The Top 40

I used to take a long car trip from Northern Montana to Kansas City to see our grandparents once a year. It was about the same amount of miles and time going from the West to the center of the country as it is going from the East to the same center of the country. Only difference is, my grandparents are no longer there.

Went back home to see some friends right before I went into the Marine Corps back in 1982, so I've actually done @2/3 of this train trip, from Denver to Rochester, NY.

Definitely one of those things in life one can only appreciate if you've experienced it yourself.

Train:A civilized method of travel for the genteel individuals. Not being jammed into a seat two sizes too small is what makes this luxury travel; getting up and walking around, seeing the landscape as you go. What do you see in a plane besides a cloud? And crap food.

Food? On a plane? I thought that was a thing of the past.
This train trip looks really intriguing. Well worth a serious look. I bookmarked the site.

I rode trains extensively in Europe and would like do so again, anywhere. The clik-clik-clik of the tracks is soothing. Maybe I will.

We have subsidized (aka 'paid for') your ride to the tune of hundreds of billions since 1971.

I used Amtrak ten years ago with my young daughter. Nightmare experience. Food was marginal at best (no options between meals), seats are designed even worse than airline seats - you literally slide out of them all day (and night) because they're board flat - and the cars bang around at a fearsome velocity through some stretches of bad rails. At no point were we relaxed or pleased by the experience. My grandparents used the rails a lot fifty years ago. Apparently something has changed since then.

My brother and I traveled from Chicago to New Orleans about 15 years ago, and we had a great time. There's still something romantic about riding a train, hearing the clicking, swaying along in the night. Whoever was working the pots really knew their stuff because those were some of the best meals I have ever had. We met a couple of railroad enthusiasts from Australia in the restaurant car who were traveling the United States.

Ya gotta raide a train at some point in your life.

The last 2 comments, from Ten and ahem, read like reviews on Amazon. 1 good and 1 bad, and the rest of us have to determine what is real and what is Memorex.

"fearsome velocity" sounds interesting.

I'm willing to give the trains a chance and see what it's like.

Glad to know, at least, that there is still passenger rail service on offer; I've never been thrilled with flying, always due to the "airline experience."

Starting in the '50s I've ridden trains all over the place - from Springfield, Illinois, to Chicago to Oakland first in 1956, when it was a helluva ride. In those days the Burlington Zephyr went straight West out of Denver through the Rockies and then the Sierra, with VistaDome cars to sit up on top and watch America go by.

My uncle Tom Scaiefe worked for a grocery wholesaler in the Springfield depot; he was a history buff born in 1886 whose desk was right off the platform where Abraham Lincoln gave the "Farewell to Springfield" speech, and his son Todd arrived with William Jennings Bryan 50 years later to give the "Cross of Gold" speech at the Springfield Armory. Tom took me, a fatherless boy, on the Illinois Central down to St. Louis to see the Cardinals play - and Stan Musial hit one over the 402 sign in right center field. My mother had a house on 4th street, and 3rd street was the I.C. right-of-way. I fell asleep at night listening to the City of New Orleans creep through town under my bedroom window.

When I went to college in San Antonio I took the train down through Ft. Worth; when my marriage exploded I rode trains all through the midwest looking for myself. In '74 I took the Chicago to Oakland route again with my life in a backpack to start over in San Francisco; in '79 I rode up to Eugene to try to be married again.

I miss trains. However funky it may have gotten, it's a lot more civilized than being treated like livestock on an airplane, which view I've held since the first time I flew in the '60s.

Tired dog -

Someone can fact check this but I read somewhere that Amtrak could well afford to have let its trains rest and buy first class airline tickets for every one of their customers to where ever, for the last several years, - and still not lose as much money as they have!

Excellent Rob.

I too do not like flying any more, and haven't since 1980. My last flight was returning from a hunting trip in Alaska - Anchorage to Seattle.

I had 2 long guns and 2 pistols and 300 rds of various ammo, numerous fixed blade and folder knives, and I had all of that right in the cabin with me.

The only caveat was that Western airlines required me to buy a cardboard box from them for the long guns.

The pistols and everything else was in my alice pack in the seat next to me. Less than 50 people on that plane. Doubtful

I was the only armed passenger. A hijacker wouldn't stand a chance, and *they knew* it.

If I ever fly again it will be on a private plane only, and I will be armed. No way will I ever allow this rotten assed gov't access and control over my life.

**When deranged people know a specific place is absent of firearms they know they get to shoot as many people and things as they like.

They also know the jack boots will stay back out of their way, fearing for their lives, so that they can shoot even more people.

The gov't has created an environment ripe for, and an open invitation to, anyone with a loose screw to have their way with innocent and ignorant herd members.

I once drove the 3559 miles from Vancouver BC to Charlottetown PEI in Canada. It was more pain than gain, but even so better than the train.

