What is the longest anyone has been on the train?

[BigBlueBuddha]

By longest I mean time-wise. For me, its was my Texas Eagle trip from Chicago, IL to Ontario, CA (~68 hrs. 30 min. running just a tad late). Having read some of the travelogues, I know that some of you have this beat by a mile. Who's been on the longest, either by fortune or design? Has anyone been on longer than 2 continuous weeks including layovers?

To make it a little more interesting, it could be broken down into a couple of subcategories:

1) Longest continuous train sojurn.

2)Longest continuous train sojurn, but allowing up to say 6 hr (8 hr?) shore time in a waiting area, lounge, restaurant, etc. to change trains.

3) Longest time overall with extended shore time (e.g. a night in a hotel) allowed. But no more than 1 hotel night at a time, to be followed immediately by more train time.

 

[Rafi]

Well, this might not QUITE qualify since I spent *two* nights in layover waiting for the Sunset, but here was my itinerary from 2007:

Sep 26: Acela BAL-BOS; Downeaster BON-POR

Sep 27-28: Downeaster POR-BON; Lake Shore Limited BOS-CHI

Sep 28-30: Empire Builder CHI-PDX

Sep 30-Oct 1: Coast Starlight PDX-LAX; Pacific Surfliner LAX-SAN

Oct 2: San Diego Light Rail to Tijuana and back

Oct 3: Pacific Surfliner SAN-LAX

Oct 3-Oct 6: Texas Eagle LAX to CHI

Oct 6-7: City of New Orleans CHI-NOL

Oct 8: Crescent NOL-ATL

Oct 9-10: Crescent ATL-BAL

That was two weeks exactly, the way it worked out. I should note that from LAX to NOL, because the Texas Eagle was still interlining with the City of New Orleans back then, I was able to ride in the SAME BEDROOM the entire trip (Oct 3-Oct 7; 5 days-4 nights), which is a record somewhere, I'm sure.

Rafi

 

[Shanghai]

My longest single train ride was in February 2007 on the Cardinal from NYP to IND for 27 hours.

 

[pennyk]

In 2007, I traveled from Orlando to MSP (Silver Meteor, CL, EB) and approximately 57 elapsed from the time I left Orlando until I arrived in St. Paul. However, in 2010, I plan to take a 2 week cross country trip, with 4 nights in hotels (1 in Denver, 2 in Seattle and 1 in Essex, MT).

 

[wayman]

My longest single train ride was in February 2007 on the Cardinal from NYP to IND for 27 hours.

My longest multi-leg trip, which included my longest single ride, was in June 2008:

Cascades, SEA-PDX

(two hour layover, maybe?)

Empire Builder, PDX-CHI (with a five-hour delay due to a flood detour)

(two hour layover, maybe? during which I was re-booked onto the LSL, having missed the Capitol)

Lake Shore Limited, CHI-NYP

(one hour layover?)

Regional, NYP-PHL

The EB was about 51 hours on the train, I think, and the whole thing, SEA to PHL, was about 85 hours.

When AlanB gets back, I think his current trip will leave Rafi in the dust and set an all-time record.

 

[NS VIA FAN]

My longest continuous trip on one train: VIA’s Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver: 75 hours and 3 nights in a sleeper.

(The trip is even longer now: 4 nights and add in the Ocean from Halifax and it’s now 5 nights coast to coast)

Longest time on a train with stopovers: 12 nights. I had a BritRailPass in the 1987 and would upgrade to a sleeper every night. It was a fraction of the cost of a hotel and there was still a variety of sleeper routes between London and several cities in Scotland, Wales and the West Country.

 

[Bob Dylan]

By longest I mean time-wise. For me, its was my Texas Eagle trip from Chicago, IL to Ontario, CA (~68 hrs. 30 min. running just a tad late). Having read some of the travelogues, I know that some of you have this beat by a mile. Who's been on the longest, either by fortune or design? Has anyone been on longer than 2 continuous weeks including layovers?
To make it a little more interesting, it could be broken down into a couple of subcategories:

1) Longest continuous train sojurn.

