DaveVan, the only way you could have left Ashland by train was on the C&O. You probably rode the Big 4 on to Chicago, and if you had a through sleeper, that was the way you went. The other possibility between Cincinnati and Chicago was the PRR (unless you took an indirect routing, with a change or two)..
Johnny
Less than 2 weeks ago I rode behind the Tornado at 75 mph from Euston station in London to Kidderminster, the home of the Severn Valley Railway. I've also done the Great Central, the Keighly and Worth Valley and last March, the Mid-Hants. The Brits, bless 'em, they do steam right! They ought to since they invented the whole thing and all of them had real ale on board and that is the way to travel!
I'll keep it short, I'm 76 years old and have never "directly" worked for any Railroad.
As a child of 4 or 5 my mother would take the train to Boston from Providence to do her shopping. The shuttle train was The New Haven Railroad's "Comet". A light weight aluminum train that ran at 95 mph, I remember that train in detail.
At the start of my working days I would take the morning local to Boston and try to time it to get the New Haven's "Merchants Limited" back to Providence, 5PM departure.
My Amtrak era started in 1985 when my work took me to New York and Washington. The train of choice, "Metroliner Service". Yes, one "Metroliner" made it all the way to New Haven ariving in the evening. It left the next morning for Washington before 6AM, into DC before noon.
I have ridden many New Haven trains and lots of MBTA Boston or MNR New York Commuter Rail. You meet people and that opens doors. This has led to escorted cab rides on "Corridor Trains" including the "Acela". Even the cab rides required Safety Training first. I have had two lessons on Road Diesels and one on a Steam Locomotive.
We have lots of Passenger Trains in the Northeast!
Don U. TCA 73-5735
I have lead such a sheltered life.
EL Phoebe Snow
Amtrak Crescent
NCRR/Amtrak Carolinian
NCRR/Amtrak Piedmont
Special Autumn Train excursions from the NC Transportation museum. All day trip with Amtrak power and beautifully restored private cars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDqkA7dS7Q4&feature=related
Commuter trains from Chicago to North Chicago
and several cities' subway and light rail trains.
Next week I am taking the grandchildren from Charlotte to DC on the Amtrak Crescent again.
Incidentally, DaveVan, it still only costs $10 to go from Charlotte to Salisbury on the Piedmont.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
I don't know if I have a complete list of non class 1 trips.
First trip I remember is from Ashland Ky to Chicago and then Super Chief to LA in 1960. Dad can't recall what RR it was from Ashland to Chicago and I was to young to care....I just was thrilled to be on a train! Maybe some more knowledgeable here can help.
A number of trips from LA to Davis Ca during the 1960's on the SP IIRC.
Another trip LA to Davis in 1973 on the still new Amtrak.
A number of trips on the SRR Crescent just to ride it. Often rode from Charlotte to Salisbury for $3 round trip even into the Amtrak era. A great ride behind apple green E-8's!
Amtrak cardinal from WSS to Charlottesville and then Crescent to Charlotte a few times.
Amtrak Cardinal from WSS to Huntington WV 4 times while the kids were in school at Marshall U.
Last trip was WSS to LA and back in April may of this year. Lots of words and pictures at website below.
'Tourist' railroads from coast to coast. I now live near Cass WV and ride a lot.
I was also an engineer at the Carowinds theme park 1974-75 running a 1880 2-6-2 and a Crown 1970 era 4-4-0 3 ft train....round in circles for an unknown number of miles!
6000 miles on Amtrak in words and pictures www.currtail.com
Being a little younger than most of the other posters on here, my list is somewhat smaller:
Pre-Amtrak:
Empire Builder/North Coast LTD/Morning Zephyr - CBQ - Prairie Du Chien, WI to East Dubuque, IL (1968 and 1970)
Amtrak:
Blackhawk (Round Trip Dubuque, IA - Chicago) 1978
Empire Builder (Twin Cities - Glasgow, MT) 1978
Empire Builder (Round Trip La Crosse, WI - Glasgow, MT) 1981
California Zephyr (Round Trip Ottumwa, IA - Denver) 1994
California Zephyr (Denver - Omaha) 1995
California Zephyr (Round Trip Omaha - Denver) 2002
Trains I've Seen (And WISH I Had Been Able To Ride)
UP-MILW "Cities" trains at Marion, IA
IC Hawkeye at Manchester, IA
Though I'm older than Johnny I can't begin to approach the number of trains he's ridden. But I think I can come in 2nd to him and it'll be fun to try to remember them all. I made round trips on a number of these and rode some up to at least 10 times.