I learned on that trip, and in extensive travels in Europe, that the real problem with rail is that you stop when, where and for how long the train company wants you to stop and your wants are 90% irrelevant.

Another problem with rail is that accommodation and food is always more expensive in towns and villages with train stations, presumably because of the higher demand.

These days with internet disintermediation things are even better for car travel. I have visited at some truly wonderful and weird places in the last few years. Blatnice pod Svatym Antoninkem in the Czech White Carpathians, Berg, south of Munich, San Sebastian del Oeste Mexico.

And right on with the commenters who point out the essential immorality of train travel as theft from the taxpayer.

Fred's the one that got me started....

My wife has a friend whose husband worked in an office job for amtrak for 40 years and retired about 5 years ago. You would not believe the lifestyle these 2 people are living now from the taxpayer provided pension plans.

(I bet they are blowing more than $10k a month on fun, Fun, FUN! That's in addition to all the normal expenses. Right now they and their horses and all the shit that goes with it are down in the Grand Canyon til at least May doing all that's involved with that whole fiasco and livin high on the hog the whole time, just like they did last year and the year before and the year before....not a care in the world.)

That last part, the pensions, is not entirely correct.

We the taxpayers do indeed succumb to the theft of gov't in many ways. But the money the gov't gives to their minions is not directly connected to what is stolen from us. Thus, the enormous debt and yearly deficiencies.

Essentially, the gov't spends whatever it wants with no regard to income, budget or any other moral guide, and it steals whatever it wants for the same reason.

Do you have a moral basis for being resentful about how the gov't (mis)spends money?

No more so than you should about anyone else that (mis)pends money.

Your sole complaint is that your money is stolen from you at all by anyone.

If everyone prevented the gov't from stealing from them in any way they can, soon enough the gov't will be forced to stop the spending.

As long as people unwillingly comply with the gov't stealing it is that much further the criminalistic kicking the can down the road will continue.

Since this country is now mainly habitated by labialised pseudo-men and shadow men that were once known as women I see the thieving continuing as long as it can regardless of the 10 ton nutsak Trump dragged right up onto center stage.

I like train travel. I recently traveled from the West coast to Boston by train. I chose the sleeper car as anything more than one night sleeping in the train seating is too uncomfortable for me. But you don't need a travel agent. Just go to the Amtrak website and book a trip.

Another thing that is good to know is that Amtrak goes even where the train tracks do not go. From most cities you can book a connecting bus. These busses are a step above the old Greyhound (which I used many times in the past). Comfort, convenience and direct route to the train station.

The food on board is good and the meals are included in a sleeper reservation price. There is also snacks/meals available if you choose not to eat in the dining car. And as every experienced traveler knows bring some snacks and your preferred options with you.

My wife and I flew to Sydney Australia and took a quart ziplock full of trail mix (m&m's, nuts, etc.) The man at customs was quite amused with the two crazy Americans, LOL.

Ghostsniper: Outstanding and accurate rant.

I especially liked "labialised pseudo-men", which I guess is what we used to be able to call 'pussy whipped'.

My last train ride was 1967, before Amtrak. It was a winter ride from around the Ft Campbell area through D.C. and on to Minneapolis. The trip up to D.C. wasn't bad but that changed quickly as we had to switch trains at D.C. and as we came into D.C. the ride to Minneapolis was rolling out. Twelve hour layover waiting for the next. Once we loaded the problems multiplied. No heat...there was no food either but freezing to death was more likely than starvation. It was the only time I wore my dress army overcoat over my winter greens. Have not been on a train since. The pictures look good but then so do the restaurant food ad pictures.

I'd like to take a train trip, but going from Savannah (closest train station) to Austin, one must go through DC and Chicago.
Breaks down like this:
11 hours, SAV - WAS
one hour layover,
17 hours, WAS - CHI
four hour layover,
28 hours, CHI to AUS
That's 56 hours of rail time, not counting layovers.

The thrill is gone.

The journey is the goal, the destination is secondary.

======================

At the light the young buck in the Mustang revs its V8 and suddenly dumps the clutch laying rubber all the way down the street, he has massive does of testosterone flowing through his veins and not a care in the world.

Next to him the old dood in the Mark II eases off the line and saunters toward home while that blue pill lies in wait on the night stand and he wonders if he'll see the sun rise again.

The young buck searches for a destination and the old dood enjoys the journey.

*relative*perspective*

In 1995 I bought a brand new Isuzu Rodeo off the lit in Warren, MI. I drove it 13 hours home to Duluth, MN stopping onky 3 tines to gas. From Duluth I drove west to Yakima, WA where I lived for three years. Having been offered a job in Pensacola, FL I drove there in an epic journey in December through Idaho, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. The next year I drove the trusty Rodeo back to Washington state to live there another three years freelancing in WA, OR, CA, and BC. Eventually I drove down to Santa Barbara, CA for another year long drive. From there I made the (car's) final journey to Southern Alberta where I spent eight years. This care held up remarkably well over 10+ years and 275,000 miles. I actually sold it in good running order to someone in 2006. I remember exactly where the odometer turned 100k: Wolf Mountain in the Cascades in WA and 200k: driving south from Calgary on Highway 2 near Nanton, AB. Now that's what I call reliable.