2)Longest continuous train sojurn, but allowing up to say 6 hr (8 hr?) shore time in a waiting area, lounge, restaurant, etc. to change trains.

3) Longest time overall with extended shore time (e.g. a night in a hotel) allowed. But no more than 1 hotel night at a time, to be followed immediately by more train time.

FWIW:I ll take option 3!In 2005 on a North American RailPass I traveled from San Marcos Texas to the East Coast/Canada and

back as follows:

SMC-CHI TE#22 (30hrs./30mins)

CHI-NYP LSL#48 (22 hrs.) /1 nite in cheap hotel

NYP-BOS/BOS-NYP Regionals/1 nite in Penn Station :lol: (24 hrs)

NYP-MTL The Adirondack (12 hrs)

MTL-TOR VIA-Constellation over night train(now gone! :angry: )(11 hrs)

TOR-Ottawa VIA Corridor (5 hrs)/1 night in hotel

Ottawa/TOR/NFLS VIA Corridor(9 hrs)(1 night in motel)

NFLS/OAK/Windsor VIA Corridor (7hrs)/1 nite in motel

DET-CHI Wolverine(Amtrak) (5 1/2hrs)

CHI-SMC TE#21 (32 hrs)

The only sleepers were MTL-Toronto/CHI-SMC/BC was NYP-MTL on the Adirondack

Total Time on trains: 143 hrs/3 nights in motels/1 night in NYP(not fun! :lol: )

 

[sky12065]

By longest I mean time-wise. For me, its was my Texas Eagle trip from Chicago, IL to Ontario, CA (~68 hrs. 30 min. running just a tad late). Having read some of the travelogues, I know that some of you have this beat by a mile. Who's been on the longest, either by fortune or design? Has anyone been on longer than 2 continuous weeks including layovers?
To make it a little more interesting, it could be broken down into a couple of subcategories:

1) Longest continuous train sojurn.

2)Longest continuous train sojurn, but allowing up to say 6 hr (8 hr?) shore time in a waiting area, lounge, restaurant, etc. to change trains.

3) Longest time overall with extended shore time (e.g. a night in a hotel) allowed. But no more than 1 hotel night at a time, to be followed immediately by more train time.

How about a little over 3 years! I believe this has been discussed here on AU some time ago, but you can read about it at the following: http://www.texfiles.com/eramay02/trainride.htm.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I spent 64 hours in coach... I think nobody has beaten the "longest straight time in coach" record.

 

[GG-1]

I was going to nominate The Traveler until I saw the previous post. Can we count train traveling in our dreams then I win. Or another question or 2 Who lives closest to an Amtrak Station and who lives farthest. Neil and I must tie for the later.

Aloha

Eric

 

[wayman]

I spent 74 hours in coach... I think nobody has beaten the "longest straight time in coach" record.

On a single train???

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I spent 74 hours in coach... I think nobody has beaten the "longest straight time in coach" record.

On a single train???

Whoops. Mistype. 64 hours--

Two-- a late EB that nearly missed its connection to the CL. We transfered without having a layover. The CL left CUS about an hour late and got stuck in a few holes en route to ALC. Runtime for the EB was 52 hours, the CL took another 12 hours.

 

[tp49]

Who lives closest to an Amtrak Station and who lives farthest. Neil and I must tie for the later.
Aloha

Eric

I might win the former at 4 blocks.

 

[Bob Dylan]

By longest I mean time-wise. For me, its was my Texas Eagle trip from Chicago, IL to Ontario, CA (~68 hrs. 30 min. running just a tad late). Having read some of the travelogues, I know that some of you have this beat by a mile. Who's been on the longest, either by fortune or design? Has anyone been on longer than 2 continuous weeks including layovers?
To make it a little more interesting, it could be broken down into a couple of subcategories:

1) Longest continuous train sojurn.

2)Longest continuous train sojurn, but allowing up to say 6 hr (8 hr?) shore time in a waiting area, lounge, restaurant, etc. to change trains.

