[PRCo] Re: train travel

[Ken and Tracie]

I stopped using Amtrak when I discovered employees were ridiculing railfans 
as being "foamers." I sensed the contempt for railfans before that and never 
let on I was a fan. I must admit, however, I enjoyed riding Amtrak from 
Milwaukee to Chicago from time to time.

I would then spend the day exploring the CTA rail lines and even took the 
SSL to South Bend. very enjoyable.

I may start using Amtrak again for intercity travel as I refuse to fly 
anymore. Not due to fear, but due to my political beliefs and opinions. I do 
not like the TSA's treatment of the traveling public.

Had the TSA been around during WW II, we would have probably been overrun 
with German and Japanese saboteurs or spies, while John Q. Public's attempt 
to travel would have been hamstrung.

K.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis F. Cramer" <dfc1 at windstream.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 5:02 AM
Subject: [PRCo] train travel


> Amtrak is a relaxing way to travel if you do not have a strict schedule to
> hold.  I know they are not the grand dames of old, but we will never go 
> back
> to that.  Just like the street railways, cross country passenger trains
> never made a profit, they had to take money from the freight side.
>
> The freight railroads today do not want to take Amtrak seriously as it is 
> a
> guest and the freight money still pays more.
>
> I have over 20,000 miles on Amtrak over the past 25 years and do not 
> regret
> doing it once.  I was born too late to enjoy the glory days, but then 
> again,
> so were all of us here.
>
> My first trip was in December of 1972 from Pittsburgh to Paoli on Penn
> Central/Amtrak.  The heat and electricity was off on half the train but
> spent the night in the cold, dark club car with 3 other people.  One was a
> retired PRR engineer who knew every whistle crossing across the state. 
> The
> moon was full and snow lay on the ground.  It could not have been a better
> introduction to rail travel.
>
> The down side of living in Pittsburgh is all of the trains come and go in
> the middle of the night since we are mid-way between NYC and Chicago.  The
> great Pennsylvania fleet did the same thing.
>
>
> Dennis F. Cramer
>      Trombone
>
>
>
>