You want reliable?

My 1991 S10, purchased for $8888. (try to touch that now a days!) in Oct 1990 is now 26 years old and still gettin' it.

Covered in snow and ice and not started for the past 2 weeks, last night it fired right up, climbed up the icy hill with it's 2 wheel drive, and went for a 6 mile warm up run.

It currently has 178k on it and all but .7 of em were put there by me.

It has truly been the best purchase of anything in my entire life and it's the very rare and seldom seen Robin's egg blue. Less than 1% of all S10's ever have been that color.

Think I'll keep it for another 26 years, at least.

Maybe do a frame off restoration on it's 30th birthday, get one of them vintage plates for it.

Least I can do for reliable ol' friend.

Amtrak, like any airline, has its good and bad routes. I work In Da Chicagah Loop and normally ride The Wolverine (The same train Steely Dan sing about in "My Old School") from Chicago Union Station to Michigan City, IN or New Buffalo, MI for vacation trips. Sometimes I'll take The Hiawatha up to Milwaukee to meet friends in the city. 2016 was the first year in a LONG time either train actually arrived in either station on time. Amtrak has dumped me off in New Buffalo (1 1/2 hr trip from Chicago) a full hour plus late, and Milwaukee 45 mins late. And they save the cattle car treatment for waiting IN Union Station in their subterranean gates.

That said, there are some cool sights to see on the trip out, like passing Comiskey Park while my beloved White Sox are playing a night game, or riding through the post industrial ruins of East Chicago, Gary, Hammond, and feeling awe and depression seeing all the closed steel mills. You wonder if those mills forged the rails you're riding on, or if the steel frames buildings you've worked in. And to the other side of the mills lie the clean white beaches and blue water of Lake Michigan. I love riding the Hiawatha through the middle of tiny Wisconsin towns and passing the small farms that line the rails. In the summer you've never seen so much green. Pop on your headphones, cue up Pandora, and watch out the window as the world rolls past to the clack of the wheels. You see why folk and blues singers wrote railroad songs.

And then your Mrs. talks you into the Capital Limited to Washington DC.

One word sums up the trip out: DISASTER.

Trying to sleep on the too hard, too flat seats described above.
People talking on cell phones at 2 AM.
Cardboard food.
A derailment on your line that strands you for seven hours.
The dining car runs out of coffee because the coffee maker breaks.
Pulling into Washington DC's Union Station seven hours late and having to schlep our baggage across the platform to a taxi

There were some good points, like riding in the observation car and seeing deer scramble up the foothills when the train rolled past, and stopping in Harper's Ferry (The John Brown captured Harper's Ferry), but after that, no more Amtrak trips over an hour or two for me.

And wouldn't you know it, the trip back from D.C., the train got into Chicago early. Of course, we planned ahead and smuggled a bottle of red wine and deli sandwiches aboard for dinner on the trip home, along with blueberry muffins for breakfast.

The dining car runs out of coffee because the coffee maker breaks.

=================

Bring my own.
Always.
At least a quart.
No one makes mud like me.
It's legendary.

Atcheson,Topeka,and Santa Fe Railways.Mother took me from South to Southwest. Our room in the Pullman car had the most astonishing pull-out shower and toilet,so compact,yet servicible. Spent the time thru Texas with face pressed to the window,looking for the Longhorn Cow...saw cattle,no Longhorns,but that clackety-clack rumpety rump railway sound is ingrained forever.

Go ahead and get on the Silver Star to or from Florida. Just horrible. We boarded in Sebring going north and the toilets were already filthy, I mean disgusting. We couldn't sit together even though we had small children and neither the porter nor conductor had any interest in our problem at all. We did fare better than our friends who were on the same train. They had no seats. The conductor told them to sit in the snack bar car in a booth. I'd never do it again.

Ridden lots of trains in Europe and while they are far nicer and faster between big cities they're terrible going to small towns. We spent a whole day traveling 200 miles from Glasgow to an English village 200 miles away. Wouldn't repeat that either.

I run freight trains out of San Antonio. Amtrak has made me a lot of money over the years because they put us out of the way a long time before they are even close, then we wind up short of time.

Put the GoldWing on the AutoTrain in Sanford, FL and rode overnight up to the DC area. Nice ride and very convenient. Had a nice dinner and breakfast on the train. The Wing was very well taken care of. Rode back down the Blue Ridge Parkway and US 441 through Georgia. I would do it again. Nice trip.

Lucky dawg.
I'd a rode it both ways.

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