Universal Monster Army

Do you, or have you ever, travelled by passenger train?

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/ATurbo5.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/ATurbo2.jpg)

???

Yes .. It's a lot more fun than driving ..  :laugh:

I would guess that I'm currently making at least 4 train trips a year ... I would prefer that all trains had assigned seating but .. oh well. 

I've always wanted to take the Orient Express on a long journey ...

http://www.orient-express.com/collection/trains/trains.jsp?c=ppc&p=worldwide&cr=trains_brand&gclid=CJLwicfguqgCFcq8KgodAm_HCg (http://www.orient-express.com/collection/trains/trains.jsp?c=ppc&p=worldwide&cr=trains_brand&gclid=CJLwicfguqgCFcq8KgodAm_HCg)

And I'm silly enough to also want to ride the Trans Siberian Railway ... http://www.trans-siberia.com/ (http://www.trans-siberia.com/)

I would love to travel by train, but it is pricey.  I've never been on a real train in the U.S.  I was on a train once in England and once in Egypt.  If train travel were cheaper, I think a lot of people would choose it over airlines. 

I have never been on a US train ride, but we did take the Euro Star from London to Paris in 2.5 hours.

The Euro Star goes all over the EU and was much more comfortable and less expensive than flying coach.

Now and again. It's better than driving and if I'm going to watch my football team play I can have a few drinks too! My girlfriend and I sometimes take the train to Lincoln which is an hour from our station and is where we went on our first proper date. I would love to travel on the Orient Express one day or go on a similar luxury train journey.

I've travelled by train more in Europe than here. It does tend to be a little more pricey than other alternatives, so if I were to take the train it would be to experience the trip itself, as much as the destination. Sleepers tend to be the most expensivem, but I think it'd be worth it. Maybe we can get a UMA train trip together. Two days, three nights, movies in the dining car and all the horrific hijinx you can stand!  :D

I voted "no", but I did ride Thomas the Tank Engine with my grandson   :)    Ooooh, a UMA train trip sounds outstanding!!  I would love to travel by train, even if it's only an hour long trip. It sounds heavenly.

Not in a (very) long time but I had fond memories of riding the train when I was younger...

Used to go from Htfd. Ct. to Philly all the time to visit relatives & it was always fun-
this was in the '60s and there were always parties going on between the cars-
I remember a train called (I think) 'the Montrealer' that was exceptionally cool~

Numerous times throughtout my life, especially in my childhood. You see parts of the country that you wouldn't see on the interstate, & I've shared a delightful aquaintence w/every single person I've ever sat by. It's my favorite way to travel.

I have, and I like it much better than flying, but the high price and the much longer travel time makes it impractical.

My first train trip(s) were from London to Windsor and back on CN Rail to visit my uncle's family across the river in Detroit. My longest train journey was back in the mid eighties when I travelled from Vancouver to Toronto on VIA's Canadian.

I've been commuting to the office in downtown Toronto on one of these double decker GO commuter trains for so many years now that I don't even care to count the passage of time:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/gotrain.jpg)

But it's ever so convenient. A leisurely five minute walk to the train station, a stress free twelve minute ride downtown and then an unhurried ten minute stroll to the office. And the trains run every twenty minutes during rush hours. At other times service is once per hour seven days a week until midnight.

8)

Yes.

And the Lake Shore Limited line from NYC to Chicago is a very pretty run.

Raymond, train travel CAN be cheaper than air; that's one reason The Wife and I sometimes chose it.

It is CRIMINAL, how Detroit almost killed off passenger rail in this country (and yes, they bought Congressmen and did just that.)

Rail travel is beautiful, rewarding, green...

One of the lovely train journeys I've taken was on the Agawa Canyon Tour Train of the Algoma Central Railway.

Agawa Canyon Tour Train (http://www.agawacanyontourtrain.com/content/tours/canyontour/index.html)

I picked a late September date to capture the fall foliage at its most spectacular.

