John Pitt is the author of USA by Rail plus Canada (Bradt Publications - ISBN 1 898323 83 6) available in book stores and from bradtpublications@compuserve.com and the Globe Pequot Press
We trundled through sheer Rocky Mountain canyons only a few feet wider than the train, passed the place where gunfighter and part-time dentist Doc Holliday lay buried, then entered a wonderfully fertile valley. In the distance stood the gold and purple outline of the Grand Mesa, the world's largest and most beautiful flat-top mountain. I was on board the California Zephyr train to write a guide book (it's a tough job but someone has to do it) and discovering that the romance of rail travel lives on in the United States.
Pioneer railroads opened up this country more than a century ago, carrying hundreds of thousands of settlers west. Few Americans then lived more than twenty miles from the tracks and that memory cuts deep into the national psyche. Lines with such evocative names as Union Pacific, Baltimore & Ohio and Santa Fe continue to thrive, and trains still sound a long, mournful horn as they round the bend at midnight. The Iron Horse and its successors inspired countless legends, films and songs but you don't have to be a train fanatic or nostalgia buff to fall beneath the spell.
Amtrak was set up in 1971 to rescue long-distance passenger trains after mass car ownership and air travel brought decades of neglect. Since then there has been a remarkable transformation, with new rolling stock introduced, lines reopened and many stations completely renovated. The one in Washington, DC, for example, with a concourse massive enough to take the Washington Monument horizontally, has been restored to its original ornate grandeur.
Among Amtrak's best and most popular trains is the Coast Starlight, travelling beside miles of Pacific Ocean cliffs and surf. The Empire Builder crosses wild northern plains in North Dakota and Montana before passing the snow-covered mountains of Glacier National Park. The Southwest Chief travels from Chicago to Los Angeles along part of the historic Santa Fe Trail once used by Spanish conquistadors, wagon trains and the Pony Express. When the first transcontinental railroad reached LA in the 1860s only 10,000 people lived in southern California. Now Amtrak operates 200 trains a day, spanning America from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the Canadian border down to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Sunset Limited travels between Florida and Los Angeles, enabling you to go from coast to coast on a single train. You go by way of New Orleans and vast tracts of Texas range land, where you might spot the occasional cowboy among all that sagebrush and mesquite. Other favourite trains include the Maple Leaf, running between New York and the French-Canadian city of Montreal via New England's forests - a major draw for autumn 'leaf peepers'. Silver Star and Silver Meteor trains go from New York to the beach resorts of Florida.
Over long distances it's usually quicker to travel by plane, even allowing for tortuous journeys to and from airports, but trains have advantages other than mere economy. The atmosphere tends to be relaxed, the speed is perfect for sightseeing and you have room to stretch out or walk around. Instead of racing above the clouds you can watch a continent unroll outside wrap-around windows. Even glimpses of city backyards can be fascinating. Amtrak's 25,000 mile network takes in almost every state, giving a choice of 500 destinations and access to such tourist essentials as San Francisco, Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon, which can also be visited by steam train.
Gleaming aluminium twin-decked coaches feature observation cars and uniformed attendants who think they are in a 1930s Hollywood movie. The reclining seats are large and soft, with leg rests so that you can snooze after a meal or sleep through the night (a good way to save on hotel bills). Free pillows are provided but take a coat or blanket in case the air-conditioning becomes over-enthusiastic. Snacks and coffee are on sale in the lounge and the bar is a great place to become acquainted with your fellow passengers. Americans like to talk and on trains will often tell you their life story in hair-raising detail. Video films are shown in the evenings, when the bar turns lively with impromptu parties and poker games.
Overnight trains have traditional sleeping cars with bedrooms ranging from single 'roomettes' to family size affairs. Some are snug to the point of being cramped so you need to be fairly agile when clambering into the top bunk. Accommodation includes breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining car, as well as complimentary coffee, fruit juice and a newspaper delivered each morning. Meals are above airline standard but the chicken and steak menu may become monotonous after a while. Luckily, there is often a regional special such as freshly-caught trout or barbecued spare ribs.
Ticket prices are amazingly low and overseas visitors benefit from an array of passes which are among the world's great travel bargains. Trains are glamorous, ecologically sound and far more fun than the bus. Since they will take you almost everywhere, it's easy to work out an itinerary which lets you see more of this diverse country in a short time than would be possible any other way. In fact, some places can not easily be visited by any other means. Further information can be found in the guide book USA by Rail as well as on the web site at http://website.lineone.net/~johnpitt. And as the bell clangs and the conductor calls out the 'All aboard!' you'll soon discover why the railroad experience has become so delightfully addictive.
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