When FDR’s Campaign Train Got “Lost” in Ohio

An example of what could go wrong when politicians campaigned by train is when New York Gov. Franklin Roosevelt’s train got “lost” in Ohio during his 1932 whistle-stop tour.

Through a misunderstanding by the railroad company, FDR’s train was misrouted on its way from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, “sending it through towns which it had not been expected to touch, and disappointing an early morning crowd at Springfield, Ohio, where a five-minute stop had been planned,” the Associated Press reported.

The Governor and his party were up and ready to greet the gathering in Springfield, but to their surprise the train dashed straight on through, while the crowd yelled for it to stop. The surprised Gov. Roosevelt then discovered furthermore that he was well on his way to Cincinnati, instead of following the schedule of heading directly for Indianapolis from Springfield.

“Making the best of it, he greeted a small crowd at Middletown, Ohio, mostly workmen who perched on boxcars to get a good view of the nominee,” according to the news organization.

Source: Associated Press, “Gov. Roosevelt’s Train Gets ‘Lost’ in Ohio,” October 20, 1932, Boston Globe, 12