3) Longest time overall with extended shore time (e.g. a night in a hotel) allowed. But no more than 1 hotel night at a time, to be followed immediately by more train time.

How about a little over 3 years! I believe this has been discussed here on AU some time ago, but you can read about it at the following: http://www.texfiles.com/eramay02/trainride.htm.

Pretty amazing Joe,most people along the coast died or left and never came back,Im also amazed that

they could get the train running again, they dont build them like that anymore! :lol:Waiting on the traveler

to sign in,Im sure he might have the longest trip on AGR points!

 

[the_traveler]

Waiting on the traveler to sign in,Im sure he might have the longest trip on AGR points!

Present! :lol:

Longest on AGR points was PDX-SAC-CHI-CVS-NOL-SAS-CHI (again)-WAS-KIN!

I lost count, but I think it was something like 10 days, 8 nights!

Next month, it will be PDX-SAC-OKJ-(SFC)-SBA-LAX-ONA-(SAS)-CHI-WAS-BHM-NYP-KIN for 10 days!

 

[DowneasterPassenger]

I can tell you the longest DELAY I've ever had on Amtrak: 5 days late.

This happened in January 2005 when I was staying in a hotel in San Francisco and headed to Philadelphia.

The night before I was about to board the CZ in Emeryville, Amtrak called me at 1am to say that the train was not running. Apparently there had been a rock slide. So I said, well, ok, what about tomorrow? They said no, it would not be running. What about the day after? They said, maybe. So I thought, 2 more nights in San Francisco is not so bad. I'll wait and see. +2 days.

The CZ did not in fact start running until a couple of weeks later, and it was not running 2 days after my scheduled departure. So I inquired about re-routing on the Chief. That train too was shut down because of flooding in L.A. Not to be discouraged from rail travel (I certainly wasn't going to get on a plane!) I decided to try the Empire Builder, which required another day to travel by the Starlight up to Portland. +1 day.

The EB in January was accumulating delays all the way to Chicago, and we arrived late at night, well past the connecting times for the eastbound LD trains. So in typical Amtrak style, I was offered a room and cash for meal and cabfare. But wait, I said, I'm connecting to the Cardinal, which doesn't run for 2 more days! So they made it 2 nights and twice the cash. I got 2 nights in Chicago. +2 days.

Eventually I arrived at my destination 5 days later than planned.

 

[whistler]

Well there is poor old Charlie, I think he is still riding the MTA, okay local transport but still a train! Sixty years unless Walter A. O'Brien won and got Charlie off of the MTA. :lol:

http://www.mit.edu/~jdreed/t/charlie.html

 

[stntylr]

I spent 64 hours in coach... I think nobody has beaten the "longest straight time in coach" record.

Last week I was on the TE and the gentleman in the seat behind me was going from San Antonio to Providence RH by coach. If the train arrived on time it would be 63 1/2hours but if it was late he could have beat you.

This gentleman told me he used to be an engineer in a frieght yard for a chemical plant. He never drove a train out of the yard and this was the very first time that he had riden a train that he wasn't driving.

 

[GoldenSpike]

Longest continuous train sojurn.

Mine was on the longest railroad route in the world - Russia.

I took the Trans-Siberian Express from Moscow to Vladivostok. The route is 6,152 miles and takes 7 days through 7 time zones.

If one doesn't mind the lack of First Class, the stop-at-every-station train can be taken and takes 10 days.

(It was also an around-the-world trip: SEA-MSP-Amsterdam-Moscow-Vladivostok-Khabarovsk-Petropavlovsk-Anchorage-SEA (at the time (1997) Alaska Air was flying between Russia and Anchorage).

Next goal is Beijing - Moscow either through Mongolia or Manchuria. These two routes are only 4-5,000 miles in length.

 

[wayman]

I spent 74 hours in coach... I think nobody has beaten the "longest straight time in coach" record.

On a single train???

Whoops. Mistype. 64 hours--

Two-- a late EB that nearly missed its connection to the CL. We transfered without having a layover. The CL left CUS about an hour late and got stuck in a few holes en route to ALC. Runtime for the EB was 52 hours, the CL took another 12 hours.

