"We've Rejected 2 Out Of Every 3 Cars" advertisement, 1971.

Many early Amtrak advertisements highlighted the improvements the company was making to the intercity passenger rail system, including the creation of a comprehensive national reservations system and the refurbishment of passenger cars and locomotives.

Updating the existing fleet of passenger cars and locomotives was one of Amtrak’s biggest challenges. In preparation for the start of service in May 1971, Amtrak handpicked approximately 1,200 cars from  a total pool of 3,000 held by the two dozen railroads that had been relieved of their passenger service obligations. Almost 90 percent of the cars chosen by Amtrak were either constructed of, or sheathed in, stainless steel, which meant lower maintenance costs. The newest came from the Union Pacific Railroad, including coaches constructed as recently as 1965. Mechanical and electrical overhauls were needed on roughly a third of the fleet, as were refurbishments to the interiors; half of the cars were deployed on busy Eastern and Midwestern routes.