Getting Restless...Time to Plan Some Train Travel

It's late September and only my second post of the year. Honestly, I haven't been playing chess or doing much of anything except my homework from the management courses and household chores. What a boring life! However, I am planning a small train trip from Kansas City, Missouri, to Los Angeles, California, to add some excitement to my daily routine. What a pity I didn't get a chance to ride the original ATSF Super Chief. Now that was a train to remember. It had all private rooms, meaning it was first class travel only. All meals were made to order from fresh ingredients and served on china plates in the diner car. As for me, I get a substitute from The National Rail Corporation, AKA Amtrak, that carries the name Southwest Chief. There will be no china plates and the meals will have a different method of preparation. This train isn't all first class travel either, it has both private rooms and coach seating. I went with a small private roomette that is a sitting room by day and a bedroom at night. All the meals are included in the price of the fare, which is good because I will be riding for over 37 hours and one must eat. Train travel is relaxing to me. You spend your time in lounge car sight seeing or enjoying an adult beverage. Also there is the aforementioned meals where you meet new people and enjoy a nice conversation. Of course, you can retreat to your room and read a book or have a quick shower. So I must get busy with my plans and book early to get the best fare.

A Short Amtrak Journey

Seeing such scenery was in my mind when I day dreamt about my retirement. I love to travel and visit new places and people. Even with my disabilities, I thoroughly enjoy getting out and about. So, the last week of September I purchased an Amtrak ticket and went to visit a small town in Missouri that reminds me of the Rhineland. The town of Hermann has rolling hills that provide the right climate for growing grapes and this area sports seven wineries. Of course, I went to a wine tasting, but the real purpose of the post is train travel in United States.


I took this photo aboard the Amtrak's River Runner. The train departed Kansas City's Union Station at 7:30 am for the four hour trip to Hermann. The first thing I noticed was the coach car's cleanliest. I can't report that it was spotless, but it was in very good condition and that includes the toilets. My seat was wide and comfortable and the ride superior to the European trains I rode during my visits to the continent. The River Runner name is apt because the rails following the Missouri River and scenes such as the one in the first photo present themselves during the trip. Additionally, this train doesn't have a Dining car, but does have a cafe car with picture window seating and you can find some good snack foods for a reasonable price. Service aboard Amtrak might not be the quality I experienced aboard the Queen Mary II, but it was far better than what I experienced aboard British Rail.

Just so we can compare and contrast the differences, here is a British Rail car. The first impression is that the cars are much more narrow. Same for the seats. Also the ride is harsher and you should bring a pillow or your rear might be a wee bit tired from the journey. British Rail did provide a cafe service and their trains are faster; this one did 125 mph routinely. Cleanliness was about the same as Amtrak in coach, but the toilets were appalling!

I plan to support Amtrak by traveling with them as much as I can. The passenger rail service in the United States was the envy of the world in the 1920's and I for one would like to see its glory return. As I child I read stories of rail travel that made my imagination dance in delight. I am sure many feel the same way as I. Please support our nation's passenger rail service so our children can delight in train travel in the future.