K4sPRR The postwar Broadway had two cars, Harbor Rest and Harbor Cove that were equipped with a barbershop, secretary and shower. At the time these new cars arrived the PRR was debating what to do with its extra fare that was eliminated reducing special services deemed not necessary due to a lack of patronage. The cars were kept on reserve in case the extra fare was reinstated which never occurred, they were reconfigured with additional double bedrooms by 1956. The additional rooms proved to be more advantageous as to revenue versus the original configuration.
Thank you very much for your input, K4sPRR. So the lounge cars were kept on reserve from 1949 to 1956? or they were used on other trains with the barbershop and bathroom door locked?
Some floor plan of Pullman built sleeper observation car:
POS21 - 2 Master Rooms, 1 Double Bedroom, Observation - Pullman (plan 4133)
This one is a prewar plan, it also had one shower for each Master Room but not a bathtub.
POS21a - 2 Master Rooms, 1 Bedroom, Observation-Pullman Plan (4080-A)
PS2LS - 2 Dbl Bedroom, Lounge, Secretary-Pullman (plan 4141)
This is the 2DB Lounge car, we can see the bathtub was less than 4 ft long! It was better than nothing if a passenger gets drunk and need to take a bath. The consist of The General of 1938 had two lightweight PS31L - 3 Bedroom, 1 Drawing-room, lounge-Pullman (plan 4078) lounge cars next to both ends of the twin heavyweight dining car:
This is probably why people say The General served as an unofficial section of Broadway; two lounge cars plus two dining cars for an 11-car long consist, the two lounges conjunct with two HW diners formed a very long and roomy area for the passenger to relax, this arrangement was even better than the 9-car Broadway.