My SEA-PDX-CHI-NYP-PHL was all in coach with no layovers. I'd do it again, but ideally next time without the stress of missing a connection.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Longest continuous train sojurn.

Mine was on the longest railroad route in the world - Russia.

I took the Trans-Siberian Express from Moscow to Vladivostok. The route is 6,152 miles and takes 7 days through 7 time zones.

If one doesn't mind the lack of First Class, the stop-at-every-station train can be taken and takes 10 days.

(It was also an around-the-world trip: SEA-MSP-Amsterdam-Moscow-Vladivostok-Khabarovsk-Petropavlovsk-Anchorage-SEA (at the time (1997) Alaska Air was flying between Russia and Anchorage).

Next goal is Beijing - Moscow either through Mongolia or Manchuria. These two routes are only 4-5,000 miles in length.

WOW!I do believe you win hands down!The traveler will probably want to know if they take AGR points

(do rubles trade @ double points plus bonus! :lol: )

Id love to make these tripsin FIRST CLASS!!!!

 

[jackal]

I was going to nominate The Traveler until I saw the previous post. Can we count train traveling in our dreams then I win. Or another question or 2 Who lives closest to an Amtrak Station and who lives farthest. Neil and I must tie for the later.
Aloha

Eric

If it was me you were thinking of, then you beat me handily.

I did the math once before and posted it (distance as the crow flies from my house to the VAC station), but I'm a good bit under 1,500 miles (ANC airport to SEA airport is 1,448, and both I and VAC are closer.)

You're over 2,300 miles!

Longest continuous train sojurn.

Mine was on the longest railroad route in the world - Russia.

I took the Trans-Siberian Express from Moscow to Vladivostok. The route is 6,152 miles and takes 7 days through 7 time zones.

If one doesn't mind the lack of First Class, the stop-at-every-station train can be taken and takes 10 days.

(It was also an around-the-world trip: SEA-MSP-Amsterdam-Moscow-Vladivostok-Khabarovsk-Petropavlovsk-Anchorage-SEA (at the time (1997) Alaska Air was flying between Russia and Anchorage).

Next goal is Beijing - Moscow either through Mongolia or Manchuria. These two routes are only 4-5,000 miles in length.

Envious! I'd definitely like to do that someday.

I'm curious about the differences between the Vladivostok and Beijing-via-Mongolia (or via Manchuria--haven't looked into that one at all!) trains. When you do get on to doing that, or if you have any insights now based on your research, please post some details for us! (I know they split west of Lake Baikal, which has always fascinated me, and so you get two different views of the lake. I also know they have to actually change the trucks (bogies, in European parlance) because of the change-of-gauge at the Mongolian border. I'm curious about the differences in service, quality, and, of course, the geography of the route!)

 

[rile42]

I've taken some trips that last about 7 days a few times....one though was:

Cleveland-Seattle by LSL and EB, stayed one night in Seattle

Seattle-Emeryville by CS

Emeryville-Cleveland by CZ and LSL

All by coach

 

[DowneasterPassenger]

Not only is the T-S the longest passenger train in the world, it is also the longest electric train in the world, putting our feeble WAS-BOS electrification to shame.

Deviations in the cantery in the Siberian tundra are a significant cause of accidents and mishaps. Think of a telephone pole planted in mud. I rode from Khabarovsk to Irkutsk with a Russian scientist in 1995. His group was working on a robot camera inspection system to monitor the position of the wire, and report any deviations.

Khabarovsk to Irkutsk was not much more than an Amtrak trip from Chicago to L.A.

My T-S journey was also part of an around-the-world trip with stops in Tokyo, Shikansen to Osaka and Niigata, Khabarovsk, Chita, Irkutsk, Moscow, Paris, and New York.

 

[sky12065]

Who lives closest to an Amtrak Station and who lives farthest. Neil and I must tie for the later.
Aloha

Eric

I might win the former at 4 blocks.

I don't know... I think the traveler might live at a train station! :lol: