I don’t have the references in front of me, but the Clemenses used the Langdon family’s private cars regularly in the 1900s (and probably before as well). I believe there is a letter in which Twain describes one in some detail as part of planning to transport Livy back to Elmira while she was convalescing.

 - MS

> On Aug 21, 2021, at 8:48 PM, Barbara Schmidt <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> The reference you may be thinking of is mentioned in a letter to John
> McComb 6(?) Feb. 1870.  The original letter is apparently lost.  The
> transcription from newspaper publication is online at:
> https://www.marktwainproject.org/xtf/view?docId=letters/UCCL00420.xml;query=Palace%20car;searchAll=yes;sectionType1=text;sectionType2=explanatorynotes;sectionType3=editorialmatter;sectionType4=textualapparatus;sectionType5=;style=letter;brand=mtp#1
> 
> Barb
> 
>> On Saturday, August 21, 2021, Scott Holmes <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> 
>> I've gotten hints that Mark Twain had available to him, at least briefly,
>> a luxury railroad car, probably made available to him by his
>> father-in-law.  I would appreciate any leads on this as Google seems to
>> know nothing about it.  I did see the term "hotel" used to describe a car
>> Twain rode in, possibly  from Elmira to New York, if I'm not mistaken.
>>