Golden State Ltd. - Chi-ElPaso
San Diegan - SD-LA
Eagle - Marshall & Texarkana-St.L
Will Rogers - StL-Newburg
Frisco #6 - Newburg-StL
Alton Ltd - Chi-StL
Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr - Chi-Omaha
American Royal Zephyr - Chi-KC
Valley 400 - Chi-Appleton
CNW #244/212 - Appleton-Chi
Southern Belle - Shreveport-Baton Rouge
Dixie Flagler - Chi-Danville
Shawnee - Danville-Chi
City of Miami -Chi-Jax
City of New Orleans, Seminole, Louisiane, Creole, Southern Express - Chi-Champaign
Daylight - Chi-StL
Bluebird - Chi-StL
Wabash #2&3 - Lafayette-Danville
Georgian - Atl-Chi
Phoebe Snow - Summit-Chi
20th Century Ltd - Chi-NY
James Whitcomb Riley, Sycamore, Carolina Spcl - Chi-Lafayette
NYC #410/438 - Lafayette- Cincy
Ohio State Ltd - NY-Columbus
Penn-Texas - NY-Indy
Congressional - NY-Balt
Manhattan Ltd. Chi-Pittsbg
Broadway Ltd - Pittsbg-NY
Long Island #? - NY-Oyster Bay
South Wind - Chi-Jax
Colonial - NY-Bost
Gilt Edge - Bost-NY
West Coast Champion - Jax-Bradenton
ACL #89 - Jax-Tampa
Southland - Tampa-Gary
New Royal Palm - Cincy-Jax
Peach Queen - NY-Greensboro
Carolina Spcl - Winston Salem-G'boro
Asheville Spcl - Winston Salem-G'boro
Un-named Interurban trains:
CSS&SB - Chi-Tremont
CNS&M - Chi-Milw
ITC - Danville-Decatur
Additionally I commuted daily for several years each on trains of the following roads:
IC - Homewood-Harvey & Chi
Burlington - Naperville & Downers Grove-Cicero
E-L - Madison-Hoboken
H&M - Hoboken-NY
I've probably missed a few others but this is the best list I can come up with without overworking my feeble brain.
Mark
In pre Amtrak days:
20th Century Limited, Wolverine, Chicagoan, Ohio State Limited. Cleveland Limited, The Southwestern, Corn Belt Rocket, Rocky Mountain Rocket, Twin Star Rocket, Des Moines Rocket. Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Congressional, George Washington, California Zephyr, Denver Zephyr, CoastDaylight , Zephyr/Rocket. El Capitan, NorthCoast Limited, Empire Builder, Morning Zephyr and the worst train ever Santa Fe's Grand Canyon. All the rest were fantastic. Does not include Long Island, NYC, Erie Lackawana and NewHaven commuters.
Amtrak: California Zephyr, Southwest Chief, Silver Star, Broadway Limited, Capitol Limited, lake Shore Limited, Amtrak California
I read every body's list rather quickly and didn't see Auto-Train.
I rode the Eugene Garfield Auto-Train in it's first year from Sanford to Lorton without an automobile. I knew several of the employees who left SCL in Jacksonville when Auto-Train started. They pulled some strings to get me on the train. Took a cab to Washington, D.C. and rode the Metroliner for the first time. In 1996 or 1997, Madge and I took Amtrak's Auto-Train from Sanford to Lorton when we took my recently deceased father's car to Michigan for my sister.
Mel Hazen; Jax, FL Ride Amtrak. It's the only way to fly!!!
I've ridden the following
Panama Limited-IC
City of Los Angeles-UP
The General-Pennsy
The Admiral-Pennsy
The Edison-Pennsy
The Flambeau 400-C&NW
My dad was a Pullman Agent out of Chicago..I've been on almost too many Chicago based trains to mention, but "rode" the above..
Hey Mark,
I've ridden the following:
Panama Limited- IC
Flambeau 400-C&NW
The General- Pennsy
The Admiral- Pennsy
The Edison- Pennsy
The City of Los Angeles- UP
Hiawatha (includes my first ever passenger train ride in 1971 from Sturtevant to Chicago & back, going to Chicago the train was pulled by a former PC F7)
Broadway Limited - Crestline, OH - Chicago & back
Empire Builder - St. Paul - Milwaukee & back, St. Paul - Minot & back
Metra:
Chicago - Elgin & back (only once)
Virginia Rwy:
Manassas - DC & back (only once)
Falcon48 You all realize, of course, that this question is a disguised attempt to determine how ancient the people are who participate in this forum. Based on the answers to date, some of you must be genuine fossils. Not wanting to admit that I am myself a fossil, I will refrain from providing my list, except to say that I rode the North Shore Line many times in its last 3 years.
