Yellowstone National Park

Promotional brochure for Yellowstone issued at the height of the transportation wars.

Though given a temporary boost during WWII, rail travel across the United States was largely in decline by the early 1950’s. The rise in long-haul trucking, private automobile ownership, and improved infrastructure put tremendous pressures on operators.

This brochure was issued in 1952 as a joint effort by the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy (Burlington Route) and Northern Pacific Railroads to maximize the possible audience, as the former had access to the huge market in Chicago. The 32 pages are filled with photographs and descriptive text of landmarks both within the park and along the route there. Several images highlight the drastic change in park rules, as a group of well-dressed observers are shown looking directly down into a geyser.

There is also a centerfold map which shows the approaches of each railway to the Yellowstone Region, with park tour routes (including the custom ‘Yellowstone Extension’ connecting the two rail lines) highlighted. Interestingly, the map is dated 1938 – 14 years prior to the publication date of the brochure. Possibly an effort to show outdated information on accessibility by the automobile?