Dr. Martha B. (Marty) Hale, a thirty-eight year veteran of public education in Georgia, blogs as TrainGranny. Marty taught school in Georgia for 20 years and was a school administrator for 18 years before her retirement in 2010. She is married and has two children and five grandchildren. One of her favorite pastimes is riding the train, which she often does with her grandchildren.
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Zephyr west - Starlight north - Builder east !!!August 3rd, 2012Some people say... this will be my best trip yet!TrainGranny on Facebook
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You might want to join NRHS — for details see NRHS.com
Thanks. I just joined!
Don’t ride with romantic notions. Train riding in the USA is interesting but long distance rail travel is a novelty in America outside of concentrated rail service on the east coast, west coast and around Chicago. Trainorders.com will likely bore you with endless banter on little details and unhappy trips. On the other hand if something interesting happens often reliable info will appear.
Enjoy your trip(s)!
Thanks, Jeff! I will try my best to stay grounded and keep an open mind. After all, I really don’t KNOW yet how crazy I am about long distance train travel! Can’t wait to find out, though!
I have enjoyed train riding since I can remember. I recall taking the train from Savannah to Atlanta many times. I long for the old days of great trains, but AMTRAK is all we have.
I was able to take a fantastic train trip, 4 years ago, from Santa Fe, NM to Jackson, WY on the GrandLux. It was like being on the luxury trains of the past. Food was great and the treatment was first class. GrandLux, sadly, went bankrupt 2 years ago. It is a shame you were not able to have enjoyed this experience. Since that trip, I just can’t enjoy the AMTRAK experience.
You may find the “I rode the Nancy Hanks” website on Facebook interesting.
Mike,
I will definitely check out the Nancy Hanks website! Thanks for the tip! If there is a good side to the Amtrak story, maybe (just maybe) increased Amtrak ridership due to gas prices will allow some of the more luxurious trains to be “reborn” and some of the Amtrak routes to be expanded. At least we can hope so! Sounds like you have had some grand experiences on the train!
Hi Train Granny,
Two sites you need to know about:
http://www.dixilandsoftware.com/Amtrak/Status/StatusMaps/
You can check up on status of any Amtrak train, almost real time.
Also, Amtrak has an APP that you can check on your train status from your train.
http://www.on-track-on-line.com/Amtrak-freqs.shtml
Once you have a scanner, before your trip(s) go here to printout the frequencies used at various sections along the way. It is fun to just “listen in on what is going on.”
Also, always remember, “A delayed train is just a longer train ride.” Delays DO happen.
Have fun !!!!
Bob
Thanks so much, Bob. I amazes me how many helpful hints keep coming my way. Going to check out these two sites right now!
Hi, Marty, What a novel idea. This inspires me to take a trip. The only long trip I made was with twenty five teenagers to New York and Canada. Needless to say, it was not a relaxing trip! Are you going to travel on the luxury trains? That would be fun. Good Luck and Happy Traveling!
Charlene
Thanks Charlene!
I’m not sure about any luxury trains in the USA at this point. I do want to travel on the Canadian, however, after I finish my round of Amtrak rides. The Canadian is supposed to be like the luxury trains that traveled here around 70 years ago. Thanks for checking out my blog!!
Read with interest your “train emergency” kit. Here are some suggestions I’d make for specific items.
–Heavy tape is a “must” to fix nocturnal squeaks, light leaks or bothersome sleeping car room rattles. DO NOT use “duct tape” for any purpose other than sealing air conditioning ducts. “Duct tape” is manufactured to stick forever, and if removed from an area, can often leave a gooey residue and (worse) peel paint or damage carpet. You want to call a camera store or good hardware store and ask for “gaffer tape” which is a universal fix-all specifically manufactured for photo/video/stage use….it is stronger than duct tape but formulated to hold like crazy for short-periods of time (days), then on removal, it is designed to leave no damage or residue for others to clean up. Some hardware stores have never heard it called “gaffer tape” but will stock a product that meets all these criteria and is NOT “duct tape.” It comes in rolls, and for a travel kit, you don’t need much of it. If you have a hard time finding it, call any local professional photography studio or wedding photographer and see if they can help you, they may simply be able to give you a few lengths of the stuff free. When I travel, I rip off a four or five-foot length of gaffer tape and wrap it carefully around something…a popsicle stick, tongue depressor or even an unsharpened pencil…and stash this tape supply in a pocket in a carry-on bag. It is the universal fix-all that I will not leave at home.
