tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225908709483096965.post4883173671575088567..comments2024-03-28T22:46:42.535-07:00Comments on Oddball Observations : TAKE THE A TRAINCatalysthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03804837416104556928noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225908709483096965.post-73910779247008225612013-05-21T18:40:28.227-07:002013-05-21T18:40:28.227-07:00Lucy, the trip from Munich (I think) up to Innsbru...Lucy, the trip from Munich (I think) up to Innsbruck, Austria was through the Alps and the scenery had us darting from one side of the train to the other to snap pictures. Beautiful!Catalysthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804837416104556928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225908709483096965.post-11622050243428012072013-05-21T18:39:15.990-07:002013-05-21T18:39:15.990-07:00Sharon, I couldn't agree more.Sharon, I couldn't agree more.Catalysthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804837416104556928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225908709483096965.post-66872186248847940002013-05-21T18:38:27.204-07:002013-05-21T18:38:27.204-07:00Many U.S. industries are subsidized by the governm...Many U.S. industries are subsidized by the government, like agriculture, but I can't name any specifics. I took the TGV from somewhere near Nice, I think, to Paris back in the 80's and loved it. Like being in an airplane but on the ground.Catalysthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804837416104556928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225908709483096965.post-33764677841666688732013-05-21T18:35:44.721-07:002013-05-21T18:35:44.721-07:00The Amtrak station in Maricopa is only 35 minutes ...The Amtrak station in Maricopa is only 35 minutes from me in Phoenix. I used the train once many years ago when it still went through Phoenix. We've thought of taking it east to New Orleans some day.Catalysthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03804837416104556928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225908709483096965.post-38910774082308099802013-05-21T14:50:24.067-07:002013-05-21T14:50:24.067-07:00I'd love to see our government spend a little ...I'd love to see our government spend a little money on infrastructure and rail lines. It really does seem a shame that our only choices for travel here are driving and flying. Train travel offers so much more. I've taken trains extensively in Europe and enjoyed every trip. You see so much more that way and you meet nice people too. I remember my first trip on the Eurostar between London and Paris very well. On the way there I was glued to the window seat watching the scenery and didn't get up even when it went dark as we entered the chunnel. On the way back to London I spent the entire time in the club car drinking champagne with my friends. I loved that trip. There are so many wonderful places to see in the U.S.; a working train system would be a plus for all of us.Sharonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07645915869786296771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225908709483096965.post-27916201851270826892013-05-21T12:15:50.712-07:002013-05-21T12:15:50.712-07:00Switzerland's supposed to be the most wonderfu...Switzerland's supposed to be the most wonderful place to travel by train, for all kinds of reasons. I've got their rail-map on a PDF and Pinterest links to various websites, and plan fantasy Swiss railway holidays. Trouble is everything's so expensive there.Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09764296105901909328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225908709483096965.post-86604280845172622002013-05-21T00:18:57.936-07:002013-05-21T00:18:57.936-07:00Bruce: I suspect that most railway systems in Eur...Bruce: I suspect that most railway systems in Europe are state owned or state assisted. Here in France the SNCF is 100% owned by the state, and that includes the stations. The track and other facilities are not so, or so it appears. And TGV's are great, clean, fast and punctual. You do need to book tickets in advance. (We once booked tickets for Rudesheim in Germany, but as the station didn't appear on the French computer, as far as they were concerned Rudesheim didn't exist. So we booked at the next station along the line.)<br /><br />The UK rail system is entirely privately owned, with multiple private franchises involved, and with the track and stations etc owned by yet another private company. (The government is involved in various ways, financially.) I don't get the feeling people are that happy with the system.<br /><br />I would guess that the Pakistan railway system is entirely state funded. So state-owned seems to work well in some parts of the world but not in others. How that would affect the US system I don't know. Do you have government funded industries (other than NASA)?Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09028121782477111901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225908709483096965.post-20200109666919341782013-05-20T19:59:14.659-07:002013-05-20T19:59:14.659-07:00Good motivating post. I've ridden trains in m...Good motivating post. I've ridden trains in many areas and in fact prefer trains to flying. Train travel in the US should be a political agenda item. Tom Cochrunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04046822056852446079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225908709483096965.post-56328229572690746842013-05-20T18:56:44.158-07:002013-05-20T18:56:44.158-07:00I've enjoyed many trains in Europe and agree i...I've enjoyed many trains in Europe and agree it would be a shame if American rails went the way of Pakistan's. One of my favorite songs is Arlo Guthrie's The Spirit of New Orleans.stephen Hayeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659054447637207734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225908709483096965.post-10632501007858613112013-05-20T15:49:24.291-07:002013-05-20T15:49:24.291-07:00The nearest Amtrak station to Prescott is Flagstaf... The nearest Amtrak station to Prescott is Flagstaff. There is only one train, east and west, both arriving at bad times at night.<br /> Amtrak no longer services Phoenix after a terrorist derailed a train in 1994. <br /> Don't plan on a spontaneous trip; most trains are full and require seat reservations far ahead.<br /> Amtrak uses freight train tracks in much of the country because it does not have it's own. You can seasick going through MIssouri.<br /> Amtrak is not convient for northern Arizona. Phil Perisichnoreply@blogger.com