MMXXVI VOL21 No.900

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The Mercury train

One of the maximum exponents of the Streamline Moderne design, it was created to be the train of tomorrow. Seen from today's perspective, it could be considered a retro-futuristic design that, updated with modernized technology, would not be out of place in the present
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The Mercury train

The Mercury train design is considered one of the greatest exponents of the “Streamline Moderne” aesthetic, a sub-style of Art Deco.

This train operated along with 3 other units of the same family in the North American Midwest between 1936 and 1959.

In 1936 it was created to be the train of tomorrow. Seen from today’s perspective, it could be considered a retro-futuristic design. With modernized technology, it would not look too out of place in today’s world.

4Art Deco

The Art Deco, short for “Arts décoratifs”, was a design style that appeared in France, in the 1910s, just before the World War I.

The Art Deco aesthetic spread rapidly around the world and remained fashionable until the 1950s.

Mercury train train
The Mercury overhauled by two engineers at a station. Image colorized by Imbued With Hues.

Art Deco encompassed all the arts, industrial design and the design of everyday objects. Architecture, sculpture, painting, cars, planes, trains, ships…

New York buildings such as the Empire State Bulding, the Chrysler Building or the Rockefeller Building, are examples of Art Deco architecture, including interior design and decoration.

3Streamline Moderne

In the 1930s a sub-style Art Deco called Streamline Moderne emerged, which again spread around the world rapidly.

In France, the Streamline Moderne was called “Paquebot” or “ocena liner style” because it was reminiscent of the Normandie cruise liner, one of the most beautiful ships to have sailed the seas.

Mercury train train
The original color of the Mercury was dark greenish blue. Image colorized by Imbued With Hues.

Streamline Moderne consisted of taking an Art Deco design and replacing all right angles with aerodynamic curves, eliminating decorations that could block airflow.

This aesthetic was applied to all arts and industrial design, proving especially practical in vehicles that could benefit from aerodynamic lines, such as cars, trains, planes or ships.

The typical silver, rounded sliced bread toasters are one of the Streamline Moderne designs that are still in use today.

In architecture and interior design, curved lines are relaxing because in nature, right angles are not abundant. The resulting spaces are more natural and humanized.

2The Mercury train

Industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss applied the Streamline Moderne style to the Mercury train, built for the New York Central Railroad-NYC (1853-1968).

NYC was a train network connecting New York to the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.

The Mercury route, however, did not cover New York, but cities in the Middle East. The first two services linked Detroit-Toledo-Cleveland (1936-1942) and Chicago-Detroit-Toledo-Cleveland (1942-1949), at a speed of 80mph (130km/h).

Mercury train train
The Mercury photographed at Cleveland, Ohio in May 1937.

The Mercury entered into service on July 15, 1936 with the premise of being the “train of tomorrow”. At the time, it was considered a futuristic train that dazzled onlookers.

Before entering service, it was exhibited 2 days at Grand Central Terminal Station in New York and one day, on July 6, at LaSalle Street Station in Chicago. This venue was attended by 17,250 spectators to watch the machine.

The most spectacular aspect of the Mercury was the locomotive, covered with a Streamline Moderne cowl.

Mercury train train
Photograph included in a Mercury leaflet, published on July 11, 1936, 4 days before her entry into service.

The drivers’ cockpit was semi-blind. The drivers had to lean out of the side windows to see the rails in front of them and drive the train.

The 9 cars of the convoy were perfectly integrated with the curved lines of the locomotive. The train had 5 cars with wide seats for passengers. Amenities included kitchen, restaurant, bar, lounge and a rear parlor-observation car.

Mercury train train
The Mercury driving in 1936 on Washington Street, Syracuse, NY, to the astonished gazes of passers-by. The image offers a rather retro-futuristic picture.

This parlor-observation car at the tail end had panoramic windows that allowed the passengers to see the tracks and enjoy the scenery. A speedometer delighted passengers by showing the speed at which the train was running.

Initially, the Mercury proved to be a popular transport, without impacting the ridership of other competing trains covering the same routes.

1The end of Mercury

Many of the Streamline Moderne trains did not survive the Second World War in their original shape because their aerodynamic bodies, not essential to function, were removed. The shells were scrapped as raw material to contribute to the war effort.

At the end of the war, demand for train tickets dropped significantly in favor of other means of transportation.

One of the causes was that in the States, on August 15, 1945, petrol rationing ended, re-popularizing the use of the car.

mercury-train train
The Mercury inside the station. Image colorized by Imbued With Hues.

Air transport and glamorous commercial airlines slowly began to gain market share since the end of the war.

The main weakness of the Mercury was that its spectacular futuristic design hid an old-fashioned steam locomotive underneath.

In February 1950 the United States suffered a shortage in the supply of coal, forcing a temporary shutdown of Mercury service.

mercury-train train
The Mercury photographed in Chicago, 1936. Image colorized by Imbued With Hues.

From this moment on, old steam locomotives were quickly replaced by diesel-powered machines, cheaper to operate and faster.

In 1956, the Eisenhower administration passed the Interstate Highway Act promoting the creation of a network of government-subsidized highways across the whole country, further encouraging the automobile and trucking market.

The owner company, NYC, in financial dire straits, scrapped the Mercurys to finance the purchase of diesel locomotives. The last Mercury journey took place on July 11, 1959. End of an era.

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