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Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Business Insider
I toured the train car presidents used for travel before Air Force One. Climb aboard the 'White House on wheels.'
Long before there was an Air Force One, US presidents traveled the country aboard a 10-foot-wide train car. Rebuilt in 1942 for presidential use, the Ferdinand Magellan, also known as US Car No. 1, was the president's official mode of transportation between 1943 and 1954. Made with detailed security features and enlarged spaces for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the height of World War II, the armored car became the heaviest railcar ever built in the US, and today, it is the only passenger train car to ever be declared a National Historic Landmark. The Ferdinand Magellan allowed the president to continue his duties in comfort while on the move. It often traveled with other cars dedicated to radio communications, White House staffers, and members of the press. Take a look inside the "White House on wheels" that predates Air Force One. US Car No. 1 was presented to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in December 1942. On December 18, 1942, the Pullman Company presented a luxury train car that had been rebuilt at the request of the US Secret Service, which had determined that the president needed a secure way to travel during wartime. Roosevelt most often used the car to travel from Washington, DC, to his home in Hyde Park, New York. The president insisted on not surpassing a speed of 35 miles per hour when traveling aboard the Ferdinand Magellan, making his journeys less efficient and heightening security measures, per the White House Historical Association website. He last rode the car on March 30, 1945, when he visited his Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, where he died a few weeks later. During his time, the president rode over 50,000 miles aboard the presidential train car. It was most famously used in 1948 during Harry Truman's "whistle-stop" campaign tour. While the car was built with Roosevelt in mind, including certain designs that would allow him to use a wheelchair on the train, it was his successor, President Harry S. Truman, who used it the most. The president, who, unlike Roosevelt, opted for a speed of 80 miles per hour, employed the car in his iconic 35-day whistle-stop tour during his reelection campaign in 1948, where he delivered 356 speeches from the back of the Magellan, per Architectural Digest. By the time Truman's successor, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, took office, more efficient air travel was starting to replace rail travel, and the US Car No. 1 was used for the last time in 1954. The car was last used by Ronald Reagan during a commemorative whistle-stop tour in Ohio in 1984. In 1984, Reagan brought the Magellan out of retirement for a one-day whistle-stop tour through Ohio during his reelection campaign. The president traveled from Dayton to Perrysburg and stopped at five locations to give speeches from the rear platform of the presidential car. Today, the US Car No. 1 sits in a small museum near Zoo Miami. In 1959, the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami, Florida, acquired the car, which had been declared surplus and donated to the Smithsonian — which had no way to store it — in 1958. Since then, the car has stayed in South Florida, where it is now open to the public. The Gold Coast Railroad Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. A regular adult ticket for the museum costs $12, and tickets for the presidential train car cost an additional $10. To carry the president, the unique armored car had enhanced security features. The car, which is 84 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 15 feet tall, was covered with over 1/2 an inch of nickel-steel armor on its sides and featured 3-inch-thick bulletproof glass windows. It was also the heaviest train car built in the US. After it was refurbished for presidential use, the train car weighed 285,000 pounds, making it much heavier than modern-day war tanks, which often weigh around 100,000 pounds. The car also had its name, Ferdinand Magellan, removed from its sides in an effort to conceal the president's presence, although its design often stood out. Other security features included two escape hatches and a complex security protocol, which included diverting traffic on the rails to ensure that no train traveled ahead or behind the president for at least 30 minutes. Operating under the code name POTUS, the president's train always had the right of way. Passengers boarded from the front of the train, which housed the staff quarters and kitchen. In the kitchen, an onboard chef had access to ovens and refrigerators. The train's dedicated chef prepared the president and guests' meals inside this kitchen. On the other side of the kitchen, the staff had pantry space to plate the dishes. The kitchen was also equipped with a pantry and a full-size metal sink. The car housed two staff members: one chef and one porter. Near the kitchen, a chef and a porter had sleeping quarters that featured an upper and lower berth. The dining and conference room was in the main cabin of the car. The presidential car's main cabin featured a 6-foot solid mahogany table where the president and his guests — often diplomats or foreign leaders — could gather for dinners or meetings. The dining room had its own set of presidential china. Today, the room displays an example of the glass used in the car's windows. The 3-inch-thick laminated bulletproof glass windows were installed when the car was refurbished for the president's use. The windows were sealed, so to keep the car ventilated there was a simple form of air conditioning in which fans pushed air cooled by blocks of ice. The car included two guest bedrooms along with a presidential suite. The first of two guest bedrooms aboard the US Car No. 1, Stateroom D, included an upper and lower berth, where guests could sleep, and an in-room bathroom. In these guest rooms, Truman welcomed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during his visit to the US in 1946, during which he delivered his iconic Iron Curtain speech. The presidential suite included the president's sleeping area. Designed to