Although the quarters were likely close in this passenger rail car’s public bathroom, the extra sink could only have helped.
Q While visiting The Durham Museum in Omaha, I saw a passenger car with two sinks in the public bathroom, one large and one small. What was the small sink used for?
– Sam Irvin, Summerfield, Fla.
– Sam Irvin, Summerfield, Fla.
A Most long-distance coaches and all-section sleeping cars (curtained upper and lower berths on both sides of the aisle) had segregated large bathrooms to accommodate a number of overnight guests using the facilities at the same time.
The small sinks provided another location for tooth brushing or shaving in the morning. The shelf above the sink could be used for toothpaste and brush, the razor, shaving cream or aftershave. This bathroom has been modernized, however, because the fixtures look new and there are no “used blades” slots in the wall. Many of those slots survived until Amtrak retired the last of its Heritage sleepers in 2002.
– Bob Johnston
