Look Inside the Train Car US Presidents Used Before Air Force OneNEWS | 03 December 2025The Ferdinand Magellan was in presidential use from 1943 to 1954.
The Ferdinand Magellan was in presidential use from 1943 to 1954. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider
The Ferdinand Magellan was in presidential use from 1943 to 1954. Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider
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Long before the primary transportation method for US presidents was Air Force One, they traveled the country aboard a 10-foot-wide train car.
The Ferdinand Magellan, a Pullman car rebuilt in 1942 for presidential use, was the president's official mode of transportation between 1943 and 1954. The car is also known as US Car No. 1.
The armored car was the heaviest railcar ever built in the US after it was fitted with detailed security features and enlarged spaces for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the height of World War II.
Today, it is the only passenger train car to ever be declared a National Historic Landmark.
While it pales in comparison to the Air Force One in space and technology, the Ferdinand Magellan allowed the president to continue his duties in comfort while on the move. The car was often accompanied by other train cars dedicated to radio communications, White House staffers, and members of the press, making it a "White House on wheels."
Take a look and see how US presidents traveled in the days before Air Force One.Author: Never Miss A Story. Kristine Villarroel. Enter Your Email. Follow Authors. Source