accommodate Franklin D. Roosevelt's wheelchair, the president's room included a full-size bed, a dresser, and an in-room toilet. Like most rooms in the car, it was also connected to a telephone, which was extremely rare at the time. The connecting bathroom inside the presidential suite had a bathtub, a toilet, and a sink. The presidential suite bathroom, equipped with a bathtub, toilet, and sink, connected the president's and the first lady 's rooms, staterooms B and C. The bathroom also contained an escape hatch, which was added as a security measure during the car's refurbishing. The first lady's room paralleled the president's. The secondary guest bedroom could also be used as a breakfast or gathering room. Located towards the back of the car, Stateroom A, the second guest room aboard the Magellan, featured convertible berths, like the other guest room, that could also be used as a breakfast, gathering, or office space for the president or his guests. The upper berth could be raised into the ceiling, and the lower one could be converted into a sitting booth with a pull-out table. The presidential car was often attached to train cars housing Secret Service, White House staffers, and the press. The Ferdinand Magellan functioned as a White House on wheels, and was often attached to train cars dedicated to Secret Service, White House staffers, and reporters traveling with the president. The US Car No. 1 was also often accompanied by two communications cars equipped with control consoles for radio broadcasts and telegraph communications so the president could be reached while he was on the move, per Atlas Obscura. A narrow hallway led from the staterooms to the observation deck. A slim, wood-paneled hallway led from the four staterooms to the observation deck at the rear of the car. The observation lounge featured some of the presidential car's original furniture. The observation room was also enlarged during the refurbishing of the car, allowing it to function as a secondary gathering room for the president and his guests. During the refurbishment, a submarine escape hatch was added to the car. Part of the car's security modifications included the addition of escape hatches, like this submarine hatch on the observation lounge. Today, the observation lounge shows signs of hurricane damage that the car has sustained. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida, and among its many damages were some sustained by the Magellan. Although minor, a small window crack shows how the presidential car has stood the test of time. Traveling presidents could address crowds from a podium on the car's rear platform. At the end of the presidential car was an exposed podium from where the president often addressed crowds. During Truman's whistle-stop tour, he spoke from the podium repeatedly, often addressing crowds in different cities within the same day. The preserved train car stands as a remnant of US history and of how presidents spread their message. Inactive as the president's main form of transportation for over 70 years, the Ferdinand Magellan stands as a memory of America's past. However, our tour guide pointed out that the car is still on a track connected to current-day railroads and can be requested for use at any moment by the sitting US president. Although I doubt Donald Trump would want to travel aboard the historic cabin, a modern-day president going on his own whistle-stop tour on US Car No. 1 remains a possibility.
National Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- National Post
Replica Oval Office near the White House gets Trump makeover
WASHINGTON — A replica Oval Office on display near the White House now looks exactly like President Donald Trump's. But it is not the blingy version he is currently using. Article content Visitors can now experience the mock Oval Office as it was in the Republican president's first term, until it is redecorated again next year to incorporate the golden touches and other flourishes Trump brought to the workspace after he returned to power in January. Article content Article content Article content 'Just like the White House itself, our Oval Office is a living space, so it changes and evolves as the actual Oval Office changes,' Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, said. Article content The mock-up is inside 'The People's House: A White House Experience,' an educational center the association opened last year one block west of the Executive Mansion. Article content Article content Few regular people ever see, let alone step inside, the real Oval Office, for security and other reasons. But the true-to-life model offers visitors a chance to see and experience it. It will be updated to match the decor of every sitting president. Article content When the historical association opened the center last year, the replica Oval Office looked like Democrat Joe Biden's office because he was the president at the time. Article content The association has to get copies made of every item in the real Oval Office and that process takes time, McLaurin said. He also preferred to wait until there was a 'critical mass' of items instead of doing a slow, piece-by-piece makeover. Article content Trump decorated his first-term Oval Office with a beige-patterned rug from the Ronald Reagan era, gold-colored draperies from Bill Clinton's tenure and a lighter, floral wallpaper that replaced a striped wall covering installed by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Trump kept these same designs for his second term. Article content Article content Trump also kept the Resolute Desk, which has been used by nearly every president since it was gifted to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880 by Queen Victoria. It was built using wood from the British ship HMS Resolute. Article content Trump hung a large portrait of George Washington above the fireplace, flanked by portraits of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. He also displayed portraits of Andrew Jackson and Benjamin Franklin and had busts of Martin Luther King Jr. and Winston Churchill on tables on either side of the fireplace. Article content The association is in the process of reproducing items in Trump's second-term office even as he continues to make changes by adding gilding, artwork and other objects.
