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If Amtrak had the 1940s product for sale so often mentioned, they'd be packed. Just think. Get on a train in Chicago at 4.30pm. Have a cocktail and a big dinner. Meet friends in the lounge and party 'til 1am. Get some sleep, awake, have a shave by the train barber, breakfast, and be in NYC by 9am. When Amtrak started they had a 1920s product. They now are back to the 1870s. I've watched the whole thing unravel from day 1. Amtrak never really tried to improve the trains themselves until into the late 70s with the "Showcase Trains." Remember the Broadway "Train of the Stars where Legends are made?" Even that idea collapsed. Instead of keeping entire train sets together, they mixed em all up with different air condiioning and lighting systems. Then they worried about central, computerized reservations (OK that was good.) Then they had to get costumeware for the train crews. Names of train crew positions had to be changed. I remember a brochure that referred to the conductor as the "On-board Operation Officer," and the dining car chef as "The Food Specialist."they tried referring to tickets as "lift documents." But trains kept on being late, and instead of worrying about that, they printed up forms for people who arrived late. A lot of sizzle and no steak. As time has gone on the old head rail execs, who could understand the importance of passenger trains just passed on. Now we're left with this big shell that we lovingly call "Modern railroading." And no one seems to remember Amtrak's beginning and it's underlying reason for creation. I want to use railroad service from Chicago to New York, and so do a lot of others. The public thinks it's the medium that's bad, when it's the history and lack of thinking in the use of it that stinks. <br />Mitch
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