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The Train

Bob Maxey

Android Expert
I am planning a trip that takes me from Salt Lake City, to California; from California to Chicago and Chicago to Salt Lake City.

Someone along the route should buy me lunch.:D

Any train crazy train lovers about?
 
I'd love to take the train cross country and back one of these days. It's so much more relaxing / less stressful than flying even if it takes longer. Too bad it's so expensive.
 
I am planning a trip that takes me from Salt Lake City, to California; from California to Chicago and Chicago to Salt Lake City.

Someone along the route should buy me lunch.:D
Where in California? :)

Any train crazy train lovers about?
I LOVE, love, love all things trains! My favorite Android game is Train Conductor 2 USA, and I play it every day. (I understand some people use their smartphones for phone calls. I don't know how that works. :confused: I get NO BARS in or near my house. :mad:) I used to play Railroad Tycoon on my computers.

If you're stopping over in the LA area, you might want to head to Griffith Park and take in Travel Town, which has an awesome collection of trains and stuff related to trains. :D
 
I hate the Metro! :p;)
I've only had one experience riding the train from DC to Providence back many years ago. There were huge delays and it was just awful. Flying generally isn't all that bad, at least in my experience. Will be sticking to that for now. :)
 
Flying generally isn't all that bad, at least in my experience. Will be sticking to that for now. :)
I used to fly a lot--reluctantly. I HATE flying. The first time I flew was when our baby was two months old and we took her to Florida to meet my husband's family. I THINK I drew blood in my husband's hand from pressing my fingernails into it so hard. :eek: For him--an Air Force veteran--the turbulence, the whole experience was just another day at the office. :rolleyes:

The LAST time I flew was when we went to our daughter's college graduation. We had turbulence before we even got off the ground. I'm not kidding, the plane was lurching left and right and we were still on the runway in the process of taking off. I swore off flying after that. And I've stuck to it! If I can't get somewhere by car, train, or boat, I'll live without it!
 
Thirty-plus years ago, I took a train, trains actually, from Oakland CA to Atlanta GA to Washington DC to Chicago IL to Seattle WA, then back to Oakland CA. Rode in coach the whole way. But that was then and I’ll never do it again.
 
For him--an Air Force veteran-- .. whole experience was just another day at the office

My dad spent two years in the Royal Air Force but never actually flew until he came to visit me in Singapore 50 years later. First time on a plane: 14 hours. Then a couple of days later, I (foolishly) took him to Australia for a long w/end!

By the time he got home, he'd clearly had enough of planes coz so far as I know, he never flew again.
 
My dad spent two years in the Royal Air Force but never actually flew
Seriously?! :eek: Wow. It's very different in the US. I hadn't met my husband yet when he was active duty (I was in elementary school at the time :D), but learned about his Air Force adventures over the years. He flew A LOT, including to Southeast Asia [during the Vietnam war], where he was injured. Luckily, they flew him to Edwards Air Force Base here in Southern California for surgery, and he stayed, renting a place in Hollywood, otherwise we'd never have met--he's from Florida!

until he came to visit me in Singapore 50 years later. First time on a plane: 14 hours. Then a couple of days later, I (foolishly) took him to Australia for a long w/end!

By the time he got home, he'd clearly had enough of planes coz so far as I know, he never flew again.
Oh my goodness! What a way to initiate someone into the wondrous world of flying...
 
Seriously?! :eek: Wow. It's very different in the US

My dad was an electrician by trade so in a rare moment of common sense, the air force made him a radar technician during his National Service. Unfortunately, this meant he wasn't even stationed on an airbase after training.

where he was injured. Luckily, they flew him to Edwards Air Force Base here in Southern California for surgery, and he stayed, renting a place in Hollywood, otherwise we'd never have met--he's from Florida!

So as it turned out, a very lucky injury - bet wasn't thinking that when it happened! :D

Oh my goodness! What a way to initiate someone into the wondrous world of flying...

Yeah .. the trip to Aus seemed like such a good idea at the time - Singapore's only good for a couple of days as a tourist (different if you live there, of course) and the rest of SE Asia would have been, well, a bit much for the old boy - he was just a tad conservative in his ways: didn't eat pizza until after he retired, thought garlic was ONLY for vampires and when we gave him curry (nowadays, the British national dish) we had to tell him it was spicy stew to get him to eat it.

Didn't really think through the time in the air, though.

Sorry - this has drifted quite some way from Bob's cross country train trip - which sounds awesome, BTW
 
Where in California? :)


I LOVE, love, love all things trains! My favorite Android game is Train Conductor 2 USA, and I play it every day. (I understand some people use their smartphones for phone calls. I don't know how that works. :confused: I get NO BARS in or near my house. :mad:) I used to play Railroad Tycoon on my computers.

If you're stopping over in the LA area, you might want to head to Griffith Park and take in Travel Town, which has an awesome collection of trains and stuff related to trains. :D

The schedule says Emeryville, CA. From there, on to Chicago then Chi Town to SLC. Or something like that.
 
Trains have changed. These days, they are really nice and comfy.

Yeh flying has changed as well, these days it can be so degrading and humiliating, with strip searches, questioning and interrogations, confiscations and seizures, etc.

I want to mee a mysterious woman, fall in love, solve a murder on the train and escape to Istanbul, dodging mobsters and hit-men all the way.

Chances are, I'll just play Angry Birds and nap allot.

Or write a book.

I much prefer trains to planes as well. A chance to relax, make new friends and see so much more of the country.
 
Trains have changed. These days, they are really nice and comfy.

Yep, the ride I was talking about, in the eighties, was nice but needed work. It made me give up on trains back then, because...

Trains were much nicer before Amtrak stuck their nose in. I took a Burlington California Zephyr from Chicago to Oakland. Beautiful silver one-level silver diesel, matching cars, twenty-row vistadomes, incredible thing. Flew across the midwest well over a hundred mph, then one of the last rides through Snake River Canyon in the Rockies.

As we got to Utah, it being July 20, 1969, we heard about the first moon landing... by telegraph. Best ride any kid ever had.
 
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