Some 40 years later my grand parents made the wagon train trip from Joplin Missouri and stopped off at Littleton. Colo where they farmed and stayed until their deaths. A set of twins was born en route.
When I crossed the country by train in the 1970s, it took 5 days. An old porter told me that it used to be 36 hours from San Francisco to Chicago when he started; now it takes twice that long.
The only long trips I have taken by train was in the 1970s when I had a sleeper car from Fullerton, California to Chicago. I can't remember now how long it took, but it made several stops along the way, which would have probably been frustrating if I were in coach. As it was, I enjoyed the trip.
5 Facts About the Transcontinental Railroad "Campsite and train of the Central Pacific Railroad at foot of mountains, 1868. Near Humboldt River Canyon, Nevada. Pictures of the American West/National Archives and Record Administration/Alfred A. Hart." (Click to enlarge)
Double Grading Rivalry between the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads is evident from the parallel railroad grades still visible between Corinne and Monument Point, Utah. Because each railroad was being paid for each mile of railroad constructed, and no point was selected for meeting the rails, the two railroads continued building even as they passed each other. Survey crews from both companies staked lines far in advance of construction with graders following close behind. Map showing sections of the parallel grades The result was two different lines graded past each other for dozens of miles. Officials from the Central Pacific and Union Pacific lobbied in Washington, D.C. for approval of their individual rail line through Utah. On April 9, 1869 Congress ended the debate by naming Promontory Summit as the place to join the rail lines. The legacy of the double-grade is still evident today near Promontory Summit. In this photo railroad grade located at the higher section of the slope was constructed by the Central Pacific and became the official line for the transcontinental railroad. Both railroad grades are still visible. Larger Image
We were going to ride that rain this fall, @Beth Gallagher, but may change and ride from New Orleans to Atlanta instead. It is possible we (wife and I) will ride both, but usually we pick one train a year to ride. Last year we rode the Zephyr from Reno to Omaha. I love to travel by train and I do it every chance I get. I recommend everyone give it a try. Seniors should get a compartment or bedroom unless you are tough enough to ride in coach. When you get a compartment, your meals are covered by the fare and you get a bed to sleep in.
Sounds like fun, Don. My husband and I are RVers, so we do our traveling in a motorhome. Meals are covered by me cooking and we sleep in our own bed.
A great-grandfather on one side was a switch supervisor (lost part of his hand in a switching accident) for a couple of different companies. A grandfather on the other side was a welder for Norfolk and Western. I love trains. We used to travel by train when I was young between the Midwest and Virginia. When my sister and I were teens, we bummed around Europe for three months on trains (Eurail Pass). Sometimes, we'd pick a destination because the train left at 10 pm and took 8 hours to get to its destination, so we could sleep on the train and save the 50 cents we would have spent on a bed in a youth hostel. Besides we were so young and cute.....LOL....that older American travelers were always buying us meals on the train, thus saving MORE money.
RVs and trains both have their advantages. For instance, you can continue to move while sleeping on a train...unsafe in an RV, but you can go anywhere there is a passable road in an RV, while trains are restricted to where the track goes. You can also meet wonderful people on a train; something that really doesn't happen in an RV, even though campgrounds can provide some social interaction. I have met delightful people on trains at dinner, as we are matched with different people at every meal. The acquaintance seldom continues beyond the train trip, but it is delightful and memorable. I still remember a wonderful young lady I met in1973 traveling on a train. She was a doctoral student who attended the University of Pennsylvania. She was an Aussie who was doing a doctoral thesis on some aspect of British history. She was from Australia, attending school in Philadelphia, and doing research in London. She found the direct flight from Sydney to London too much, so she would fly from Sydney to the U.S. West Coast, board a train with an "open" ticket, and travel across the U.S., stopping for a day or two anywhere she wanted, then boarding a plane in New York to continue her flight to London. It was my first long-distance train trip, and I had checked all my luggage, just as I would have on a plane. After three days on the train with no shower or shave, when we arrived in Chicago to change trains, she took me to her hotel in order that I could finally shower. Nothing happened, and she sent me on my way to Pittsburgh while she remained for a few days in Chicago to explore the city. I don't remember her name, but I remember her trust. Taking a strange man to her hotel was a risk that wasn't prudent, but was memorable. I have met computer geniuses, wealthy people, sports figures, and many other very memorable people.
Transcontinental Telephone Service Last pole placed, Wendover, Utah, June 17, 1914 The [biggest] celebration occurred on 25 January 1915 with the ceremonial opening of service to the public. The first call connected Alexander Graham Bell in New York, his old assistant Thomas Watson in San Francisco, US President Woodrow Wilson in Washington, and AT&T President Vail in Jekyll Island, Georgia. Sitting in New York, Alexander Graham Bell spoke the same words into the phone that he had first transmitted via telephony in 1877: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want you.” But this time Watson, sitting in San Francisco, replied, “It will take a week now!”
"Since 1926, driving down Route 66 has been the experience of a lifetime for travelers. While officially Route 66 no longer exists, the majority of it remains."
Ezra Meeker, with his Model A Ford, promoting the Oregon Trail, 1928 The Oregon Trail, Pacific Springs, Wyoming