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There were originally 6 Railroads offering passenger trains between Chicago and Omaha. CB&Q, C&NW, CMSTP&P, CRI&P,CGW and IC. CB&Q had the most frequent service and the Zephyrs were the fastest. By 1971 when Amtrak started, the 2 Railroads remaining were the CB&Q and the CMSP&P. CB&Q had...

Because my Dad worked for a Railroad, I grew up riding trains without any concern for speed. Later on in Life, I had to fly for business trips because trains weren't practical. As has been mentioned, Flying is alot more stressful. Now that I am retired, I have more time to travel by train but...

I recall traveling through Kansas City Union Station in 1962 when I was 14 on the Missouri River Eagle. It was a busy place then. We pulled into the track next to the MKT's Texas Special which was being serviced. The Texas Special still had a teardrop observation lounge on the end. It was 3...

The combined City of Everywhere was very inconvenient because if one section was running late, the whole train would be delayed. I did some circle trips in the west in 1969 and 1970. Santa Fe was still offering great service on the SuperChief/El Capitain and San Francisco Chief. Even the...

As a fairly frequent Amtrak traveler since 1971 and frequent passenger train traveler from 1948 through 1971, I can say that I am pleased that Amtrak is still around. If it weren't for Amtrak and advocate groups like AU and yes, even certain allies in the House and Senate, I don't think...

Omaha was one of the cities I traveled to as child in the 1950s and 1960s and it was a great place to see the many streamlined trains that served Omaha. I remember in 1953 taking Rock Island's Rocky Mountain Rocket eastbound from Omaha Union Station. As we waited for the Rocket to leave, we...

I worked for the Post Office in Jeffersonville, IN is 1966 through 1968. We still received mail from the Chicago, Logansport and Louisville RPO from PRR Train 94 and 95 The Kentuckyian and other connecting RPOs, The Chic, Log and Lou RPO Was discontinued in May, 1967, but bulk mail continued...

I was born in 1948 . My Dad worked for the New York Central in Illinois. I started out traveling by train when I was less than a year old. We traveled to visit my Grandmother in Council Bluffs, Iowa which was a big Railroad town back then. There were 4 railroad depots lined up next to each...

Mail has changed dramatically since the last Railway Post Office cars and REA express cars disappeared in the late 1960s. I worked in the Jeffersonville, IN post office from 1966-68 during my first 2 years in college. When I first started, we dispatched and received mail from various RPOs the...

I am very sorry to hear of Bill's passing. We have exchanged e-mails a number of times. He grew up in Chattanooga where my Dad was born. He was very knowledgable and had many experiences riding trains. Condolences to his family! Joe Henry

I have been traveling on Amtrak since A-day in 1971. For the first few months, I was in the Louisville, so the South Wind was my train. From 1972-1975, I was stationed in Grand Forks, ND so I made over 50 trips on the Empire Builders plus many other trains. Then, I was in Minneapolis...

I remember being in Dallas or Houston on business in the 80s when restaurants would give you a separate tab for liquor and for the food you consumed. It meant you had to keep track of extra receipts when submitting T&E statements.

I remember reading about a situation when Amtrak's Lone Star was still running. A Kansas Law Enforcement officer stopped the train and walked through and found that alcohol was being sold in the lounge car. The lounge car attendant was arrested and detained. The train was delayed during...

Amtrak trains have been stopped by Law Enforcement Officers and lounge car attendants or others arrested for not adhering to local blue laws. This was true on preAmtrak passenger trains as well.

Illinois Central also had depot in downtown Bloomington, IN.

It was right downtown off of Walnut Street until 1966 when it moved to the edge of the McDowell yard until the passenger service ended in September, 1967. Amtrak stopped at a downtown platform at 4th and Morton Streets from 1975 until the Floridian was discontinued in October, 1979...

The former Monon line now CSX still operates with Amtrak's Cardinal and Hoosier States from Chicago to Crawfordsville! I attended Indiana University in Bloomington when Monon operated Thoroughbred still operated until 1967. I was very pleased when Amtrak started using the Monon line in 1975...

In the pre Amtrak era, many Railroads had "mothballed" passenger train equipment that they could pull out for use in peak times such as Thanksgiving. Most passenger railroads built at least some new equipment every 15-20 years. I remember riding coaches with celestory roofs and walkover seats...

Great analogy! I agree 100%. Some of the focusing on past has gotten the passenger rail system in the situation it is today.