in common with their streamline predecessors. In fact, with the exception of their bi-level configuration, they have essentially the same external design features of trains from the late 1930s. Considered in that context, the baggage cart is not out of place at all.

The thing that brings this photo to life are the people in the background. It is indeed a fair turnout for a mode of transportation that some consider (erroneously) to be obsolete. The scene is reminiscent of a time when passenger railroads were the primary mode of intercity transportation. Although they will never have the dominant role again, this photo implies a continued public interest in the service. More important, this small crowd hints at the very real potential for trains to take a good deal of the burden off of our highway and aviation systems, if only Congress would give rail a similar level of support.