More Trains

[Foofoogal]

The other thread about the train trip if fabulous as are the photos but I didn't want to mix them up.
I was taking my one and only train ride in 2003 from St.Louis to Longview Texas on Amtrak. I am not kidding that I didn't want to get off. Best fun in my life. Anyway while getting on the train about 6:00 in the evening a dining train passed by with all the people waving. It was a private train and I think this is it since I saw the other thread.
http://www.americanrail.com/
Seems they have rides at different places from time to time.
If you push the rail tours you will see one coming up in August from Chicago to Michigan I think.

I will ride a train in my life somewhere.

 

[Dagwood]

My dream vacation is to take a train from Los Angeles to New York, and then take the Queen Mary 2 to London.

 

[MrNewportCustom]

My dream vacation is to take a train from Los Angeles to New York, and then take the Queen Mary 2 to London.

And your return trip?

Sounds like a fun, relaxing trip. :eusa_clap


Lee
___________________

Oh, to have such luxury as time.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Then The Orient Express across Asia. Next a slow boat from China back to CA.

 

[Dagwood]

Then The Orient Express across Asia. Next a slow boat from China back to CA.

Now you're talking!

 

[John K Stetson]

GrandLuxe - American Orient Express

I recall some time ago (mid to late 80's? early 90's?) there was a train outfitted to the 9's, was supposed to be similar to the Orient Express. Limited routes, generally NYC to Chicago, via a couple different paths. Not certain if the entire train was outfitted this way or just a couple of cars on Amtrak.

I googled to see if it was around, and found this:

http://www.americanorientexpress.com/Index.html

Not sure if it's the same one or not, but it does look nice - and many more routes.

 

[Foofoogal]

http://www.americanorientexpress.com/html/train/Restored_Elegance.html

Look, they even have a virtual tour. My, my, my.
Now if they can put this train in the New England states in the Fall it would be my ultimate dream vacation. lol
Just fabulous. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
They even have a name for the rocking of a train I was told but forgot it. Everyone is so calm and relaxed like rocking a baby to sleep. Totally different atmosphere from a plane. I love trains rides.
Regular amtrak trains are nice and roomy but the stations leave much to be desired on some of them. Maybe if more people rode they could do more.

 

[John K Stetson]

They even have a name for the rocking of a train I was told but forgot it.

Hmm. Interesting challenge to find this - best I could do was at wikipedia, hardly an authoritative source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_terminology
Hunting: swaying motion of a railway vehicle or bogie caused by the coning action on which the directional stability of an adhesion railway depends.


google scholar has references to patents (and nice drawings) to help reduce the effect, but not the name.

 

[John K Stetson]

Regular amtrak trains are nice and roomy but the stations leave much to be desired on some of them

Ah, amtrak, the service I love to hate. I use it often enough in the NE corridor, and the Acela service, with newer, clean and comfortable cars is fine. The regular cars, well, sometimes the heat works, sometimes not, same for the AC. They are often a bit on the grungy side. On-time record is not that great. Prior to Acela, Amtrak had three (I think) example cars in the fleet, one from each of three companies bidding on the project. Those were very nice.

Re: the stations, yes I agree. There's a world of difference between Union Station in DC, 30th Street Station in Philadelphia (both rather nice, especially Union) and the current Penn Station in NYC, which is very dreary. I never saw the original (easy enough to see pics via google search), but at least some of its eagles are in Philadelphia.

 

[BonnieJean]

Amtrak and GrandLuxe Rail Journeys partnership

http://www.americanorientexpress.com/html/train/Restored_Elegance.html

Look, they even have a virtual tour. My, my, my.
Now if they can put this train in the New England states in the Fall it would be my ultimate dream vacation. lol
Just fabulous. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
They even have a name for the rocking of a train I was told but forgot it. Everyone is so calm and relaxed like rocking a baby to sleep. Totally different atmosphere from a plane. I love trains rides.
Regular amtrak trains are nice and roomy but the stations leave much to be desired on some of them. Maybe if more people rode they could do more.

Our local paper just ran this story today here. Since I only live about 15 miles from Galesburg which has an Amtrak station, anything re: Amtrak is always in the news. Amtrak and GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, hmmm, now that's a combination. But the new service does sound interesting and possibly more affordable with the 2-3 day excursions. Guess I'm going to start saving my pennies!

 

[dhermann1]

I ride Amtrak every couple of years, and I think, given the horrendous handicaps they have to work under, they do a good job. I was amazed to learn that one of the original burdens they had to shoulder was that they had to pay, out of their operating budget, for the pensions of all passenger railroad retired employees for the rest of their lives. That's like having one foot chopped off at birth.
Having ridden on the classic 20th Century from New York to Westfield NY (about 400 miles) in 1953, and remembering it vividly (pink wool blankets in our roomette, heavy "railroad silver" and white table cloths in the dining car) , I can say that even tho the Amtrak service is nothing like the "good old days", it's still worth taking a trip by rail. Just realize that you may (or may not, probably won't) have a few bumps in the road.

 

[John K Stetson]

Our local paper just ran this story today here. Since I only live about 15 miles from Galesburg which has an Amtrak station, anything re: Amtrak is always in the news. Amtrak and GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, hmmm, now that's a combination. But the new service does sound interesting and possibly more affordable with the 2-3 day excursions. Guess I'm going to start saving my pennies!

Looks like a nice way to get some additional business during the off season.

I've heard good things about VIA rail in Canada, particularly the route through the Rockies. Any experience here?

 

[John K Stetson]

I ride Amtrak every couple of years, and I think, given the horrendous handicaps they have to work under, they do a good job. I was amazed to learn that one of the original burdens they had to shoulder was that they had to pay, out of their operating budget, for the pensions of all passenger railroad retired employees for the rest of their lives. That's like having one foot chopped off at birth.

I wonder if this is related to the question asked on the US tax returns: were you a railroad employee ?

 

[Conductor Bill]

Greetings ... my first post ... so please bare with me (hopefully, "everything" will work!) I'm an avid train rider and enjoy meeting new people on board ... seems like everyone is willing to talk on a train. Best part, of course, is dinner in the diner ... food, conversation, motion, scenery ... what else matters?
-bill

 

[MrNewportCustom]

Welcome aboard, Conductor Bill! (Or should you be welcoming me aboard? lol)



Lee

 

[Diamondback]

I'm starting to think we need a "Platform" for vintage rail topics--I have a huge library about the "Streamlined Era" of passenger rail I'm willing to share info from, but it might be better to concentrate it all in one place rather than cluttering up "general Golden Era". (See my posts on the Dreyfuss Loco thread for an idea of what I'm talking about.)