More nice stories.....and well written. Thanks for sharing!First--Thanks to Yarrow for starting this thread.
Am 64, retired, have some time available and now find myself visiting AU on a regular basis to day dream and "maybe" some day. It was this thread that made me decide to go Amtrak from Memphis to Scottsdale next March. I did post in the general forum looking for suggestions, cautions, etc. on the options I am looking at and would appreciate your input.
In any event, almost 60 years ago I awoke to my mother giving me a nudge and and whispering to me "wake up Johnny, we are on a train and we are going to see grandma and grandpop". A few seconds later, she either threw up the shade or pulled back the curtain and I am looking at snow
out the window and on the ground as it passed by in silence. Mom later told me many years later that my first question(s) were "what's a train, and where's dad?".
We were living in the midwest at that time, dad did a lot of traveling 2-3 weeks at a time which was not that unusual for regional sales guys at the time back in the middle 50's. So, they decided a trip back to my mothers parents in Stamford, CT. was in order while he was out of town. Mom also confided to me many years later that dad was a very smart man to suggest that trip. Grandpop met us at the train station in New York, took us to lunch somewhere in New York, and then took us to see the Statue of Liberty. "Over the river and thru the woods (on a train no less) to grandmothers house we go"..... . My love affair with trains started on that trip.
Fast forward 35 years to me being a Branch Manager with the Northeast US as my territory. Drive or fly was the accepted, expected mode of travel. The memory of that overnight trip with my mom would come and go and one of the promises we make to ourselves I did make good on, several times in fact. First, Boston to Rochester, N.Y. in a sleeper, circa 1989. Pretty cool, getting off the train at 2-3 in the morning was not. Checked into the sleep-fast motel and the rep picked me up in the morning. I was not well rested but in a great mood. I had finally taken a train trip on my own.
This was followed by Boston--Baltimore when you could still get a sleeper from Boston on that route. I remember shaving being an interesting challenge. Then followed Washington to Chicago on the Capitol Limited, New York to Cleveland on the LSL. Chicago to Charlottsville I believe on the Cardinal. On that trip I remember the very gracious dining car attendant when I just showed up clueless and late just saying "honey--sit down--it's our pleasure to accomodate you". I also remember the rep meeting me in Charlottsville confessing to me that he had been on the phone with another branch manager in our company playing "guess where I am?" When he told that manager that he was at the train station waiting to meet my train--the response on the other end was simply, "that man is not right". Well, I was well rested and a happy camper, so it was right for me.
Moved on to another company and a better position as National Sales Manager so the responsibility and time pressures would often rule the day. However, did take a wonderful trip from Las Vegas To Seattle over a weekend on the Desert Wind, overnight in L.A. at the Otani Hotel, and boarded the Coast Starlight saturday morning en route to Seattle circa 1995. Just fabulous. It was in the fall and when I woke up in the morning in the mountains guess what I saw, snow silently passing by on the ground.
The first snowfall of the season according to the attendant. Also saw a herd of elk just standing and grazing trackside as we came down out of the mountains. The elk never moved or showed any sign of anxiety. It was a "holy cr.." moment for this Northeastern boy. It was also an "oh geez" moment for my boss at the time when he found out that I was taking the train from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to Seattle. When we looked at the alternative, fly back to Boston, lose a day, fly to Seattle, lose a day, etc..
Ultimately, he said I get it! Under the heading of small world....the rep I mentioned earlier in my post was one of my references for this job, he just said to my boss at the time, "quirky, somewhat old-fashioned but not as nutty as you may think, if you want him on the road that much, let him enjoy it!" And I did!
Took the auto train to Florida back in 2005 when I had to get there in a hurry to close on a house that the seller was antsy about. Didn't know how long an ordeal it was going to be so getting there from Massachusetts was a bit of a problem. Drove to New Jersey, overnight with my sister, following morning drove to Lorton, problem solved.
Also recall coming to a stop just short of the famous Horse Curve on the way west from Philly. Had a sleeper but had spent a good deal of time in the lounge chatting and taking in the sights, more in the lounge than out the window. Two very big construction guys were on their way to a new job site. They had started their trip a day earlier from somewhere in Florida. The half gallon of Vodka in the duffle bag was now on fumes only and everyones patience with them was on fumes also. The announcement said that their was a problem with one of the brake systems in one of the sleepers and we neeeded to stop to remedy it before going thru the curve and descending on the other side. Five minutes after we stopped, the remedy arrived. Two of the biggest men I had ever seen came into the the lounge car to escort the two big construction guys off the train. The construction guys looked like dwarfs by comparison. Lot of OK, yes sir, no sir, that suddenly appeared in their vocabulary.
"Not something that I wanted to do" said the conductor when I spoke to her later. These guys paid a lot of money and now they are going to spend a night in the slammer.
But, this is my train, my house and my responsibility is to ensure that all my guests are comfortable and happy to be here. Sometimes guests have to leave early........
(this I will always remember)........"calling them a cab was not an option".
So, here I am, 10 years later, retired and excited about planning another train trip. Do it, do it, do it!
Over the river and thru the woods, on a train.............make the time........while we can!
May I suggest you register as a regular member of this board?