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/AAgawa.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/AAgawaengine.jpg)

(http://www.wildernessisland.com/images/ACR.gif)

8)

My favourite excursion, a.k.a. tourist, train is operated by a group of railfan volunteers calling themselves the Port Stanley Terminal Rail between Port Stanley and St. Thomas, Ontario along the route of the old London & Port Stanley Railway which started up in 1856. The L & PS did a thriving passenger as well as freight business since Port Stanley was both a lakeside resort and an industrial port at the time. Passenger travel along the 23 mile route reached a height of 1.1 million in 1943! Traffic, however, declined precipitously after the war ended and passenger service was terminated in early 1957. Very sad.

Canadian National Railways bought out the L & PS in 1966 and abandoned the portion south of St. Thomas in 1982 after a portion of the track was washed out during a heavy rainfall. The Port Stanley Terminal Rail was formed by a group of rail enthusiasts to purchase the abandoned line from CN. The perseverance and hard work of the volunteers resulted in passenger service being restored in stages over the next several years between Port Stanley and St. Thomas. A murder mystery dinner train is one of the excursions now offered along the line.

Port Stanley Terminal Rail website (http://www.pstr.on.ca/)

(http://www.pstr.on.ca/jpgs/port5.jpg)

I have a vague recollection of having taken the train to Port Stanley for the day with my mother and sister in the mid-fifties and gazing longingly at the french fries being sold from the window of Mackies as we were boarding the train for the return trip.  Being a sensible sort, my mother could see no reason to spend money on potatoes which we could have at home.

(http://www.portstanleynews.com/s1024/images/image/BDSC_4368a.jpg)

(http://www.ebwn.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Port-Stanley-Mackies-Ken-Tuff-Postcard-4-X-6-JPEG.jpg)

:(

Well, pretty much everyday. but I drive them. Im an engineer so for the last 13 years Ive had the biggest train set in the world to play with. I work in bailey yard in North Platte Ne. One of the largest sorting yards in the world. Kinda loses its appeal after awhile though!

Quote from: frankenstein73 on June 28, 2011, 10:16:56 PM
Well, pretty much everyday. but I drive them. Im an engineer so for the last 13 years Ive had the biggest train set in the world to play with. I work in bailey yard in North Platte Ne. One of the largest sorting yards in the world. Kinda loses its appeal after awhile though!

Neat! Union Pacific's Bailey yard is the largest railroad classification yard in the world. I just checked.

I take it therefore that you're not one of these railroad employees who is a model railroad enthusiast as well.

;D

Hepcat!

Have you taken or do you plan to take the Port Stanley "Murder & Mystery" train? The Halloween Mystery train looks like great fun ...

http://www.pstr.on.ca/events.htm#mm (http://www.pstr.on.ca/events.htm#mm)

Quote from: Hepcat on June 29, 2011, 09:14:24 AM
Neat! Union Pacific's Bailey yard is the largest railroad classification yard in the world. I just checked.

I take it therefore that you're not one of these railroad employees who is a model railroad enthusiast as well.

;D

You are absolutely correct! Its just a job to me. But it pays for my monster toy obsession. I just wish I didn't have to live in the cultural armpit of the united states. It is boring here!  I really want to go to a monster convention. They are all too far away. Im just going to have to plan a vacation around one.

Quote from: Flower on June 29, 2011, 11:28:32 AM
Hepcat!

Have you taken or do you plan to take the Port Stanley "Murder & Mystery" train? The Halloween Mystery train looks like great fun ...

http://www.pstr.on.ca/events.htm#mm (http://www.pstr.on.ca/events.htm#mm)

Huh?! I'm the one they hire every year to terrorize the passengers!

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/ABlackcat2.jpg)

ggege

Quote from: frankenstein73 on June 29, 2011, 11:54:10 AM
Its just a job to me. But it pays for my monster toy obsession.

Interesting. The nephew Alex of a good buddy of mine in London was fascinated by trains when he was growing up which is not at all unusual in young boys. Most go on to other things in life though. Not Alex. After high school he went to a train engineer's school in Alberta, and then very shortly after graduation landed a job with Canadian Pacific Railways as a locomotive engineer running trains in Alberta. I was very impressed. That's big time and he was still in his early twenties!

