NYT: How the Amtrak Dining Car Could Heal the Nation

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pennyk

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A friend forwarded this New York Times article to me and I found it very interesting, especially the end of this sentence (emphasis added):

In the course of my travels, I chatted with postmasters, real estate agents, nuclear engineers, schoolteachers, farm equipment saleswomen, nurses, long haul truck drivers, retirees headed to the Grand Canyon, retirees headed back from the Grand Canyon, a sea-steading software engineer, a prominent TV personality, a cowboy, a national park trail crew leader, an aspiring music publicist, a public utility employee focused on solar energy who nevertheless professed to be a climate change skeptic, a flight attendant, an actuary, an air conditioner salesman, two ultramarathoners and two train enthusiasts who met on an online forum and now maintain a food blog documenting everything that they eat during their trips.

I immediately thought of our own AU "foodies" Joe and Joe. I have PMd one Joe to see if he thinks he is one of the train enthusiasts mentioned in the article.

Here is a link to the article. I was able to open it, but I am not sure everyone will be able to do so.
 
Thank you for posting this. I have tried to express similar views of my own as to why trains are important to society, but this article presents those ideas more eloquently.
 
It's not specifically mentioned in the piece, but the writer is a musician. Here's video of him performing one of the songs from his most recent album.

 
A friend forwarded this New York Times article to me and I found it very interesting, especially the end of this sentence (emphasis added):

[Placeholder for NYT article excerpt]

I immediately thought of our own AU "foodies" Joe and Joe. I have PMd one Joe to see if he thinks he is one of the train enthusiasts mentioned in the article.

Here is a link to the article. I was able to open it, but I am not sure everyone will be able to do so.
You will be able to if you did not use up your 10 articles per month allowance (as a non-subscriber) or if you are a logged in NYT subscriber.
 
The article expresses why we love to ride trains. Meeting so many interesting people that will likely be a short term study in human behaviors. Although we will likely never see them again, the memory of the conversations and stories still lingers in our minds. Thanks Penny for the link.
 
Ive reviewed our travel itineraries for that time and it appears that JoeG and I were traveling during that period. I guessing it was us since we tell everyone about our Amtrak travel and food experiences at different destinations.
 
It would be interesting to find out if these were our own two Joe's. Please keep us posted, Penny, and thank you for sharing this.
Joe posted as you were typing your post.
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I mentioned this on another thread, but when I took my trip to Orlando in July, I rode the Northeast Regional from NPN to RVR and then the Silver Meteor from RVR to ORL. While on the Meteor, I had breakfast with a very nice couple (they were sleeper passengers who had boarded in Charleston). Maybe I'll run into them again someday.
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Great article! One of the big reasons I love train travel is the conversation in the DC. I have met so many people from all over North America and the world. Being an experienced traveler, the opportunity to help others has opened the door over and over to conversations about all sorts of things. Everyone shares their lives at home, we compare, sometimes we feel lucky, others we are envious. I totally agree about the DC.
 
In agreement with everyone here. There sure is something magical about riding a long-distance train. It's like a nostalgic trip back in time in a way (yet moving ahead to a cool destination!). So much varied terrain to cover & so many interesting folks to meet along the journey.
 
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Nice article, thanks for posting it!

I agree with the writer...some interesting "bedfellows" sharing their life-stories with stranger's, whom they figure they may never see again...always a fascinating experience sharing conversations over dinner with such an eclectic variety of people. And yes, people can debate their views, and remain civil while doing so....I believe that was the primary focus of the author....

I also agree with caravanman, that it is the entire train that foster's such conversation's with fellow traveler's (no pun intended)....

Especially on transcontinental trains, and any overnight trains, but less so on shorter distance trains. As for restrooms, caranvanman missed the era of long distance trains having lounges in the men's and women's restrooms, where people did converse....
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It is the whole train, not just the Diner Car, that facilitates meetings and conversations for me. (Less so the washrooms, to be honest.
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Ed.
Excellent post Eddie!
But in the Golden Era the,Crack Trains had Mens and Ladies "Lounges", and a few even had Barber Shops with a Shower, where people hung out to converse.
 
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Ive reviewed our travel itineraries for that time and it appears that JoeG and I were traveling during that period. I guessing it was us since we tell everyone about our Amtrak travel and food experiences at different destinations.
Joe, do you and the Colonal have a blog other than what you have posted on AU?
Betty, we just refer folks to AU to read our travelogues, no other blog.
 
We usually do roomette, but agree with fascinating people met in the DC: a professional gambler, a nuke sub captain, retired railroad engineer. And then there are the people who don't want to converse at all...
 
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When most people converse things can become interesting and fun. At least that's the way our experiences have gone. On the rail we seem to meet those with a similar view of travel and the people we have met came from every walk of life. We've met and spoken with college professors, farmers, motorcycle enthusiasts/car collectors, traveling sales/business people, doctors, lawyers, ministers, a heavy equipment mechanic, a rancher, long haul truck driver, artist, railroad historian, IT engineer, oil worker, architect, and two Amtrak engineers. Most of these encounters have either been in the dining car or sightseer lounge. You learn a lot when you converse and you share some quality time with others. Except for one grouchy couple (who thought that they were on the Orient Express) all of our encounters have been very pleasant. I don't know that trains offer solutions for all of the worlds problems, but it does bring people together.
 
My most interesting encounter was on the Sunset where the volunteer naturalist narrator for west TX told me he volunteered so he could see the track side of his 80,000 acre sheep ranch. Hey, it worked for me. It was fun comparing notes of dairy farming in Vermont with sheep ranching in west Texas. Kinda different, doncha know.
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I have enjoyed conversations with several Australian travelers over dinner or lunch. Last Summer, I ate with many brand new inexperienced Amtrak travelers, who I was able to help make their journey better and hopefully ride again. I find I am alone at breakfast many times, since I enter when it opens. I enjoy breakfast with the rising sun.
 
It's sad that something with such great healing potential, sharing a meal with others on a long distance train trip, is overlooked or otherwise dismissed as expendable. Another reason I feel greater urgency for CAF to churn out the diners, than Alsthom building new Acelas we don't need.
 
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