Ridin’ the Rails

I love to fly.  It truly is a miracle of travel that I can get on a plane at the Birmingham Airport and be on the ground in New York City in less than two hours.  But plane travel is not my favorite way to go.  My favorite is train travel.  And this weekend, I have gotten a very satisfying dose of it. 

Friday afternoon, I boarded train number 20, The Crescent, Amtrak’s New Orleans to New York long distance train.  I had arrived at the station around 2:20 and the station master was already announcing the arrival of the northbound train.  I headed up the steps to track number one and joined about 8 people who were bound for the sleeping car.  To the west, the bright headlight of the Amtrak Genesis engine was already visible.  I snapped several photos of the attractive locomotives pulling a baggage car, two sleeping cars, a diner, lounge car and several coach cars.  I was on board by 2:30 and settled into my roomette in a sleeper named Orchard View.  The emphasis is more on “ette” than room, but the space is actually plentiful.  The roomette has its own toilet and sink.  The sleeping car attendant Phil stopped by to familiarize me with t he accommodations, but I am plenty familiar, taking AMTRAK as often as my schedule allows. 

Departing on time, the line of steel coaches snaked out of the station on Morris Avenue and crept past Sloss Furnaces and through Irondale.  The forested hills of East Alabama now look like a slightly worn, but still beautiful and colorful coat of autumn splendor.  Anniston rolled by and then the sun began to set.  Familiar West Georgia town such as Temple, Bremen and Villa Rica passed outside the window.  Enjoyed a nice dinner in the dining car, with a passable and varied menu.  I chose the lamb shank and was not disappointed.  Phil let down my bed around 9:30 p.m., and I finished the morning forecast package on my laptop while I listened to my XM radio.  Lots of folks ride the train because they are afraid to fly.  I ride the train to experience with great gratitude the fact that we still have trains at all. 

 – Bill Murray