New member, hello world!

[turtlypo]

Hi everyone! I'm a new member to AU and relatively new to passenger rail in general.

My Amtrak experience is pretty limited; I grew up in California and rode the Coast Starlight from LA to San Jose in coach once as a kid. Recently, I went on my first sleeper and rode the City of New Orleans 59. Planning to take the Cardinal sometime this summer as well!

Currently I live in South Bend, IN and have been using the South Shore Line a lot. Excited about all the recent double tracking near Michigan City, hoping for even more improvements through to South Bend.

 

[pennyk]

Welcome to Amtrak Unlimited.

 

[Trollopian]

Welcome, turtly! I envy you and others who had even one train ride as a kid. I had zero, zilch, nada, unless you count the kiddie train at Kennywood. I'm very much making up for that in adulthood. South Bend is a great (well, could be greater if not for delays, but still) hopping-off point to CUS and thus most of Amtrak's transcontinental network.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I envy you and others who had even one train ride as a kid. I had zero, zilch, nada, unless you count the kiddie train at Kennywood.

I grew up along the Santa Fe mainline so trains were part of everyday life. I was wired for train spotting and there was a lot more variety in rolling stock and motive power back then so it worked out great. Some of my earliest memories are exploring the local rail yard and riding Amtrak. We even had a field trip on Amtrak in elementary school. It seemed normal to me back then but I've since discovered most Americans never rode trains outside of fairs and theme parks.

 

[Willbridge]

Hi everyone! I'm a new member to AU and relatively new to passenger rail in general.

My Amtrak experience is pretty limited; I grew up in California and rode the Coast Starlight from LA to San Jose in coach once as a kid. Recently, I went on my first sleeper and rode the City of New Orleans 59. Planning to take the Cardinal sometime this summer as well!

Currently I live in South Bend, IN and have been using the South Shore Line a lot. Excited about all the recent double tracking near Michigan City, hoping for even more improvements through to South Bend.

Welcome! As a South Shore rider, you might enjoy my dad's quick 8mm views of IC Electric and the South Shore.

 

[turtlypo]

Welcome! As a South Shore rider, you might enjoy my dad's quick 8mm views of IC Electric and the South Shore.

Wonderful! I'm so amazed at how much they got right for passenger rail from so long ago. Level boarding, overhead catenaries, downtown to downtown.

 

[Joe from PA]

Most of my train riding as a kid was on the Lackawanna going to high school every day from Peapack-Gladstone to Bernardsville NJ. Never did a over-nighter on a train until I was 72 (Phila to Ft. Lauderdale, FL on the Silver Star).

 

[Trollopian]

Most of my train riding as a kid was on the Lackawanna going to high school every day from Peapack-Gladstone to Bernardsville NJ. Never did a over-nighter on a train until I was 72 (Phila to Ft. Lauderdale, FL on the Silver Star).
View attachment 36312

I think the upcoming generation can grasp "antique forms of transportation" (the VW bug, station wagon, old railcar), but that tall red box will flummox them.

 

[Rasputin]

I think the upcoming generation can grasp "antique forms of transportation" (the VW bug, station wagon, old railcar), but that tall red box will flummox them.

I think that is the waiting room for passengers at stations that had little ridership. The trouble was that you usually had to stand.

 

[Joe from PA]

I think the upcoming generation can grasp "antique forms of transportation" (the VW bug, station wagon, old railcar), but that tall red box will flummox them.

The "tall red box" was removed for the shooting of "The Miracle Worker" staring Ann Bancroft in 1961.

 

[Siegmund]

I think the upcoming generation can grasp "antique forms of transportation" (the VW bug, station wagon, old railcar), but that tall red box will flummox them.

Indeed it will! I've only ever seen blue ones.