Built in 1927 by the Pullman Company, the Ferdinand Magellan Railcar is basically an observation car that functioned as the Presidential Rail Car. It served its purpose from 1943 to 1958, after some experts and specialists suggested that President Franklin Roosevelt needed a safe way to travel. This is why this specially armored and equipped car was created by the company just as soon as the US entered the World War II.

The Ferdinand Magellan Railcar is one of the six cars of the same sort that were named after world renowned explorers. It was generally fashioned after the idea of the special presidential rail car that was built by the war Department in 1865 for President Abraham Lincoln.

A designated National Historic Landmark, the Ferdinand Magellan Railcar is now on display at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum. It is the only railroad car in the NHL list.