The Spirit of American Transportation
The Twentieth Century Limited made it first journey in 1902 from New York to Chicago. The express passenger train ran until 1967. The rail line literally “rolled out the red carpet” for the guests. That was the origins of the over used phrase.
This post card from New York Central Lines is from around 1925.
My dad was a Locomotive Fireman on the Century Elkhart to Chicago 1960s I was Fireman 1 time 1967