Well guess what? That wasn't enough for Alex. I guess he wanted to be closer to home. Within a couple of years he landed a job with Canadian National Railways driving a train between Toronto and Sarnia, Ontario. He therefore now lives in Sarnia less than an hour's drive from where he grew up but has the job of his dreams!

8)

Another noteworthy train trek I've taken is Ontario Northland Railway's Polar Bear Express which runs northward from Toronto up to Moosonee on the southern tip of James Bay:

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/ONR_System_Map.PNG/250px-ONR_System_Map.PNG)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/5023171897_3593b707aa_b.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/Polarbearexpressheadend_3076.jpg)

8)

I'm a huge fan of antiquated railroad equipment, and have taken the train they run to the Grand canyon.  They have a depot here in Wilson, and if I'm ever able to get to Orlando, that would be the way I'd be interested in traveling.

You mean Amtrak has a station in Wilson and you'd like to journey by train to Disney World in Orlando, Florida? Or is it the Orlando Magic or some other attraction in the area that draws you?

???

Actually, my daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan, although Disney resort there is also a possibility.

Quote from: frankenstein73 on June 28, 2011, 10:16:56 PM
Well, pretty much everyday. but I drive them. Im an engineer so for the last 13 years Ive had the biggest train set in the world to play with. I work in bailey yard in North Platte Ne. One of the largest sorting yards in the world. Kinda loses its appeal after awhile though!

That's awesome.  I catch a commuter train whenever I go into NYC.

Quote from: Hepcat on April 10, 2012, 01:31:08 PM
Another noteworthy train trek I've taken is Ontario Northland Railway's Polar Bear Express which runs northward from Toronto up to Moosonee on the southern tip of James Bay:

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/ONR_System_Map.PNG/250px-ONR_System_Map.PNG)

So the Ontario government has just announced its intention to suspend Northlander train service between Toronto and Cochrane! I'm going to have to book a trip just for old time's sake before it happens.

>:(

Ive been on the monorail at disneyland , and their reg. train that goes around the park, like a gazillion times in my life, considering I always hold an annual passport to that establishment of evil. :P
but,
as far as reg. train , Amtrak, YES. I have, and its lovely.
If it wasnt so time consuming, I would prefer it to flying.
I love how spacious it is ( i was in the first class car ), its practically like a lazy boy recliner.. sooo much diff. than a plane.
I love how you can watch all the scenery as youre passing by.
Its just amazing. I really love it.
Here is So.Cal, they have the Metrolink train. and that I dont love. Ive been on it once and I'll nvr do it again,
Id rather sit in traffic in my car, listening to music while stuck in gridlock... lol

The very best train I ever rode equipment wise was the VIA Turbo.  The Turbo operated between Montreal and Toronto in the 1968-82 period. I took it between Toronto and Montreal or vice-versa five or so times in 1981-82.

The Turbo is still the fastest production train ever produced in North America. The Turbo had achieved a top speed of 170.8 mph during trials in New Jersey and regularly hit 120 miles per hour in service between Montreal and Toronto. With stops at Dorval, Kingston, and Guildwood, the fastest scheduled Turbo only needed 3 hours and 59 minutes to travel the distance between downtown Montreal and downtown Toronto with an average speed including stops of 84 mph. It was also very durable with an availability rate of over 97% in the 1973-82 period.

Best of all was the interior. In those halcyon days I would always book first class, just because I could. Hey, I was young and proud(or conceited maybe?). Nonetheless, the cars were outfitted with huge leather seats into which one could sink back and just watch the world zoom past. Moreover, one could also sit on the top level in huge swivel leather chairs right behind the engineers so a fellow could watch the train hurtling down the track through the front window! It was an incredible delight.

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/3032_1054339020.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/postcard-toronto-train-canadian-national-via-turbo-c1970.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/pictures_16718_VIA20Turbo20Train.jpg)

8)

And painted beautifully in the colors of my Steelers/Tigercats!!