–No Swiss Army knife…too bulky. Simply buy one of the many “multi-tools” available in all shapes, sizes and prices, manufactured by Leatherman, Gerber and others….it’s a knife, pliers, screwdriver, bottle-opener, scissors…all in one. Another universal fix-all. Keep it with your gaffer tape.
–Foam earplugs. Buy a bunch…they are too easy to lose and there’s nothing worse than getting in a noisy situation your second night out and only having one earplug. In my town, there is a fellow named Howard Leight who owns a huge yacht and a helicopter that he can land on the top, a castle-like home with an ocean view and surrounding vineyard. Howard invented the foam earplug, so I am happy to assume he has helped millions get a good night’s sleep two plugs at a time.
–A good travel vest. Do investigate the product called the “Scottevest” invented by one Scott Jordan, and sold on his website scottevest.com. It comes in men’s and women’s cuts, has plenty of secure pockets without looking like a bulky, multipocketed vest.
–A flashlight. Small “AA” battery lights work best. Bring an extra set of batteries.
–Some travel gear resources on the internet:
http://www.cabelas.com
http://www.magellans.com
http://www.travelsmith.com
http://www.scottevest.com
http://www.redoxx.com
Thanks so mu for your suggestions. The gaffer tape sounds wonderful!
Dear Traingranny:
I wish you well in your travels. I work for BNSF as a locomotive engineer. I also have the priviledge of living in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota.
I often travel by Amtrak—just went to Minnesota for a granddaughter’s baptism. Most of those who work with me think I am nuts—-I have to drive to Ft. Morgan, CO or Williston, ND just to get the train. We are talking about 5-6 hour drive from here.
Nonetheless, I have enjoyed train travel all my life and I was lucky to ride a lot of trains prior to Amtrak.
To me, it is a most enjoyable way to go. What we have is what we have. I chose to make use of it.
I enjoy the people I meet and the crew members I have gotten to know over the years.
Consider getting a Rail Pass some time and taking off for a couple of weeks. I had one last winter for $389. Granted, I went coach but always managed to be presentable. And smell good!
Hope you will ride the Calif. Zephy soon out west or theEmpire Builder. The latter is my fav train.
Just remember—be patient and always hang out with positive people—not the whiners.
Your trip is what you make of it—-professional rails are always whiners—-I say you arrive exactly when you are supposed to—-as opposed to a predetermined timetable.
There is lots of America to see and Canada as well……go for it. See ya on the rails.
Bob Bye, Custer, SD
Thanks so much, Bob! I’m very excited about my upcoming trips. I love being retired, and I have decided to take full advantage of it! Indeed, I do hope we meet somewhere on the tracks! I have heard that meeting great people is half the experience!
Dear Traingranny;
As a conductor with Amtrak I wish you well on your adventure ! If at anytime you need a bit if inside info just drop me a line. As I have seen on your blog some folks have given you some good tips to help you on your quest.
If you ever get the urge to see the old west and the southwest U.S. take a trip on the Southwest Chief. who knows I might just be your conductor
Thank you Rich! I do want to go on the Southwest Chief! It’s one of the trips I’m hoping to complete in May if I can get the details straight! I want to go before the train stops going through the Raton tunnel. (At least there’s a lot of talk about that!) Thanks so much for offering to be a link to “inside info”!!!
Hi Marty. It’s me, Kerry. We met last week as my wife, son, and myself were on our way to Chicago on the Southwest Chief. This was the first time I had traveled by train for this far a distance and I came away with mixed emotions. I am a real sightseer so sitting in the observation car was a real treat for me. I’m sure it was also a treat for my wife since I have a tendency to observe even when driving. I will say for anyone who likes to take pictures or just watch the country side past by the train is the way to go. I tried reading several times but that didn’t work because either I couldn’t concentrate or the book was moving so much it was impossible to read a complete sentence.
