15 Jan 2018 Why I travel by train
by Jim Taylor
Why I travel by train:
1. It’s a nice way to see the country.
2. I meet a lot of nice people. (Sometimes you encounter someone unpleasant, but you just ignore them.)
3. When driving on a long trip, every couple of hours, this old man has to stop, stretch his legs and find a restroom. I can do that on the train, and I’m not worn out when I get there. I can also take a shower on the train a couple of hours before my destination and be refreshed when I get there.
4.) I carry a couple of Amateur Radio HTs, extra batteries and chargers with me and make contacts up and down the line as AF5EI AMTRAK portable local (whatever town or city I am in). That usually gets several responses. I program the radios for the trip before I leave. Sometimes I meet other HAMs on the train.
AMTRAK trains provide spacious reclining seating with plenty of leg room in the coach cars. They also provide sleepers as well as compartments for two, three or four travelers or a family. On short trips, to Houston, Texas, I will usually travel coach. It is about 10 hours to Houston.
On longer trips, to Chicago, Denver, Baltimore or San Antonio, I get a sleeper, which is First Class Passage, and meals are included. The sleeper is a small compartment with a work table and two reclining seats. The sleeper will accommodate two people, but it would be very crowded. It is better suited for one person. The two seats fold to make a comfortable bed.
The train has a full dining car, a café/lounge car and an observation car. On some trains, the observation car and the café/lounge car are combined.
In the dining car, the menus reflect the area of the country that you are traveling through. The menus are set, and substitutions are limited. The food is excellent and well prepared in the galley below the dining area. A meal on the train as you watch the scenery go by is awesome. Some of the meals are a bit pricey, but if you are traveling first class, who cares.
When I travel first class, they lose money because this old country boy knows how to eat, and I can eat well. There are some things on the menu that I can’t pronounce. If I can’t pronounce it, I’m not eating it. On some trains, the breakfast menu is a Cajun breakfast. Don’t touch it. It is almost lethal. I tried it ONCE.
Some trains have a business class car with large reclining leather seats and work space. Drinks are included, but not meals. First class and business class passengers are treated to separate waiting areas/lounges at major stations. Snacks and drinks are provided. Your luggage can be stowed in a secure area at no extra cost, and you have early boarding privileges.
The makeup of a normal train is the baggage car, sleepers, compartments and business class behind the engine. They are followed by the dining car, café/lounge car, observation car and then the coach cars. Coach passengers are not permitted forward of the dining car.
AMTRAK goes to more places than airlines and is much more comfortable. Airline seats are not comfortable, and they treat you like cattle, cramming as many folks into a small space as they can.
There are many discounts for AMTRAK passengers — senior, student, veterans and others. There are many tours available thru AMTRAK. The biggie now is a tour of the National Parks around the country. Tour groups also get discounts. There are also rail passes that allow you to travel around the country at your leisure within a given time frame.
My suggestion is that if you are not sure that train travel is for you, make a short one-, two- or three-day trip. Several are available from Little Rock.
If you are a member or join the Amtrak Rewards Program, you gain points for free travel. I have had two free round trips to Houston, Texas, and one free first class trip to Chicago. Points add up quickly and are easy to redeem.
For more information about AMTRAK travel, visit amtrak.com.
Scenic routes that I have made are the Missouri River Runner between St. Louis and Kansas City, and the Cardinal between Chicago and Baltimore. The Cardinal runs thru the Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountains as well as the Shenandoah Valley. Take a camera!
