Experiences of travel including rail over time in the US

[MARC Rider]

Another one of my early train rides was when I was in 7, riding the Brill Bullets on the P&W.




I think my first real train ride was when I was 8, when my parents put me on a PRR local traveling from Philadelphia to Baltimore. A string of the old red P-70 coaches with high-back, non-reclining plush seats, not air conditioned, with ceiling fans, pulled by a GG-1 locomotive. As a kid, while I appreciated the bigl black streamlined GG-1s, I was alsways a little disappointed that I never was able to ride behind a real steam "cho-cho" or even a diesel E or F unit, as the trains running through Philly just didn't use that sort of power. The first diesel I rode was an RDC when I was 12, on a Pennsylvania-reading Shore Line train from 30th St. to Atlantic City.

 

[Palmland]

My first trip at age 6mos. was on the City of Portland to Pendleton, OR. But the first trip I remember was a return to Wilmington, DE from Clarksville,TN in 1950. We were on L&N’s local train, 102, to Bowling Green still behind steam but very soon to get new FP-7’s. I remember the conductor telling us to look out the window as we were coming into Guthrie, KY as the fast freight train, the Silver Bullet would be crossing in front of us. It had diesels, wow!

We spent the night in Bowling Green to catch No. 8 the next morning that had through Pullmans to NY via PRR (so disappointed when I saw it had diesels). Turkey sandwiches (Turkey cooked on board of course) in the diner was always a treat. Then to return to our room where the porter had straightened up with a pillow properly fluffed up in our seat to ensure a comfortable afternoon glued to the window. In Cincinnati B&O’s train from Detroit pulled in across from us with its streamlined Pacific steam engines.

For the next 15 years I took that trip many times with variations including the B&O or C&O, and once the N&W, for the eastern part of the trip.

 

[Trollopian]

When digging for photos for my father's recent memorial service I came across a problem: it's hard to find photos of the guy with a camera. He took this family photo, for example, at the Gresham station in 1953, a location now served by LRT. I was 6½ years old at the time. The occasion was the last run of a wooden PTCo car...

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Willbridge, I'm sorry about your father's death at the end of what sounds like a long and full life. (I assume that's a young Willbridge on the railcar steps? I'm not good at guessing ages, but the blond tyke in front looks younger than 6½.) I think every attendee regards well-curated retro photos as the best part of a memorial service and black-and-white or sepia as the best of all. I worry that with photo-taking and -posting basically having moved to digital storage, we're losing that record of our own times.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Before my first "real" train ride on the UP Pool Trains 457/458 PDX<>SEA I rode the interurbans of Portland Traction Co. When digging for photos for my father's recent memorial service I came across a problem: it's hard to find photos of the guy with a camera.

He took this family photo, for example, at the Gresham station in 1953, a location now served by LRT. I was 6½ years old at the time. The occasion was the last run of a wooden PTCo car. We covered both Gresham branches, so it was my one and only trip to Boring. I remember that the motorman let me blow the whistle when we tried to get a sheep to get off the track.

View attachment 31943

Willbridge, I'm sorry about your father's death at the end of what sounds like a long and full life. (I assume that's a young Willbridge on the railcar steps? I'm not good at guessing ages, but the blond tyke in front looks younger than 6½.) I think every attendee regards well-curated retro photos as the best part of a memorial service and black-and-white or sepia as the best of all. I worry that with photo-taking and -posting basically having moved to digital storage, we're losing that record of our own times.

I echo everything Trollopian says above—it is hard to lose a parent at any age. Thinking of you during this difficult time.

 

[George Harris]

Before my first "real" train ride on the UP Pool Trains 457/458 PDX<>SEA I rode the interurbans of Portland Traction Co. When digging for photos for my father's recent memorial service I came across a problem: it's hard to find photos of the guy with a camera.

Understand. Many picture like that in a lot of families, including mine. There is a picture of me as a baby with my mother in the pilot's seat of a Stearman bi-plane, but of my father is same seat: none. Ok, maybe a good light moment: Two small boys in an art gallery looking at several paintings of Mary with the baby Jesus. Finally one says, "Where's Joseph?" The other answers, "Don't you know anything? He's taking the pictures."

 

[Willbridge]

I echo everything Trollopian says above—it is hard to lose a parent at any age. Thinking of you during this difficult time.

Thank you. We were fortunate to have him. The first half of his life was last runs and the second half was inaugural events. Along the way, he learned a great deal and shared it when appropriate.

I'm the curly headed kid in the photo (now a retired service planner), my brother in front (now a semi- retired service planner), and our baby sister (attorney and women's bar activist), Our younger brother is a demographer.

My dad's first identifiable rail memory was being taken by his parents in 1928 to see the all-new Portland Rose on exhibit in its namesake city. He did vaguely recall the SP Red Electric running in 4th Avenue in downtown Portland, and he rode the Oregon Electric with his mother to Salem. He watched the interurban tracks being removed from East Burnside (now the Tri-Met Blue Line).

His news circulation career started with selling the Portland News-Telegram for 2 cents a copy at the streetcar transfer point near his school. The bundles for the kids were tossed off the front platform of a streetcar. The Portland Traction Co. inspector there had a callbox and my dad could eavesdrop.

He did have to learn to keep silent in the Army Air Corps when he was sent on long train rides in WWII. A through sleeper trip from Nisqually to Biloxi with a layover all day in St. Louis freight yards was not popular with every soldier. He once told me that the L&N had the second best way to get between any two points and that's how the Army routed them.

 

[Anderson]

My first train trip was up to Richmond (VA) to see Santa at Miller and Rhoads.