Spending 43 hrs. on the train without being able to stop and explore the sights was a bit long for me. As the train rocked and rolled nearly all the time I was wondering why anyone would anyone want to ride long distance trains on a regular basis. Then after returning home and reliving the trip I have already started looking into where to go next on the train. Next trip I believe will be a bit shorter in duration though or one which we will get off after 24 hours for a day or two. We live on the west coast so maybe a couple trips to the northwest are in store.
I had several issues with the dining and facilities but have come to realize that when taking the train you need to keep in mind the train is not designed to be a 5 star accommodation. We did came away a bit sleep deprived but after two day we are back to normal. I learned that you take a number of cat naps during the day.
What is this about the Renton tunnel? It was neat going into it in one state and when you come out you are in a different state.
It was a pleasure meeting and talking to you. If I ever learn what facebook and twitter are I hope to follow your trips.
Best wishes,
Kerry
Thanks so much, Kerry, for looking up my blog. I enjoyed meeting all of you on the SW Chief. (If you follow the blog, you’ll get an email any time I post something. . . so, you can keep up with me that way even if not on Facebook or Twitter.)
When I first made the decision to try these trips, I wasn’t sure I would like the long distance part either. But, for me, it ended up being the most relaxing thing I think I’ve ever done. After three LONG trips, I’m even more excited about the next one, coming up in August!
Stay tuned! And, keep me posted about your next trip, too!
Hi Marty,
Thanks for the fast reply. Talking to you and having others read what I say is a real kick for me. I was the head announcer for eight airshows and participated in three others plus I have stood before a number of large groups and flapped my gums as the director of the event. I am not afraid to be before a group of people but what is different between trying to be cute and entertaining for five hours and posting on this site is when I was done talking everyone left and my words were soon history. Here, what I say can be viewed and relived for weeks, months, and even years. Wow!
While thinking of my trip and reading your blog I have come away realizing there are many different types of train riders. On my first trip I was a passenger going from point A to point B with a couple of dozen stops along the way. I was not riding the train for the joy or excitement of the event instead I was a piece of cargo going back to Michigan to celebrate my in-laws 65 wedding anniversary. Not that I didn’t enjoy my time on the rails but it was rather a continue search for what to do with myself next. Being the sight seer I am I did not want to miss a single rock formation or a fallen down shack next to the RR.
Not having ever been a tail traveler for 60+ years I didn’t know what to expect. I had never followed the history of the rail roads or the companies that developed this part of the American History. I had seen a little bit of the country while viewing it from a car window never giving a thought to why a certain town existed or had now become little more than a road stop. Until a week ago I only knew Route 66 use to be a major traveled route between Los Angeles and Chicago. Until I viewed it from the train last week I had never appreciated the history and prosperity it brought to the communities it passed through and the people who used it to migrate west. My trip starting in Los Angeles on May 16 was only to for transportation with who knews what thrown in.
Today I have a slight idea what I’d like to do next time I take the SW Chief, if that possibility arises. I know I’d like to get off in Flagstaff for at least a day and I definitely know I could spend a week exploring the stops in New Mexico. I saw a little cemetery nestled against the hills somewhere I believe was between Lamy and Las Vegas I’d like to visit if I could ever find how to get to it. I’d say you take your first trip on the SW to see where you’d like to stop off at on your next trip. My next trip will be as a passenger heading to nowhere in particular. Hope my wife would want to accompany me but she is more of the orderly type.
Now onto attempting to figuring out how to sign up for your blog. Sure was easier when teaching at college ’cause all I had to do was ask my students or the dep’t computer tech.
Safe travels,
Kerry
It will be fun even if your wife decides not to go. My husband went with me on my first trip; and, let’s just say. . . he would rather fly! But, that’s OK!!
Good morning Marty,
Perhaps my wife and your husband will meet up some day on an airplane. Me, I’m out for the adventure while my wife just wants to get to where ever it is that she is going. On our trip she spent 85% of the time reading while I spent 90% of my time taking in the view and snapping pictures. Last night I down loaded the pictures I took from the camera to the computer. Over 300 pictures with only ten of them being from the family gathering. I asked my wife how she could read when there was so much scenery to see. She replied that one hill looks like any other hill and one farm looks like the next farm. I gasped and started taking more pictures of another hill that was now ten miles from the last one I took a picture of. Some people just don’t belong in the observation car you know.
See ya,
Kerry