# Amish



## rtabern (Jun 20, 2007)

I was wondering if anyone knew the answer to is (it was asked by someone while I was doing a presentation for Trails and Rails in the lounge car).

Someone asked my partner and I --- if a family they saw boarding the train at La Crosse were Amish... I say that I thought so... but then another passenger said that an Amish person wouldn't use the train (or anything that ran with electricity) -- that they were more likely Menonite (?-sp).

So which is right?


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## RailFanLNK (Jun 20, 2007)

I always see people that I think are "Amish" but have been told they are Mennonites. I know of Mennonites that dress that way, but also dress like all of us dress. Thats a good question. Hopefully that can be answered.


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## PerRock (Jun 20, 2007)

I talked with some once when I was on the EB apparently Amish people can get an 'OK' to use the train for emergencies. they cannot use an airplane or a car (they can hire a driver/taxi) so for longer distances its easiest to use amtrak (another reason we need to keep her going). The family I talked to were on their way back from visiting a reative who had gone to mexico for some sort of operation. and had decided to take the EB home instead of something more direct (they lived in wisconsin).

HTH

peter


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## Larry H. (Jun 20, 2007)

Many amish travel by rail just as they pay people to move them about in cars and trucks.. I saw a lot on the Empire Builder and at Union Station in Chicago.. Also see them on the Illinois trains on ocassion. Amish sects vary from place to place depending on the Elders interperatation of modern....Some might not, others do.


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## printman2000 (Jun 20, 2007)

I think most of who are seen on Amtrak are Mennonite families.


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## PerRock (Jun 20, 2007)

printman2000 said:


> I think most of who are seen on Amtrak are Mennonite families.



In the contrary all the Amish/Mennonite people I've _met_ on the train have been amish. that doesn't mean that isn't mennonite people using amtrak. I just tink that statement is a bit false.

peter


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## printman2000 (Jun 20, 2007)

If you notice I said "I THINK" which, unless I lied cannot be false. 

Granted, I do not have too many Amtrak miles, but the ones I have come across had nice watches and cell phones, which I would think would be Mennonite. At least from my limited knowledge of the two, that makes sense.


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## RailFanLNK (Jun 20, 2007)

I live in Lincoln and there's a fairly good sized Mennonite community in the Milford NE area that dresses that way and then another large Mennonite community in the Henderson NE area that dresses like us. In Henderson, you still cannot buy liqour or sell it in the hamlet. I know one guy who goes to a Pizza Hut outside of Henderson, gets "dark" beer at the pizza place and has them put it in a Pepsi glass so it looks like Pepsi!


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## gswager (Jun 20, 2007)

In SWC, they're Amish. They went to Mexico (somewhere Tijuana) for their vacation. It's a popular for them. I talked to them before in dining car which it is very interesting conversation, esp. the way he eat with his hands, not knife, over steak. Actually, he just used hands to pull steak into pieces. One early morning while I was in sleeper car, I noticed an Amish lady was reading book, so I'm assuming that they're early riser to prepare breakfast back home.

In my area where I live, there are Mennonites which they drive their own cars. Ladies are required to wear homemade dress (any style) and a yarmulka (skullcap). Mennonites don't involved heavily with high-tech technology, just basic life in the 1950s. However, they do use cellphone.


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## blueman271 (Jun 20, 2007)

I went down to Amish country a few years ago, and was surprised to learn that the Amish can in fact ride in cars, trains, etc. as long as they aren't the ones driving or operating said mode of transportation.


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## AKA (Jun 20, 2007)

Many Amish on the CL. Mostly west of PA. Many board in Cleveland Ohio. Large Amish settlements in Ohio. Trains are good for them for LD travel.Southbend and Elkhart are big stops for them. One trip to CHI 13 Amish of all ages boarded in CLE. The older kids take care of the younger ones. Not a bit of noise or carrying on. Very quite and well behaved Whis all pax where as nice.


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## had8ley (Jun 20, 2007)

Larry H. said:


> Many amish travel by rail just as they pay people to move them about in cars and trucks.. I saw a lot on the Empire Builder and at Union Station in Chicago.. Also see them on the Illinois trains on ocassion. Amish sects vary from place to place depending on the Elders interperatation of modern....Some might not, others do.


I, too, have noticed quite a few Amish in Chicago. I once saw a group of about 30 in the Great Hall just standing around and apparently waiting on an outbound train. They are not hard to spot.


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## sechs (Jun 20, 2007)

There are several orders of Amish, from the most conservative, who wouldn't touch a light switch to save their own life; to the more liberal, who are much like regular people, but keep to themselves. Since there are no overarching authorities, what is allowed and disallowed varies from community to community and, eve, church to church.

All Mennonites are Amish, at least in origin, but belong to more liberal orders. Nearly all Mennonites would be allowed to ride the train. A considerably smaller percentage of more conservative Amish would. In most cases, exceptions are made for dire situations, such as to go get acceptable medical treatments.


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## Larry H. (Jun 21, 2007)

Actually the "All Mennonites are Amish" has it backwards.. The Amish split from the Mennonites, not the other way around as many suspect.. Mennonites weren't strict enough to suit the founder of the Amish sect.. This is from the history of the divison as accounted on the Global Annabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Website.