Vancouver Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Replica Oval Office near the White House gets Trump makeover
WASHINGTON — A replica Oval Office on display near the White House now looks exactly like President Donald Trump's. But it is not the blingy version he is currently using. Visitors can now experience the mock Oval Office as it was in the Republican president's first term, until it is redecorated again next year to incorporate the golden touches and other flourishes Trump brought to the workspace after he returned to power in January. 'Just like the White House itself, our Oval Office is a living space, so it changes and evolves as the actual Oval Office changes,' Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, said. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The mock-up is inside 'The People's House: A White House Experience,' an educational center the association opened last year one block west of the Executive Mansion. Few regular people ever see, let alone step inside, the real Oval Office, for security and other reasons. But the true-to-life model offers visitors a chance to see and experience it. It will be updated to match the decor of every sitting president. When the historical association opened the center last year, the replica Oval Office looked like Democrat Joe Biden's office because he was the president at the time. The association has to get copies made of every item in the real Oval Office and that process takes time, McLaurin said. He also preferred to wait until there was a 'critical mass' of items instead of doing a slow, piece-by-piece makeover. Trump decorated his first-term Oval Office with a beige-patterned rug from the Ronald Reagan era, gold-colored draperies from Bill Clinton's tenure and a lighter, floral wallpaper that replaced a striped wall covering installed by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Trump kept these same designs for his second term. Trump also kept the Resolute Desk, which has been used by nearly every president since it was gifted to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880 by Queen Victoria. It was built using wood from the British ship HMS Resolute. Trump hung a large portrait of George Washington above the fireplace, flanked by portraits of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. He also displayed portraits of Andrew Jackson and Benjamin Franklin and had busts of Martin Luther King Jr. and Winston Churchill on tables on either side of the fireplace. The association is in the process of reproducing items in Trump's second-term office even as he continues to make changes by adding gilding, artwork and other objects. 'So probably in a year or a little more, we'll be able to make that transition when we have all of those items ready,' McLaurin said. The Biden items will be donated to his foundation for possible use in his future presidential library, and the same will be done in the future with the items reproduced for Trump's offices. The White House Historical Association was created in 1961 by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy to help preserve the museum quality of the interior of the White House and educate the public. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that receives no government funding. It raises money mostly through private donations and merchandise sales, including an annual Christmas ornament.
Toronto Sun
5 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Replica Oval Office near the White House gets Trump makeover
Visitors will experience the mock Oval Office as it was in the Republican president's first term, until it is redecorated again next year Published Jul 25, 2025 • 2 minute read People work during an effort to transition a replica of the White House Oval Office from the days of former President Joe Biden with President Donald Trump's decor, at the White House Historical Association in Washington, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Photo by Rod Lamkey / AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. WASHINGTON — A replica Oval Office on display near the White House now looks exactly like President Donald Trump's. But it is not the blingy version he is currently using. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Visitors can now experience the mock Oval Office as it was in the Republican president's first term, until it is redecorated again next year to incorporate the golden touches and other flourishes Trump brought to the workspace after he returned to power in January. 'Just like the White House itself, our Oval Office is a living space, so it changes and evolves as the actual Oval Office changes,' Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, said. The mock-up is inside 'The People's House: A White House Experience,' an educational center the association opened last year one block west of the Executive Mansion. John Michael Cannette,10, right, of Sumrall, Miss., sits behind the Resolute desk as White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin, left, talks to a group of tourists, during work to transition a replica of the White House Oval Office from the days of former President Joe Biden with President Donald Trump's decor, at the White House Historical Association in Washington, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Photo by Rod Lamkey / AP Few regular people ever see, let alone step inside, the real Oval Office, for security and other reasons. But the true-to-life model offers visitors a chance to see and experience it. It will be updated to match the decor of every sitting president. