11 Alice Rides the Troop Train

“You can’t take the woman on that train”
Jack (gesturing), Winkler, Derrick, Rehbein

The next destination for Jack and his buddies was Fresno, California. Alice, of course, would return there, too, to be with Jack. They went by train, and Jack tells the story, punctuated by Alice’s comments.[1]

Indianapolis train station

Jack: Now I should tell the story about our train ride from Indianapolis to Fresno, California. I had bought Alice a ticket so that she could go on the train. Alice: Jack didn’t want me to go by myself. Jack: I had a ticket for her, and about thirteen of us [from Allison Engine School] were put on a car. It was a special car just with us on there, and we were attached to a regular train. Once we got to St. Louis, we got off the car and went into town, maybe for dinner, I guess. When we came back to the train, our car had been hooked up to a troop train that was going to California. The porter tried to hold us all back because, he says, “You can’t take the woman on that train with you.” And the fellas gave a big push, in we went, and Alice got on the train. Needless to say, I had a ticket for her, but now she was on a troop train, and that was against the regulations. In our compartment there was Bob Azevedo and Bob Rehbein, and Alice and me.

Bob Rehbein and Bob Azevedo

So we went on to different places, and we would stop at Fred Harvey restaurants for meals along the way. Alice would pull the shades down in our compartment, we would bring her food, and she would stay confined in the little compartment we had on the train. Alice: I was like a prisoner on the train. The guys would get off the train, but I couldn’t get off because they didn’t know I was on there. They could have caught me. Jack: We always had plenty of food for her. Alice: Yeah, the guys were good about bringing me food.

Jack: This went along fine until we got down nearly into Albuquerque, New Mexico. The porter came and wanted something. He opened the door, then he closed the door, then he came back, and he says, “What’s that woman doing in there?” I said, “Well, that’s my wife, and I have a ticket for her.” And he says, “Well, young man,” he says—I was a corporal at the time—“you’re liable to lose your stripes over this, having your wife on this train. We’re going to wire ahead.” He wired ahead to the company to see what they said. Would Alice have to be put off the train? The company wired back and told him that it was alright with the company if it was alright with whoever was in charge. Well, I had the orders for our particular car, so I was in charge, and it was OK with me!

Jack with Alice, finally off the train
Castaneda Hotel, Las Vegas, NM

When we got to Albuquerque [the stop at nearby Las Vegas, New Mexico], Alice was able to get off of the train and be a normal person again. Alice: And then we got to Barstow [in California’s Mojave Desert, in July], and it was so hot! We went to an ice cream parlor and oh, the good ice cream sodas and bananas!

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[1] Jack J. Kellar, “Autobiography,” 1998; two ninety-minute cassette tape recordings; held and partially transcribed by the author. Also, Jack J. Kellar and Alice (Streeter) Kellar, interview by Judy Kellar Fox, December 1993; cassette tape recording and transcription held by the author. Excerpts edited and stitched together.