Anyone here ever take a train trip?

[rurallib]

This may be going away.
Here is a little "City of New Orleans" to listen to while you think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piUWIqWSthA&feature=related

I took a thousand mile trip to Denver many years ago. Loved it.
And when I was working in Canada one winter the last leg of the trip was rail @ 150 mi. - it was very comfortable.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. When I was a kid we went by train to Florida. During the night the

dining car burned down to its wheels. All there was for breakfast was peanuts and OJ.

I also traveled by train a little around France ten years later. Loved those TGVs!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Many times.

My dad worked for the railroad, so we could get passes. Went out to Glacier Park, the west coast, various other places. That was back in the days when you could eat in a nice dining car with real silverware and linen tablecloths. I don't know if they still have those amenities. I loved train rides.

[XemaSab]

10. The dining car is nice

but a bit expensive. :D

[rrneck]

3. I rode the City of New Orleans

to Mardi Gras once. It was four hours late, every idiot between Chicago and Louisana seemed to be on it and half the toilets didn't work.

Never again.

[HopeHoops]

4. Hell yeah! 1984, Metroliner from DC to South Carolina.

Damn was that a great trip!!! The seats in a Metroliner car are like huge living room recliners. Loved it.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

5. Took a trip to the science museum in Chicago when I was a boy.

I was just thinking of that last night in fact, and wondering if there is Amtrack service from Dallas to northern Indiana. I may need to take a trip north some time later this year, and although I've flown as a rule, I was thinking a leisurely train trip would be way cool.

[abq e streeter]

6. The "Texas Eagle" goes from Dallas to Chicago

takes about 22 hours. The price for a coach seat is pretty reasonable but it's a LOT more to get a little roomette (although they at least include the meals, which are not half bad either). I know you've been having some physical issues (if i remember correctly) and may need a roomette ( I can't do sitting in a coach seat overnight anymore either due to back and other problems), but if you have the money, it's worth it. If you have a traveling partner it's a good deal, as you pay a flat price for the room (above the individual basic fares) whether it's for one or two people (seats fold out for the bottom bed, and upper one pulls down from above).

[grasswire]

15. there are special rates and perks for disabled

I don't remember exactly what they are, but worth checking into.

[abq e streeter]

7. Many times; mostly between Albuquerque and Chicago

but also some other routes....Not sure what you mean by going away, but I know congress seems to constantly be looking for ways to destroy rail travel instead of upgrading it and bringing it into the 21st century like the rest of the modern world. Some of my trips have been very enjoyable, others were plagued by problems ranging from being very late to water/ bathrooms not all working etc. But I don't like flying (last time was in a little tin can of a 16 seat propeller commuter flight; never have flown since) and depend on Amtrak to travel when driving isn't practical because of time constraints or whatever.
I have to say though, that even despite the problem plagued trips, it's still a fun way to travel if you're not in a big hurry.

[SeattleGirl]

8. I used to take the train between Seattle and Eugene all the time.

I didn't have a car for 4 years, so when I wanted to go see my family, I'd take the Coast Starlight (Amtrack). The scenery on the trip was beautiful.

[mnhtnbb]

9. We used to cross the country from NY to L.A. on the train when I was a kid in the 50's.

I love train travel.

My first trip to Europe in 1983 I had a Eurail pass and rode the trains
from Germany to Austria to Switzerland to France and finally England.

Last year when I was in CA for 40th high school reunion, we rode Amtrak
from Solana Beach to L.A. and then from L.A. to San Luis Obispo. Both
were quite scenic trips and so much more pleasant than driving CA freeways.

I'd love to take some good books and do the trip across Canada by rail.

[rurallib]

13. I would love to do the cross Canada trip someday also.

[MajorChode]

11. Many times. Mostly in other countries

The thing that's a bummer amount most US trains is you don't have too many express trains, so you inevitably wind up making a stop every 20 minutes or so. The trains that run in the western US aren't as bad.

[tigereye]

12. no, but it sounds like a lot of fun...

[GCP]

14. Many times in the UK

Not so fast as the French plus grand vide, but 125 mph got us 200 miles in an hour and 45 mins with about 6 stops.

