Having taken my first train trip in ages today, I will definitely take trains over planes and automobiles. it took about 3 1/2 hours from Portland to Seattle, and the trip was relaxing and quite enjoyable. Even the restrooms on trains beat the hell out of those on planes. I'm looking forward to my trip home tomorrow. Seattle, on a sunny day, is beautiful.
There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so.
Slammr
Hey, you too !?
I used to love driving cross-country; still do, but got rid of my car. So, for several years, I used the bus or flew.
Well, I hate flying. Nervous as heck every time. Can't handle the idea that my life is dependent upon some schmuck having tightened one or two bolts, or a high-pressure hose clamp to the correct torque. That, and a natural, deep-set fear of falling that just doesn't jive with flying.
ANYWAY... two years ago, I had to go to from Ottawa to Montreal, and somebody suggested I take the train.
It was like a freakin' revelation.
It was a WONDERFUL trip. Not the cheapest; I coulda got a plane ticket that day for less (sometimes seat sales are crazy-cheap) but like I said, I won't fly... and the train ticket was barely more than a bus ticket. Talk about a no-brainer; a bar car, an observation car, a restaurant... NO bus has THAT stuff.
Then I took a train ride (bought by my Dad) from Winnipeg to Calgary, in a sleeper car. Again, not much different cost than a super-cheapo flight (which would have involved horrendous car-commutes anyway) or a bus ticket, but SUPREME comfort, comparatively.
It makes me wonder about trying the super-class cross-country trip... quite expensive, but 1st class accomodation the whole way; a week and a half of site-seeing on the tracks, the mystique and romance of train travel, for a few thousand bucks.
You're right, Slammr; trains rule.
I apologize for my avatar.
Behold the Asshorn.
I'd like to take the train. When I checked, the place I go most often would take 3-4 days by train and would have many changes in conveyance. It would actually be part taxi, part train and part bus. There is no train or trains between here and there. By plane, it takes 2 hours and is direct from here to there.
I'm back in Portland after returning home by Amtrak. What a fantastic way to travel. I loved it. It was quiet, smooth, and fast, and I could get up and walk around.
For an extra $16, which included a $3 food coupon, I came back business class. While coach was comfortable, business class was worth the extra. In coach, there are four seats in a row, two on each side of the aisle. In business class there are three seats in a row, two on one side of the aisle and one on the other side. I sat in a single seat without anyone beside me, and I didn't have to wait in line for seat assignment. Free WiFi and an electrical outlet by your seat for your computer if you need it.
I want to do it again. It was the first time since I can remember when that traveling was fun.
A little video I took with my IPad. Watch it to the end for a surprise. It surprised me, at least: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU7NsJkIii0
There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so.
Slammr
Very nice video, Slammr...How lovely and green it is there...And I love the rural nature of the landscape..Nice old farms and such...I too hate to fly...and love to drive...The train sounds great...It's a super way to cut down on CO2 in the environment..Much of the rest of the modern world has a wonderful mass transit system...What happened to us?
Thanks Jackie
After watching that it makes me want to take a trip, by train of course.
Thanks, River
He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security.
Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
Edmund Burke
I was surprised how popular these trains were. They run four trains a day between Eugene, OR and Seattle, WA, and the one I took on Sunday was oversold. They also run one train a day from Seattle down to California. The places one can go by train, without connecting by bus, are limited, however.Originally Posted by butterflyjack
There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so.
Slammr
My family and I are recently back from two weeks in Japan, where we rode train and subway regularly. They are fast, efficient, and inexpensive. Japan completed its first high-speed rail line in 1964 and has been expanding the system ever since. The original line, between Tokyo and Osaka, is about the same length as the distance between Los Angeles and San Francisco on the West Coast, or between Boston and Baltimore on the East Coast. The trip takes two and a half hours and trains run every 15 minutes. While reserved seats are available, it's easy to just buy a ticket from the machine at the station and walk on to the platform.
The Japanese are currently building a MUCH faster parallel line between Tokyo and Osaka to cut the travel time to about an hour and a half. Where is American technology???
Nature loves variety. Unfortunately, society hates it.
The Romney's of the world sold it to China.
River
He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security.
Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion.
Edmund Burke
The only problem I have with trains is that they don't go a lot of places. I wish they would. We'd be so much better off (here in the States) with more of them.
][- Ç ]> Heta, Stigma, Sho. The lost, rejected, outcaste and forgotten Greek Letters Society.
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I've only traveled by train here on Vancouver Island. There is a small train that goes from Victoria to Nanaimo and back. It is just one tiny car.
A few years back, when my parents visited, we decided to take the train to Nanaimo as something of a novelty. We regret it.
The seats were uncomfortable, the one bathroom on board was little more than a rolling outhouse, there was no food or drink served aboard. There wasn't even someone to sell you a newspaper for the trip.
Here in Canada it seems like there is a conscious effort to kill rail travel. They have removed every comfort from the experience, and run it as a cheaper alternative to the bus. I would have preferred to take the bus.
My parents and I often talk about that trip. Not because it was pleasant, but because it was unpleasant. Sure the view was spectacular, but that was it.
If they were serious about keeping rail travel alive in Canada, they'd offer more comforts. They are even missing prime opportunities to make money. We were on that train for four hours each way. Why not have someone on board who can sell some sandwiches or snacks? Why not offer to sell newspapers or books? Why not have an observation car, or a dining car?
With just a little investment, train travel could be something very desirable. It could be an inexpensive form of travel, without feeling like it.
My grandfather was an old railway boss. My dad still knows a lot about the rail industry. An engine pulling one travel car, can pull two travel cars just as easily, and just as cheaply. Why not outfit one as a dining car, and make some more money on the trip? It would make the travel experience more pleasant for the passengers, and make you more money than just the price of the ticket you sold.
The only reason we can come up with is that they want rail travel to die. That makes me very sad, and very angry too.
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