Not quite. The VIA Turbo was yellow with blue accents.

:)

Quote from: Hepcat on May 11, 2012, 03:47:16 PM
Not quite. The VIA Turbo was yellow with blue accents.

:)

Quit bursting my bubble. Next thing you know you'll be posting that hot dog theater carousel again just to taunt me.  ;D

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/hot_dog_roast_machine_259202833_std.jpg)

The food included in the fare wasn't quite up to par with juicy, delicious basket dogs - but it was close!

;)

Some people think me insane but I'd love to travel on the Trans Siberian Railway ..

http://www.mircorp.com/tsiblanding.asp?gclid=CMT_w_T9hbACFWaFQAodnRd7mw (http://www.mircorp.com/tsiblanding.asp?gclid=CMT_w_T9hbACFWaFQAodnRd7mw)

While I imagine the Trans-Siberian would have been at best an unpleasant trip bordering a barely endurable ordeal during Soviet times, I suspect that it may have been reinvented as a foreign currency generating tourist draw these days.

Lake Baikal, the deepest lake on earth, which by itself holding 20% of the world's fresh water would be a fascinating destination though.

(http://americanmonsters.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/baikal_lake_russia1.jpg)

Lake Baikal also has its own indigenous sea monster which feeds on both sturgeon and seals:

Baikal Lake Monster (http://www.americanmonsters.com/site/2010/01/baikal-lake-monster-russia/)

:-\

Yes the sea monster would be a plus .. Here is their website ...

http://www.transsiberian-railroad-travel.com/en/reisedetail/reisedetail.html?&reise_id=487 (http://www.transsiberian-railroad-travel.com/en/reisedetail/reisedetail.html?&reise_id=487)

Some other interesting facts about Lake Baikal:

1. At 25 million years it is the world's oldest lake. That's why it's a particularly prospective location for ancient sea monsters.

2. It's the world's deepest lake averaging 2442 feet in depth. As a result, it's the most voluminous freshwater lake in the world containing an incredible 20% of the world's fresh water! Not surprisingly therefore, Lake Baikal is also among the world's clearest lakes.

3. Lake Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals two thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world - including the largest known surviving colony of plesiosaurs!

(http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p106/artisticsadistic/freshwater_plesiosaur_l.jpg)

4. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

cl:)

I have a hot plate featuring a VIA Turbo:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/Turbo.jpg)

I also have a lunchbox featuring cool trains. The Turbo in CN livery on one side:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/TrainLunchBox.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/CNLunchBox.jpg)

And a Canadian Pacific freight train on the other:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/CPLunchBox.jpg)

8)

Much of my current rail empire is on the side of my refrigerator:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/Magnets.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/Magnets2.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/Magnets5.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/Magnets3.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/Magnets4.jpg)

8)

There's nothing quite like traveling at distance in a sleeper car. I think that it's something of a forgotten experience by some.

I loved the movies in the 30's and 40's where people travel in sleeping cars .. never been in a sleep car, nor have I taken a shower on a train .. Oh what a sheltered life I lead ...  :D

Both the Trans Siberian RR and the Orient Express are far into my future but are on my wish list.

Staying in the train and having a sleeper car is a great experience. I've done it several times and can't wait to do it again. It has become a tad pricey though- however, I've never showered in a train ;)

I've taken a sleeper car from Vancouver to Toronto, but I'd still like to take a sleeper on trains from:

1. Toronto - Montreal

2. Montreal - Halifax

3. Chicago - New Orleans

4. Chicago - Los Angeles

:)

Quote from: Flower on May 16, 2012, 06:42:46 PM
Some people think me insane but I'd love to travel on the Trans Siberian Railway ..

http://www.mircorp.com/tsiblanding.asp?gclid=CMT_w_T9hbACFWaFQAodnRd7mw (http://www.mircorp.com/tsiblanding.asp?gclid=CMT_w_T9hbACFWaFQAodnRd7mw)

I think that it sounds exciting. I'd love to do this.