[foxfeet]

16. The "Empire Builder" from Seattle to Chicago.

We've made the round trip a couple of times. Spectacular scenery, especially where the track runs along the edge of Glacier National Park. Lots of wildlife along the way-- golden eagles, deer, pronghorn, etc. The food in the dining car is pretty good and a "roomette" private compartment is comfortable.

The first time we took it, a freight train ahead of us derailed, bringing our journey to a screeching halt. They transferred us to buses for a twelve hour drive through Eastern Montana into North Dakota. It. Was. Hell. We finally boarded another train brought in from the east, ahead of the derailed freight train. Completely missed our connections in Chicago. In spite of this we chose to do the trip again and it was perfectly pleasant. I love being able to get up and walk around. Both my partner and I are tall enough to be very uncomfortable flying coach due to the lack of leg room.
I'd recommend train travel anytime. I did lots of it when I lived in Germany.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. My dear rurallib...

Just one big trip, when I was 8, I think.

My dad had just gotten a job in Washington state, and we were living in a suburb of Chicago...

We took the train across the country!

We had two compartments for the four of us. We ate in the dining car, and loved it! I think it took about 4 days. I'd love to travel by train again.

I was bored a lot of the time, but now I don't think I would be!

:hi:

[MrScorpio]

18. We took one from Windsor to Toronto, way back in the day

It was a great ride

[david13]

19. Many times. Many many. It's fun. dc

[Roon]

20. When we were kids, my Grandmother used to take one of us

on the Zephyr every year and go from Denver to Glenwood Springs. Then we would meet up with my Aunt who would drive us to Aspen and we would spend a week.

We always ate in the dining car and we spent a lot of time in the club car (My Grandmother loved her scotch)

One year my Grandmothe bought me a little checkers game with magnetic checkers. So here I am, on my way to Aspen, playing checkers with my Grandmother in the club car. Great times.

[applegrove]

21. I once took a train from Halifax to Ottawa while in college. It was Christmas and Santa Claus was on

the train with us handing out little gifts. You'd never see that these days what with the focus on the bottom line and all.

[owlsayswoot]

22. Once or twice

I circled the states via AmTrak when I turned 18, from Chicago to Flagstaff, to Portland and back, and it was the best trip of my life, even including the "little breakdown" we had to sit through while coming out of the LA basin. Did it once more when I went to fetch my (then) four year old niece from the east coast-and she still talks about it.

I tried to get on the CoNO when I made a trip to NOLA last winter, but my roommate wanted to fly. Bah. Humbug.

[Radical Activist]

23. Often.

I usually enjoy it.

[DFW]

24. Oh, only about 4 times a week

Except when I'm in the States.

I'm mostly in Europe.

[GReedDiamond]

25. Through the years 1961-1966...

...my sister and me traveled, unaccompanied by adults, from to Chicago to Denver on the Rocky Mountain Rocket...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_Rocket

...(to visit our maternal grandparents), in sleeper-car rooms, with valet services, 2 person bunkbeds, an in-room bathroom, all in a private sitting compartment with removable table and booth-style seating for two, with a big window for views of the passing landscapes. Needless to say, it was really great! We also spent a lot of time in the restaurant and club cars, all expenses paid. Our dad, a high school graduate and WWII (5th Signal Corp) veteran, really fast typist, and master of "shorthand," was the personal secretary to the president of the railroad.

Edited to add "unaccompanied by adults"

[Mendocino]

26. The Agawa Canyon run in Ontario

and Windsor to Toronto.

[Brickbat]

27. In 1992, I took the train from Omaha to Chicago and loved it. And Mr. Brickbat is a locomotive

engineer, so he takes a train trip every day. :)

[hippywife]

28. I worked as a waitress once

on a short trip from Columbus, OH to West Virginia and back. It was very hard work but lots and lots of fun. Not as great scenery as other trips have, but I'd love to do one of those really great scenic trips as a passenger.

:hi:

[Maccagirl]

29. Took Brit Rail from London to Liverpool in '84

Very enjoyable.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

30. yes, several. Love them.

Love Trains.

[whistler162]

31. Just finished, early June, a trip

from Syracuse NY to Savannah GA and back.

Last November I weent from Syracuse to LA to Seattle to Vancouver to Toronto to Syracuse by train.