For the next three days, the train meandered through the Great Plains and the desert regions of the Southwest. Its speed rarely exceeded 35 miles per hour, partly because Roosevelt found the ride more comfortable at that imperial pace—but also because he wanted to deliver his speech accepting the party’s nomination from a naval base in San Diego, and the exact timing of his nomination was uncertain. At that speed the train’s batteries would not recharge, so it stopped often at local sidings to plug into charging stations. FDR was sleeping well each night, a vital consideration for his health.
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