"1t is fair to say that the Amish party was a deviation from the main body inasmuch as they introduced two practices which were foreign to historical Swiss Mennonitism, namely, Meidung and footwashing, as well as more rigid regulations on matters of costume. Ammann and his party represent a rigidly conservative point of view which insisted upon sharp discipline and inflexible adherence to the practices which they considered essential to a true Christian church."

Basically they split from the mother church which was the Mennoite one..

Amish do travel by train, and most wear the dark blue bonnets and long sleeve and long length dark dresses. Most mennonite women wear a clear plastic bonnet and will wear a near knee length light color or print fabric with elbow length sleeves.. There surely are some variations on that but its pretty much a determinaton of whom your observing.


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## Guest (Jun 21, 2007)

gswager said:


> In SWC, they're Amish. They went to Mexico (somewhere Tijuana) for their vacation. It's a popular for them. I talked to them before in dining car which it is very interesting conversation, esp. the way he eat with his hands, not knife, over steak. Actually, he just used hands to pull steak into pieces. One early morning while I was in sleeper car, I noticed an Amish lady was reading book, so I'm assuming that they're early riser to prepare breakfast back home.
> In my area where I live, there are Mennonites which they drive their own cars. Ladies are required to wear homemade dress (any style) and a yarmulka (skullcap). Mennonites don't involved heavily with high-tech technology, just basic life in the 1950s. However, they do use cellphone.


Gswager: are you smoking something. This doesn't make any sense at all. Tijuana, eating with hands, etc, etc.


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## gswager (Jun 21, 2007)

Guest said:


> gswager said:
> 
> 
> > In SWC, they're Amish. They went to Mexico (somewhere Tijuana) for their vacation. It's a popular for them. I talked to them before in dining car which it is very interesting conversation, esp. the way he eat with his hands, not knife, over steak. Actually, he just used hands to pull steak into pieces. One early morning while I was in sleeper car, I noticed an Amish lady was reading book, so I'm assuming that they're early riser to prepare breakfast back home.
> ...


That's what they told me if I remember correctly. I saw them boarding into SWC at Fullerton station from Pacific Surfliner. There were about 2 or 3 families boarding. Try to ask them when you're on SWC.


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## lepearso (Jun 26, 2007)

I see Amish and Mennonites EVERY time I travel on Amtrak. A large number also travels on Greyhound. It's not unusual to see a horse and buggy pull up at certain train stations across the country to pick-up/drop off passengers. It's also not unusual to see Amish or Mennonites hire a taxi.

I have before seen Mennonites and/or Amish at the Nashville airport, but it is definitely not the norm.

In Tennessee, we have a community of Mennonites that is very mainstream. They drive new cars, carry cellphones and live in modern houses with all the conveniences. We also have a community of Mennonites that does not have electricity. They are so strict, in fact, that the women are not allowed to speak to a man whom they do not know. Some locals thought that this group was Amish because of their strictness, but indeed they are Mennonites, albeit very conservative.

Whenever I travel on Amtrak, I make a point to visit with the Amish and Mennonite families. I have had some wonderful conversations about history, medicine, agriculture, and so much more.


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## GG-1 (Jun 26, 2007)

lepearso said:


> Whenever I travel on Amtrak, I make a point to visit with the Amish and Mennonite families. I have had some wonderful conversations about history, medicine, agriculture, and so much more.


Although this reference was towards a specific group of people, I feel the commaradie that develops between rail travelers the best reason to travel,


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## racer1735 (Jun 26, 2007)

rtabern said:


> Someone asked my partner and I --- if a family they saw boarding the train at La Crosse were Amish... I say that I thought so... but then another passenger said that an Amish person wouldn't use the train (or anything that ran with electricity) -- that they were more likely Menonite (?-sp).
> So which is right?


They could possibly be either. Do a search of this forum; sometime around the end of 2005 to mid-2006 there was a string mentioning Amish traveling on Amtrak from Pennsylvania to Far West Texas enroute to Mexico.


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## PerRock (Jun 27, 2007)

racer1735 said:


> rtabern said:
> 
> 
> > Someone asked my partner and I --- if a family they saw boarding the train at La Crosse were Amish... I say that I thought so... but then another passenger said that an Amish person wouldn't use the train (or anything that ran with electricity) -- that they were more likely Menonite (?-sp).
> ...



From what I understand from the amish I've spoken with is that they can recieve permission from their 'leader' (for lack of a better term) to use; trains, certian electric stuff, etc. I know that some amish use AMTK. I also know of some who use power nailers (it was explained to me that they can only use them outside of the community, when on jobs). I would assume menonites can take the train but I have not spoken to any about doing so. Also I know that there is a large amish community near LSE that offten use the EB to get places.

peter


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## Guest (Jun 27, 2007)

There are Amish communities in northern Baja Norte, and one will quite frequently see the Amish traveling via the SWC and Surfliners - almost always changing at FUL - to get to San Diego. Also, MANY of the Amish prefer alternative medicine, both because of the low-tech factor and the reduced cost, which is abundant in TJ and other border cities in Mexico.


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