(The following story by Michael Hooper appeared on The Capital-Journal website on July 1.)
TOPEKA, Kan. — President Dwight Eisenhower, billionaire Bill Gates and rock icon Elvis Presley left their imprint on the history of an elite set of passenger cars maintained in Topeka.
The 36-car business fleet now is used by BNSF to host governmental officials, corporate clients and members of media. They also are used to conduct track inspections.
Eisenhower used to ride in BNSF Railway’s exclusive business cars. Gates once leased the business cars for a special trip. Presley rode the rails when he was performing across the country.
Most of the business cars were constructed in the 1950s. But the Canyon Diablo dates to 1914 and the Kootenai River to 1912.
Matthew Rose, BNSF chairman, president and chief executive officer, takes a personal interest in each car and is involved in improvements.
“This is where Matt Rose and the others do their business,” Paul Lunsford, electrician for BNSF, said as he stood inside the William B. Strong theater/lounge car.
When a car goes through an overhaul, four people are involved with the design: Rose, architect Bruce Benner, designer Paula Jeffers and general foreman for business cars Mike Harding. They go over every detail, including lighting, fabrics, colors for bedrooms, bathrooms, dining rooms and kitchens.
Forty employees work in three buildings repairing and maintaining the business cars, Harding said.
Recessed lighting, speakers, satellite television and video conferencing technology have been added to cars.
BSNF has a special staff of porters, waiters and waitresses, and bartenders devoted to working on the cars to serve guests.
Larry Wright, 73, of Topeka, who retired in 1995 from the Santa Fe Railway, was the personal attendant of Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie, when they road on the Santa Fe from Pennsylvania to Kansas and California. When Eisenhower died in 1969, his body was carried in a Santa Fe car to Abilene, Harding said.
Wright said there was no comparison between the business cars and everyday passenger cars.
“It was the elite,” Wright said. “They had the finest accommodations in the world. Train travel was the way to go.”
There was some debate on whether Eisenhower preferred trains over planes.
“He liked both,” Wright said.
Depending on his schedule, Eisenhower sometimes had to fly.
Harding said the business cars are used for about 85 trips per year.
Some of the cars were on a trip through Nebraska in June when they hit a cow near Alliance. The cow was killed as it went under 11 cars. Damaged cars were returned to Topeka for repairs.