Ferdinand Magellan Presidential Railcar
FDR's armored private railcar — 285,000 pounds of nickel-steel and three-inch bulletproof glass — is parked at a Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami.
The Ferdinand Magellan was built in 1928 as a standard Pullman observation car. In 1942, the Association of American Railroads donated it to the government for use as a presidential transport. The car was rebuilt from the ground up: nickel-steel armor plating, three-inch-thick bulletproof glass, and a total weight of 285,000 pounds — making it the heaviest railcar ever operated in the United States.
FDR used the car extensively during World War II, traveling to military installations and diplomatic meetings. Harry Truman gave his famous 1948 whistle-stop campaign speeches from the rear platform. The car is a rolling piece of mid-century American history.
The car is now a National Historic Landmark, housed at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in Miami. You can walk through the interior — the presidential suite, the dining room, the communications equipment. The rear platform where Truman stood to deliver his upset-victory speeches is intact. The weight of the thing is palpable: the floors don't flex, the doors don't rattle. It was built to survive an assassination attempt.
Located at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum, 12450 SW 152nd St, Miami (near Zoo Miami). Open weekends; check the museum's schedule for weekday hours. Admission charged. The museum also has a collection of historic locomotives and offers train rides on weekends. The Ferdinand Magellan is the centerpiece — give it at least 30 minutes.