The first trip I remember was on some sort of special trip from Richmond heading west to the Greenbrier (this was in the early 1990s). I've been told it was a special train of some sort (the direct route wasn't available). IIRC I was supposed to be on the April derailment of the Colonial, but my parents chose not to take the longer train trip.

 

[Brian Battuello]

Not sure about my first train ride, but the best early ride was on the *real* California Zephyr, Zephyrettes and all. We had no idea it would all end in less than a year. I was ten years old, and instantly fell in love with the domes. They had to drag me out for meals. For years I had a fantasy that I could build a simulated dome and project images on the windows to recreate the experience.

In the early Amtrak days, they used every piece of rolling stock they could find, so we often lucked into a dome car. They finally retired the last one a few years ago, the "Great Dome", used on the Adirondack. Our local tourist railroad, the Cape Cod Railway, had a short dome for a few years, but they couldn't keep it running. They still have a long dome, but it isn't the same.

And yes, I've done the Canadian twice. I am a very lucky guy.

 

[Palmland]

The first trip I remember was on some sort of special trip from Richmond heading west to the Greenbrier (this was in the early 1990s). I've been told it was a special train of some sort

Was that a CSX train? At the time the corporate headquarters were in Richmond and the Greenbrier was company owned and was a favorite spot for company retreats and shipper meetings.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Because I grew up in a small rural town where the travel choices were car or bus, the earliest train rides I remember are when I was 11 — a bit older than many of you here with memories at a very early age — visiting my grandmother in England during my summer vacation.

She had retired to Hove, a quiet seaside town next to Brighton, and my mother and I would often take the train from Brighton to London for the day. The train cars — historic now I believe — had corridors, and you’d go along and look for a compartment that had seats available, then open the door and go into a cozy compartment with six seats—three on each side facing each other.

If you got really lucky, you might have the compartment all to yourself for the whole trip! But even if you didn't, it was quiet—no cell phones, and the British people were quite reserved, so nobody started a conversation.

 

[Brian Battuello]

Some years ago I took a similar train from London to Ipswich. It was called a "slam door" train because you had the option of walking along the outside of the train, choosing a compartment and climbing in. The passengers were expected to "slam" the door closed themselves as the train pulled out.

 

[striker71]

Took the train from Schenectady NY to NYC for business. Same day return trip, lunch ran long, we were rushing to catch the train back to Schenectady. First mistake got on a wrong train, luckily it was discovered before leaving for Washington DC. Rushed to the train to upstate. After relaxing and having a few beers train pulled into Albany, everyone gets off. My traveling partner uses the restroom, doors on the train close. A conductor walking by sees me and opens the door, he asked what I was doing, turns out that was the last stop. Train was heading back to NYC. Had to get a taxi from Albany to Schenectady where the car was parked. All's well that ends well, could have been worse could have been headed to Washington.

 

[jis]

Some years ago I took a similar train from London to Ipswich. It was called a "slam door" train because you had the option of walking along the outside of the train, choosing a compartment and climbing in. The passengers were expected to "slam" the door closed themselves as the train pulled out.

I traveled on Slamdoor EMUs as late as mid-2000s on Southwest Trains' London Waterloo to Reading service.

 

[BlackDiamond]

A classic slam door EMU, at Benfleet on the line to Southend. As @jis noted these ran on some lines out of London into the mid 2000's. They made all the right sounds as God intended electric trains should. What was fun was when you got a door with a broken latch, and you had to lower the window and reach for the handle on the outside of the door to get out. With all those doors a train could empty out really quickly.



@MysticRiverDragon could have travelled in style if her grandmother had elected to use the Brighton Belle to get to London, with full Pullman at your table service. Ran nonstop Brighton to/from London. This picture taken in June 1971. They didn't last much longer than this.

 

[Anderson]

Not sure about my first train ride, but the best early ride was on the *real* California Zephyr, Zephyrettes and all. We had no idea it would all end in less than a year. I was ten years old, and instantly fell in love with the domes. They had to drag me out for meals. For years I had a fantasy that I could build a simulated dome and project images on the windows to recreate the experience.

In the early Amtrak days, they used every piece of rolling stock they could find, so we often lucked into a dome car. They finally retired the last one a few years ago, the "Great Dome", used on the Adirondack. Our local tourist railroad, the Cape Cod Railway, had a short dome for a few years, but they couldn't keep it running. They still have a long dome, but it isn't the same.

And yes, I've done the Canadian twice. I am a very lucky guy.

Emphasis mine. You know, I wonder if somebody couldn't sell a hotel on this concept...it could probably be run for a lot less than the Galactic Starcruiser.

 

[Willbridge]

@MysticRiverDragon could have travelled in style if her grandmother had elected to use the Brighton Belle to get to London, with full Pullman at your table service. Ran nonstop Brighton to/from London. This picture taken in June 1971. They didn't last much longer than this.

April 1970 --


Recommended British springtime beach attire --

 

[DetroitTed]

My first train ride was 1960 ( I was 10): Detroit to New York in a sleeper with two adjoining rooms separated with an accordion door which when retracted had two toilets sitting right next to each other. Our whole family laughed about it the whole trip. In NYC we boarded the Queen Elizabeth, disembarked at Southampton and possibly ( my Grandfather might have picked us up) took trains to Spalding, Lincs.

 

[DavidSh]

My first train ride must have been on the Princeton shuttle "Dinky" from Princeton Junction to Princeton and back. This must have been before New Jersey Transit took it over. Nice train for a small child, as there was no chance of ending up very far away if I missed my stop.