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When the historical association opened the center last year, the replica Oval Office looked like Democrat Joe Biden's office because he was the president at the time. The association has to get copies made of every item in the real Oval Office and that process takes time, McLaurin said. He also preferred to wait until there was a 'critical mass' of items instead of doing a slow, piece-by-piece makeover. Trump decorated his first-term Oval Office with a beige-patterned rug from the Ronald Reagan era, gold-colored draperies from Bill Clinton's tenure and a lighter, floral wallpaper that replaced a striped wall covering installed by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Trump kept these same designs for his second term. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While a group of children look on, Luke Boorady works with a lamp during work to transition a replica of the White House Oval Office from the days of former President Joe Biden with President Donald Trump's decor, at the White House Historical Association in Washington, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Photo by Rod Lamkey / AP Trump also kept the Resolute Desk, which has been used by nearly every president since it was gifted to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880 by Queen Victoria. It was built using wood from the British ship HMS Resolute. Trump hung a large portrait of George Washington above the fireplace, flanked by portraits of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. He also displayed portraits of Andrew Jackson and Benjamin Franklin and had busts of Martin Luther King Jr. and Winston Churchill on tables on either side of the fireplace. The association is in the process of reproducing items in Trump's second-term office even as he continues to make changes by adding gilding, artwork and other objects. 'So probably in a year or a little more, we'll be able to make that transition when we have all of those items ready,' McLaurin said. The Biden items will be donated to his foundation for possible use in his future presidential library, and the same will be done in the future with the items reproduced for Trump's offices. The White House Historical Association was created in 1961 by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy to help preserve the museum quality of the interior of the White House and educate the public. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that receives no government funding. It raises money mostly through private donations and merchandise sales, including an annual Christmas ornament. Toronto & GTA Columnists Toronto & GTA Sports Sunshine Girls
Hamilton Spectator
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
A replica Oval Office near the White House just got a Trump makeover
WASHINGTON (AP) — A replica Oval Office on display near the White House now looks exactly like President Donald Trump's. But it is not the blingy version he is currently using. Visitors starting Thursday will experience the mock Oval Office as it was in the Republican president's first term, until it is redecorated again next year to incorporate the golden touches and other flourishes Trump brought to the workspace after he returned to power in January. 'Just like the White House itself, our Oval Office is a living space, so it changes and evolves as the actual Oval Office changes,' Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, said Wednesday as he led The Associated Press on a tour of the space as it was being revamped. The mock-up is inside 'The People's House: A White House Experience,' an educational center the association opened last year one block west of the Executive Mansion. Few regular people ever see, let alone step inside, the real Oval Office, for security and other reasons. But the true-to-life model offers visitors a chance to see and experience it. It will be updated to match the decor of every sitting president. When the historical association opened the center last year, the replica Oval Office looked like Democrat Joe Biden's office because he was the president at the time. The association has to get copies made of every item in the real Oval Office and that process takes time, McLaurin said. He also preferred to wait until there was a 'critical mass' of items instead of doing a slow, piece-by-piece makeover. Trump decorated his first-term Oval Office with a beige-patterned rug from the Ronald Reagan era, gold-colored draperies from Bill Clinton's tenure and a lighter, floral wallpaper that replaced a striped wall covering installed by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Trump kept these same designs for his second term. Trump also kept the Resolute Desk , which has been used by nearly every president since it was gifted to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880 by Queen Victoria. It was built using wood from the British ship HMS Resolute. Trump hung a large portrait of George Washington above the fireplace, flanked by portraits of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. He also displayed portraits of Andrew Jackson and Benjamin Franklin and had busts of Martin Luther King Jr. and Winston Churchill on tables on either side of the fireplace. The association is in the process of reproducing items in Trump's second-term office even as he continues to make changes by adding gilding, artwork and other objects. 'So probably in a year or a little more, we'll be able to make that transition when we have all of those items ready,' McLaurin said. The Biden items will be donated to his foundation for possible use in his future presidential library, and the same will be done in the future with the items reproduced for Trump's offices. The White House Historical Association was created in 1961 by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy to help preserve the museum quality of the interior of the White House and educate the public. It is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that receives no government funding. It raises money mostly through private donations and merchandise sales, including an annual Christmas ornament. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
