The End
The 20th Century And The Decline Of The Company
In March of 1907 Pullman produced its steel sleeping car the Jamestown for the Jamestown Exhibition in Virginia. At this time the south erecting shop at 111th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue was rebuilt to accommodate the heavier steel sleeping cars that the railroads demanded for safety reasons. The change from wood car construction to steel construction resulted in a change of the ethnic makeup of the work force. Up to this time the skilled members of the workforce were made up primarily of German, Swedish and Dutch workers. The change to a different technology saw this group gradually leave the company. Their replacements were usually from Italy and Poland.In the Chicago area one of the last major Pullman construction projects started in 1910 with the building of the 103rd Street freight car shops. During WWII this facility was converted by the Defense Plant Corporation to produce wing sections for the US Army Air Corps C47 and C54 transport airplanes.
The best years for Pullman were the mid 1920s. In 1925 the fleet grew to 9800 cars. Twenty-eight thousand conductors and twelve thousand porters were employed by the Pullman Co. During the Great Depression rail travel declined because of the economy and competition from the automobile. In the 1950s the decline continued with traffic below 1930s levels and the airlines were carrying twice as many passengers as the railroads. In May of 1981 Amtrak sleeping car No. 32009, the George M. Pullman, was on exhibit for members of the community. At the completion of this contract Pullman-Standard for the last time shut the doors at the 111th Street Shop. The era of car building at Pullman, Illinois, which began in 1880, was closed. When the last car came off the line in 1981, the company invited the community to the shops in Building 100 on 103rd Street to visit this Amtrak sleeper. Today it still runs between Chicago and Seattle on Amtrak's Empire Builder.
The best years for Pullman were the mid 1920s. In 1925 the fleet grew to 9800 cars. Twenty-eight thousand conductors and twelve thousand porters were employed by the Pullman Co. During the Great Depression rail travel declined because of the economy and competition from the automobile. In the 1950s the decline continued with traffic below 1930s levels and the airlines were carrying twice as many passengers as the railroads. In May of 1981 Amtrak sleeping car No. 32009, the George M. Pullman, was on exhibit for members of the community. At the completion of this contract Pullman-Standard for the last time shut the doors at the 111th Street Shop. The era of car building at Pullman, Illinois, which began in 1880, was closed. When the last car came off the line in 1981, the company invited the community to the shops in Building 100 on 103rd Street to visit this Amtrak sleeper. Today it still runs between Chicago and Seattle on Amtrak's Empire Builder.