You all realize, of course, that this question is a disguised attempt to determine how ancient the people are who participate in this forum. Based on the answers to date, some of you must be genuine fossils. Not wanting to admit that I am myself a fossil, I will refrain from providing my list, except to say that I rode the North Shore Line many times in its last 3 years.
Fossils? Maybe. But not stoned! And we do remember when it was enjoying the pleasures rather than the pressures of riding trains!
RIDEWITHMEHENRY is the name for our almost monthly day of riding trains and transit in either the NYCity or Philadelphia areas including all commuter lines, Amtrak, subways, light rail and trolleys, bus and ferries when warranted. No fees, just let us know you want to join the ride and pay your fares. Ask to be on our email list or find us on FB as RIDEWITHMEHENRY (all caps) to get descriptions of each outing.
Man, am I a novice!
All my trips have been on Amtrak, the first when I graduated high school in 1978 (not counting a short hop from Ocala to Waldo (the next stop north) just to ride the train.
Here, to the best of my recollection, are the trips:
"Floridian" - Ocala to Chicago
Amtrak Turboliner - Milwaukee to Chicago
"California Zephyr" - Chicago to Reno (back when the train had to back up from Denver to Cheyenne!)
"Silver Meteor" - Ocala to Washington, D.C.
All of the above were part of my graduation trip. My aunt gave me two 14-day RailPasses as a graduation present. My brother and I went to Reno via Chicago, with a stopover in Milwaukee to see our sister. My brother had to return to work before the passes expired, so my mom and I used up the passes with a trip to D.C. A kindly Amtrak employee let me onto the platform at Union Station in D.C., where I got to see (and photograph) the Black Jack GG-1 4935 (in Pennsy livery) and the Southern Crescent behind four Green E-8s.
"Floridian" - Ocala to Sebring. Took the last southbound run to Sebring, then hopped aboard to last northbound run back home.
"Silver Meteor" - Ocala to New York City. I rode coach on the trip north, but splurged on an upgrade to a roomette for the return trip.
"Silver Star" - Ocala to New York City. On my second trip to the Big Apple, mom and I rode Slumbercoach. On the return trip, we ate in Amtrak's prototype Viewliner dining car.
"Silver Meteor" - Miami to New York City. Went to see "Rent," and splurged on a Viewliner sleeper compartment.
"Silver Star" - Miami to Ocala. A Christmas trip home when I lived in the Keys.
"Sunset Limited" - Lake City to New Orleans. While working as a copy editor/substitute reporter for a Lake City newspaper in 2003, I suggested we do an article on the "Sunset." To my surprise, my editor not only agreed to do the story, she sent me and our photographer on a day trip to New Orleans with orders to write about the experience. Not only did I get an all-expenses (including diner meals) paid train ride, I got to do a phone interview with then-Amtrak President David Gunn, and resulting story won us a Florida Press Association award!
Not a long or storied list, but all the trips were memorable.
Wow!!! Some of the pre-Amtrak lists are fantastic!!
Balt ACD wrote "Also got to ride The El Capitan equipment when it was making its press tour of the East Coast." I know these cars are not as tall as Superliners -- were they able to travel on the Northeast Corridor? I have ridden the Pacific Parlour several times, and there was once a former El Capitan transition car on Amtrak's Inter American between Superliners and a standard sleeper.
I'll start with my list of tourist railways:
Lahaina Kaanapali and Pacific
Oahu Railway
Portland Riverfront Streetcar
Durango And Silverton
Grand Canyon
Strasbourg
Mount Washington Cog Railway
Wolfeboro, NH
Steam train across Scottish highlands (actually a main line route, but it was a tourist train and we rode in the observation car)
"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood." Daniel Burnham
A small but fun list...some of my rides can be found eslewere in these forums.
