The tickets were amazing things all by themselves, made up of many segments and colors. Each had a purpose, as to the train, car, seat, transfer, luggage. When they were purchased at a the depot, the station master or ticket seller would pull them from a multi chambered pigeon hole behind the counter, stamp and configure them for the trip and present them to you in a small envelope. What was interesting was that the tickets were pre-printed but were dated and configured with stamps and punches. Depending on how rigorous your trip was the tickets would be large and small and of different colors.
Then when you were on the train and the conductor came down the aisle and said “Tickets, please”, then the second part of the business took place. He would punch them with is punch.( Although I was never aware of it, the punch he used was unique to him. Each conductor had his own punch.) Once he picked up the ticket then he placed a little colored flag over your seat that indicated where you were going. So he could look down the length of the car and identify where each passenger needed get off the train. 
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