Hello & request for help

[AlexLandragin]

Hello railway enthusiasts, I'm new here and would like to introduce myself and ask for your expert assistance.
I'm not a railway enthusiast, I'm a writer. I'm writing an historical novel at the moment, and one of the scenes is set on a train. Can you help me imagine what it would have been like?
The characters are travelling in 1900 from San Francisco to New York.
I would like some information about this trip - all the stuff that may seem obvious to railway enthusiasts but which people like me know nothing about.
For example:
How long was the journey?
What was the day-by-day itinerary?
How many trains were involved?
What were their names?
Where did the train stop, and for how long?
Where did passengers have to change trains?
What did a first class compartment look like?
What was served in the dining car?
Was there a buffet-library car at that time?
What other facilities were there at the time (eg barber, etc)?
Were steam trains still the default train type in 1900?
What were toilet and bathing facilities like?
All this might seem very obvious and maybe even boring to you guys, but I would be very grateful for any assistance. Thank you!

[boilersuit]

Hi AlexLandragin
I can't offer any help myself as I'm afraid I have a myopic UK-only interest in railways! But I'm sure some members on here may have some answers for you.
Why not send your questions to a US-based discussion group? www.railforum.com would be a good place to start, but there are several others.
Jon

[hereward]

I am at the moment reading a book that has several pages about rail travel in the USA at that time. It is a library book by Christian Wolmar “The Iron Road” ISBN 978-1-4093-4799-6; don’t know if your Melbourne is in the UK or Australia, but the latter does have a nationwide exchange system. At the turn of the 20th Century there were five transcontinental routes across the USA. The map in the book isn’t clear but there is a route from San Francisco – Salt Lake City – Denver – Chicago – Pittsburgh – Philadelphia then presumably a train change for New York. I think this is the Union Pacific line. Some of your questions can be answered: Charles Dickens was dismayed by the lack of class differentiation “There are no first and second class carriages as with us….”

[Sentinel]

A very warm welcome to the forum, dear Alex