I have ridden...and in fact conduct escorted tours on...all the commuter lines in and out of New York City, and to Philadelphia and Atlantic City...mainly those available in the last 20 years. Plus an Amtrak ride from NYP to Stamford, Ct on the Vermonter and a round trip from NYP to Poughkeepsie, NY on unnamed trains Under New Haven and Penn Central did Springfield, MA to Philadelphia on the remnants of the Montrealer and the Executive returning via the Patriot and the Ethan Allen (changed at Bridgeport, Ct). A few months earlier had done the last northbound B&M from Springfield to Greenfield and return, again a remnant of the Montrealer. Had a great fun trip Plainfield, NJ to Baltimore, MD and return on the B&O Royal Blue back in the late fifties followed by a Dover, NJ to Scranton and return on DL&W's Phoebe Snow westbound and milk train #44 eastbound. There were several Phoebe Snow Dover to Owego, NY trips during the college years, plus an EL #25 to Owego from Dover and #8 Atlantic Express from Owego to Hoboken return. (Back to Denville on deadhead move with friendly EL employees that time.) Even had a ride on the Freedom Train of '76 from Corning to BIngahmton, NY as well as several fan trips and tourist operations. I have also been told that in 1943, at about 3 months old, my mother and I were removed from a Capitol Airlines plane in Chicago in favor of military personel thus continued our NY to Sacremento trip via the Sante Fe to meet my father; a miltary move from Marysville (Grass Valley), CA, to Brownwood (Camp Bowie), TX for my father in January of 1944 meant we followed by train and by March as he went to German Mom and me went by train back to NYC. But that was all before I was a year old, so I don't remember and so it doesn't count, does it.
San Joaquin - Amtrak, Bakersfield to Sacramento
California Zephyr - Amtrak, Sacramento to Denver (coach)
Tourist:
Virginia and Truckee - Virginia City to Gold Hill
I must be a rookie.
Heartland Flyer
Texas Eagle
Metra
DART
Trinity Rail Express
CTA "L"
Ann Rutledge
Lincoln Service
TOURIST LINES
Midland Railway Baldwin, Kansas
Oklahoma Railway Museum OKC, OK
Arkansas & Missouri RR Van Bueren, Arkansas
ES&NA Eureka Springs, Arkansas
FAMOUS TRAINS I'VE SEEN
UP 844 Chickasha, Oklahoma
Barnum & Bailey Circus Train OKC, OK
BNSF Bussiness Car Train OKC, OK
ART Train Norman, OK
ART Train OKC, OK
USPS Train OKC, OK
Frisco 1522 Somewhere In Missouri
Mine is a bit shorter....
Baltimore & Ohio-
The Capitol Limited
The National Limited
The Royal Blue Limited
The Shenandoah
The Cincinnatian
CB&Q - Commuter runs
IC - The Panama Limited
L&N/SAL - The Gulf Wind
SAL - The Silver Metor & The Silver Star
ACL/FEC - The East Coast Champion
PRR - The Congressional & several unnamed trains
AMTK - Unnamed (or name forgotten) Baltimore/New York Runs
Also got to ride The El Capitan equipment when it was making its press tour of the East Coast.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Southern Pacific.
San Joaquin Dailight,
Coast Daylight.
Santa Fe.
San Diegan.
UP
City of Los Angeles.
D&RGW.
Rio Grande Zephyr,Durango,Silverton narrow guage.
Southern.
Southern Crescent.
BC Rail.
Caraboo Dayliner.
VIA.
LRC train,Toronto-Montreal.
Ferrocarril Pacifico.
El Costeno.
Sonora-Baja California.
El Mexicali.
Amtrak.
Starlight,
Sunset,Texas Eagle,
City of New Orleans,
Silver Star,Silver Meteor,
Metroliner Service(ICE train)
Rohr Turboliner,
Lake Shore limited,Both NY and Boston sections,
Adorandak.
Montrealer,
Broadway,
Lake Cities,
River Cities, Ann Rutledge,
Empire Builder,
Desert Wind,Pioneer,
San Diegan,
San Joaquin,
Spirit of California.
Answering the sleeper question, just going by memory without looking at travel logs, these were all one way starting: SW Limited in 1985 (renamed SW Chief 10/85), Empire Builder 1992, Zephyr 1998, TX Eagle 2006, Cardinal 2007, Sunset and City NO 2008. No finer way to travel on a overnight trip.
Had to get busy and dig out some more information for the list.
