Before Air Force One, US presidents traveled aboard a luxury train car. See inside the 'White House on wheels.'

Long before US presidents traveled aboard Air Force One, their main form of long-distance transportation was a 10-foot-wide train car.

The Ferdinand Magellan, a Pullman car rebuilt in 1942 for presidential use, served as the president’s official mode of transportation from 1943 until its last official use in 1954.

The car is also known as US Car No.

The armored car was the heaviest passenger railcar ever built in the US after it was fitted with detailed security features and enlarged spaces for President Franklin D.

Roosevelt at the height of World War II.

Today, it is the only passenger train car to ever be declared a National Historic Landmark.

While it pales in comparison to the current Air Force One in terms of space, luxury, and technology, the Ferdinand Magellan allowed the president to continue his duties in comfort while on the move.

The car was often accompanied by other train cars dedicated to radio communications, White House staffers, and members of the press, making it a “White House on wheels.” See how US presidents traveled in the days before Air Force One.