Railroads divide rolling stock into revenue and non-revenue cars. Revenue is synonymous with freight cars; this is how railroads earn their money. Non-revenue cars include everything else, including passenger cars—or varnish, as they were once known. Passenger service was often a money-losing proposition for the railroads, but it was important for the towns along the line, and could also be a fine public relations tool.

Before the automobiles and airplanes dominated travel, railroads provided comfortable and efficient passenger service. Limiteds, including such famous trains as the Daylight, Chief, and Broadway Limited, provided luxurious accommodations for well-heeled guests. But premium trains weren’t restricted to long-haul trains; smaller railroads also offered first class services. In southern New England, the Merchants Limited provided the finest accommodations for passengers travelling the New Haven’s picturesque Shoreline from Boston, via Providence and New Haven, to New York.