The Rail History of Elwood, Indiana GM's Train of Tomorrow

The Rail History

of Elwood, Indiana

GM’s Train of Tomorrow

GM Train of Tomorrow’s trip through Elwood, Indiana

Wednesday, June 16, 1948

Updated: January 22, 2022

Revised: May 10, 2022

This is not a comprehensive summary about the train or the national tour. It deals

only insomuch as it pertains to its trip through Elwood, Indiana. GM’s Train of

Tomorrow did not make a tour stop in Elwood, but it did pass through town on its way

from Muncie to Kokomo.

Tour Stops Before and After Passing Through Elwood

Anderson, IN

June 7-13, 1948

Displayed at 5th & St. John St.

Muncie, IN

June 14-15, 1948

Nickel Plate yards

Kokomo, IN

June 17, 1948

Exhibit at Pennsylvania Station

*The promotional photo, caption and article are from the front page of the Elwood Call-Leader

June 16, 1948

AN EXPERIMENTAL TRAIN that is packed full of mechanical marvels, new-as-tomorrow

interior decoration and many post-war features for the comfort and safety of passengers,

now is making a national tour, under sponsorship of General Motors, its designer. Powered

by a GM Electro-motive Diesel locomotive, the cars – Day coach, Diner, Sleeper and

Observation Lounge – are of an entirely new design that permits an Astra Dome atop each

(see above) for unrivalled view of landscape, and a depressed car floor beneath, resulting

in four floor levels in ever car, with ramps or steps connection them.

Wednesday, June 16, 1948 – Elwood Call-Leader – Page 1

Several Hundred See “Train of Tomorrow” Here

Several hundred Elwoodites this morning got a good look – exterior view – of what

America’s railroad trains will be like “tomorrow.”

Long before the now-famous General Motors “Train of Tomorrow” arrived here over

the Nickel Plate and switched to the Pennsylvania tracks at South 18th street, the

tracks of both railroads were lined with curious people mostly children.

The announced arrival time of the train was 10 o’clock Elwood time, but it did not

leave Muncie until that hour and did not reach Elwood until 11 o’clock, but the

crowds stayed on in anticipation of seeing the long string of palaces on wheels.

As the train slowly made its way over the Pennsylvania tracks for Kokomo both

sides of the right-of-way from the station north-westward through the city were

lined with spectators as word spread that the train had reached the city and was

starting for Kokomo.

Although the public was not admitted to the train which had not been scheduled to

stop here, those who kept the morning vigil until it arrived were awarded by getting

a fairly good look into the interior through the coach windows due to the necessity

of a couple of stops during the switching operations from one railroad to another.

Passengers today included General Motors officials and a number of Kokomo

businessmen who boarded the train at Muncie this morning.

During the brief pause here the Call-Leader was admitted for a tour of the train as

it switched from one track to the other.

GM’s train is designed to insure the ultimate in smooth riding for passengers. Its

interior design is unlike anything on the nation’s rails today. Dome seats in all cars

give passengers an opportunity to view the scenery from all directions. Even the

dining car has a dome section where the meals are served inside the dome.

The schedule for tour stops left Wednesday, June 16, 1948, as a travel day from Muncie to

Kokomo by way of Elwood. BUT THERE WAS NO RIGHT TURN IN ELWOOD.

The train traveled west on Nickel Plate tracks to Elwood, but there was no righthand

interchange with the Pennsylvania Railroad. The train had to pull completely west of So.

Anderson Street and then back through the siding south of the NKP main, around the grain

elevator and onto the Pennsylvania tracks. Once completely on PRR tracks, it could then

proceed west/north to Kokomo.

Sadly, only the Observation car, Moon Glow, still exists. It’s in Ogden, UT, and in dire need

of restoration.

Marvin Crim

WLWHS 1957

VIII_GMs_Train_of_Tomorrow.docx