Empire Builder DBR/DBR/DBR/DBR/DBR/DBR/DBR/RMT/DUPRMT All Seattle - St. Paul Round Trip in each case
Western Star DBR/RMT Seattle - St Paul round trip in DBR Spokane - Seattle RMT
North Coast Ltd RMT Round trip Chicago - Seattle RMT
Mainstreeter Slumbercoach Chicago - Seattle round trip
Olympian Hiawatha RMT Milwaukee - Seattle Round Trip
Cascade RMT Seattle - Oakland Round trip
City of San Francisco RMT Omaha - Oakland One way
City of Portland RMT Portland - Omaha one way
Sunset Ltd DBR/DBR Los Angeles - New Orleans Round trip twice
Lark Rmt Oakland - Los Angeles Los Angeles - San Francisco
Canadian DR/DBR/DBR/DBR Vancouver - Montreal RT Vancouver - Toronto 3 RT
Super Continental DBR/DBR/DBR/ DBR/ DBR 5 RT Toronto - Vancouver
Panorama DBR Montreal - Winnipeg DBR Winnipeg - Vancouver
Ocean DBR/DBR/ DBR/ DBR/DBR/DBR Montreal - Halifax 6-RT
Scotian DBR Montreal - Cape Breton one way
Chaleur DBR Montreal - RT
Newfie Bullet LB Port Aux Basque - St. Johns one way
Cavalier DBR/DBR/DBR/ Toronto - Montreal numerous times
Twentieth Century Ltd. RMT Chicago - New York one way
Wolverine RMT New York - Chicago one way
Broadway Ltd. DBR Chicago - New York RT
Super Chief RMT Los Angeles - Kansas City round trip numerous times
California Zephyr RMT Salt Lake City - Chicago one way
Owl LB Los Angeles - Oakland one way
Florida Special DBR New York - Miami one way
Denver Zephyr DBR Chicago - Denver three times round trip
Montrealer RMT Washington - Montreal one way
American Royal Zephyr RMT Chicago - St. Joseph Round trip
Golden State RMT Kansas City - Los Angeles one way
Crescent Ltd RMT Philadelphia - New Orleans one way
Royal Palm Rmt Chicago - Miami via Cincinnati one way
Butte Special Rmt Salt Lake City - Butte round trip southbound only as far as Pocatello
Portland Rose RMT Pocatello - Portland one way
Kansas City Chief Rmt Chicago - Kansas City RT
Winnipeg Limited RMT St. Paul - Winnipeg RT
City of Los Angeles RMT Los Angeles - Salt Lake City one way
Texas Chief - RMT Kansas City - Houston RT
The above were all pre Amtrak.
I will have to dig out my Amtrak file another day as it is getting close to this old mans bedtime.
Al - in - Stockton
Some pretty impressive lists so far. I wouldn't be surprised if the five of us combined have logged well over half a million miles if we count both the intercity and commuting trips.
Let me add another wrinkle to the question; which of your trips were in a sleeper? Mine were:
Southland Tampa - Gary, IN - Open Sec. Upper Berth
Broadway Ltd. Pittsburg - NYC - Rmt.
Penn-Texas Newark - Indy (RT) - Rmt.
Phoebe Snow Summit, NJ - Chi (RT) - Dbl. BR
Southern Belle Shreveport - Baton Rouge - Rmt
Peach Queen/Carolina Spcl. Newark - Winston Salem (RT) - Rmt.
Ashland Ltd. Appleton, WI - Chi - Dbl. BR
Texas Eagle (TP/MP) Marshall, TX - StL (RT) - Dbl. BR
Abraham Lincoln/Will Rogers Chi - Newburg, MO - Open Sec. Lower Berth
Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr Chi - Omaha (RT) - Rmt.
American Royal Zephyr Chi - KC (RT) - Rmt.
Ohio State Ltd. NYC - Columbus (RT) - Rmt.
29th Century Ltd. NYC - Chi (RT) - Slumbercoach (poor man's sleeper)
Crusader - Reading
Wall Street - Reading
King Coal - Reading
Adirondak - Delaware & Hudson
Numerous Clockers - PRR, PC and Amtrak
Metroliner - PC
Turbotrain - PC
Canadian - Canadian Pacific
Polar Bear Express - Ontario Northland
International - Amtrak
The Pennsylvanian - Amtrak
Numerous Commuter Trains to get to work - Reading, PRR, PC, CNJ, EL, NJT, SEPTA (depending on where I lived and worked at the time)
Several PRSL trains to get from Philadelphia to Atlantic City.
Bullet - Philadelphia and Western
Fan trip on the Western Maryland from Baltimore to Elkins and back
New River Gorge train on the ex C&O
East Broad Top, Strasburg, Wanamaker Kempton & Southern, New Hope & Ivyland, Gettysburg Scenic, North Shore RR, Reading and Northern, Reading Blue Mountain and Northern, Stewartstown, Shamokin Valley, Arcade and Attica, and a few others I don't remember the names for.
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