Recent content by Longford

Count me amongst the folks who would enjoy listening to (most) musicians while riding the rails. Good thing, though, the Cafe isn't right next to the sleeping car!

I was excited, but not too excited before departing on the Empire Builder to Seattle last Memorial Day weekend. Was anxious, though. What helped me enormously throughout the trip was having read so many trip reports and bringing along a detailed guide of the route so I knew what to expect...

Maybe it's been mentioned and I've overlooked it . . . but both Illinois and Wisconsin (to name just two more states) subsidize Amtrak service.

Thanks for the input. This will be a one-way rail journey and I'll either fly someplace and return to Chicago by rail, or ride the rails to a destination and fly home.

I'm thinking about taking a rail trip over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend in mid-January, 2010 and would like some advice on which of the train routes out of Chicago are considered the "best" at that time of year. I rode the Empire Builder this past May and I'd like to try another...

I returned this week from a 12-day visit to Istanbul, during which I visited Sirkeci Train Station several times. The station was the terminis point for the Orient Express and serves, today, as the state railway terminal and welcomes international trains as well. Inside the station is a small...

What an opportunity. With camera in hand taking some photos as I crossed from the European to the Asian side of Istanbul today a vehicle ferry passed in front of us - with a passenger rail car and some freight cars on-board.

I don't doubt that people have been having sex on trains for generations. Congratulations! Now you know. Let's not make a mountain out of a mole hill.

You're describing, caravanman, two very different experiences - traveling by bus and traveling by rail. You've presented an apples to oranges comparison. You forgot to consider renting a car for all or part of the imaginary journey of yours - and at least traveling by auto would offer more...

Here's a link to a Chicago Tribune news article about the crash, posted a short time ago: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-...0,7449430.story

I rode the Empire Builder, but from Chicago to Seattle . . . over the recent Memorial Day weekend. My roomette was on the north side of the train and after viewing the scenery out of both sides, I think the best views were out of the windows on the south side. Most of the towns wer passed...

Reading the comments which started this discussion, I sense there's a full Moon out today - though I haven't looked. Give it a rest.

Lots of gossip and suppositions in your comments. One might ask if people posting such things don't themselves have an obligation . . . to stop stiring the pot when there's nothing to stir.

I was in Roomette #6 on Empire Builder #7 to Seattle over the Memorial Day weekend. I had the opportunity, also, to visit the family room on the lower level of the same car. I was traveling solo. Though there may be more 'head room' re: the upper sleeping berth in the rooms on the lower level...

I was on the westbound Empire Builder over the Memorial Day weekend and participated in the wine and cheese event and thought both the wine and cheese choices, though not spectacular, were okay - just what I expected. Plastic glasses were used, though - but that might have been because we were...