The Southern Pacific Coast Daylight was among the best known passenger trains in North America. It initiated service in 1922 between the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco and featured a fabulous red, orange and black colour scheme which many observers thought made it the most beautiful passenger train in the worls. The fabled streamlined GS-2 4-8-4 steam locomotives entered service on the Coast Daylight run  on 21 March 1937 with a 9-3/4 hour schedule in each direction:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/Southern20Pacific20444920A20800x637_zpsa78aff0f.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/SouthernPacific_zps3b4fc8dd.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/South8_zps4a87ba05.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/South2_zpsfeb96f75.jpg)

The Coast Daylight ran behind these 4-8-4 steam locomotives until 7 January 1955 when they were replaced with Alco motive power:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/Coast-Daylight-6051_zps9e922080.jpg)

Amtrak took over the run on 1 May 1971 and rerouted the Coast Daylight to Oakland so it could be run all the way north to Portland, Oregon.

I'd love to make the journey some day.

:)

Here's an HO scale Lionel Satellite Launch car I have in my collection:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/HObyLionel2_zps1e759ead.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/HObyLionel_zps15d73838.jpg)

8)

I travelled by BRITRAIL to get to Stonehenge, and Salisbury Cathedral.

"E" ededed

When we lived in NJ, I traveled by train quite often. Took the train to Boston quite a few times when I went to Emerson College from 1980-'82. Took the train from Newark to Florida and back in 1985 for Spring Break.

Of course, I used to take the PATH trains between Newark and New York City quite often, and traveled the Long Island R.R. a few times. If I were ever to go back up to NJ, I'd probably go by train. Much easier than trying to fly when you're in a wheelchair.

Rode on Caltrain a few times. I was surprised the ride was kind of bumpy and rough, as train tracks are pictured as being so smooth...OK (*at*) 65 mph = will feel some bumps during the ride.

Here are more cool Turbo pictures;

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/ATurbo5.jpg) (http://media.photobucket.com/user/Balticprince/media/ATurbo5.jpg.html)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/turbo-Amtrak2_zps65f82898.jpg) (http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/Balticprince/media/General%20Album%202/turbo-Amtrak2_zps65f82898.jpg.html)

(http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j131/bigsmokemofo/seventies%20slides/TurboinLondon.jpg) (http://media.photobucket.com/user/bigsmokemofo/media/seventies%20slides/TurboinLondon.jpg.html)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/turbo-CN_zpsc9f04cc1.jpg) (http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/Balticprince/media/General%20Album%202/turbo-CN_zpsc9f04cc1.jpg.html)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/Turbo201_zps098b63bc.jpg) (http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/Balticprince/media/General%20Album%202/Turbo201_zps098b63bc.jpg.html)

8)

I would travel by train more often if the stations had restaurants like this one ... http://www.fritzskc.com/ (http://www.fritzskc.com/)

(http://www.kansastravel.org/kansascitykansas/06fritzs1.JPG)

I don't blame you! Your order delivered directly to your table by a model railroad. That is so cool!

Fritz's Railroad Restaurant (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXI8RsI21Pc#ws)

And the prices are so friendly! A double bacon cheeseburger for $4.59! That's competitive with the fast food chains.

(http://www.fritzskc.com/images/main_product_pic.jpg)

Unfortunately, the three locations are all clustered in and around Kansas City which is well outside my regular stomping grounds. We need Bigbud, Scary Terry, Horror1o1, LundyAferMidnight and John Pertwee  to start providing us with full reports.

(http://c.eblastengine.com/EmailImages/23772.jpg)

:)

The United States did itself a great disservice when it allowed train travel to fall out of fashion. Planes were cheap and convenient for several decades, but look at the inconvenience of just getting on a plane, now! The prices are outlandish, the service almost non-existent. You go to Canada, Europe, Japan, and train travel is a thrill! When I used to take the train from Newark to Boston, it was fun. A lot of the other passengers would be college kids returning to their schools, too. You'd get confabs of BU, Brown, Harvard, and Emerson students. If you were lucky enough, you could get off in Boston, find two or three other students heading your way, and share a cab for just a buck or two! Trains need to make a comeback in America.

Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Quote from: Count_Zirock on June 21, 2013, 03:50:44 PM
The United States did itself a great disservice when it allowed train travel to fall out of fashion. Planes were cheap and convenient for several decades, but look at the inconvenience of just getting on a plane, now! The prices are outlandish, the service almost non-existent. You go to Canada, Europe, Japan, and train travel is a thrill! When I used to take the train from Newark to Boston, it was fun. A lot of the other passengers would be college kids returning to their schools, too. You'd get confabs of BU, Brown, Harvard, and Emerson students. If you were lucky enough, you could get off in Boston, find two or three other students heading your way, and share a cab for just a buck or two! Trains need to make a comeback in America.

Amen to that Count. But unfortunately it seems we're going about it all wrong here in California, with a $100 billion high speed system that will supposedly connect northern and southern CA. The cost has already doubled before any construction has started, yet there is plenty of low-cost air to and from the numerous airports throughout CA.  Train travel is definitely more comfortable and less hassle, although one of the reasons it is less hassle is that there is virtually no security. Can't you just picture terrorists licking their mangy chops at the thought of being able to target hundreds of miles of high-speed rail track out in the middle of nowhere. Seems to me that this particular project is just a political boondoggle spearheaded by our governor Moonbeam.

I thought about taking the train to Florida, but was told that it would be better for me to travel to Rocky Mount, then to begin my trip by boarding the train at the Wilson Station, which is within walking distance.  If I travel to Florida, I might be better off taking Greyhound.

Quote from: Hepcat on April 14, 2013, 01:38:39 PM
Here are more cool Turbo pictures;

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/ATurbo5.jpg) (http://media.photobucket.com/user/Balticprince/media/ATurbo5.jpg.html)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/turbo-Amtrak2_zps65f82898.jpg) (http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/Balticprince/media/General%20Album%202/turbo-Amtrak2_zps65f82898.jpg.html)

(http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j131/bigsmokemofo/seventies%20slides/TurboinLondon.jpg) (http://media.photobucket.com/user/bigsmokemofo/media/seventies%20slides/TurboinLondon.jpg.html)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/turbo-CN_zpsc9f04cc1.jpg) (http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/Balticprince/media/General%20Album%202/turbo-CN_zpsc9f04cc1.jpg.html)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%202/Turbo201_zps098b63bc.jpg) (http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/Balticprince/media/General%20Album%202/Turbo201_zps098b63bc.jpg.html)

8)

'LOVE the turbo train shots!!!

Speaking of trains...
Our former tax guy is in love with trains.
He builds a rideable large scale train in his backyard a few times each year and his wife puts up with it. Then he puts it all into storage. Meanwhile his tax office is full with trains and train photos and calendars. What a cool job, to just be a train conductor and watch the world pass by as you work while cruising down the rails.
8)

Here are pictures of the HO Scale Lionel Missile Launcher with Exploding Box Car set and the HO Scale Lionel Satellite Launch Car from my collection:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/HOMissileLauncher.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/HOMissileLauncher2.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/InsideMissleLauncher.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/InsideMissileLauncher2.jpg)

8)

It would be great if Lionel did a re-release of these sets ..  ;D

If they did so, many people would purchase at least two sets .. one for play and one for 'investment' (much like Beanie Babies) .. Still, it would be a wise business move for Lionel to manufacture these sets again.

Lionel has, at least in O-gauge, re-released most if not all the operating cars it manufactured in the fifties plus many more. There are a whopping 439 listings under Operating Cars in Lionel's newest eweb catalogue:

Lionel Operating Cars (http://www.lionel.com/Products/Finder/searchresults.cfm?doAction=Browse&expandBranch=0&Keywords=&CategoryID=459&Gauge=&FeatureIconID=&RailLineID=&CatalogID=&CollectionID=&StartRow=1&SortMethod=default)

And that's because adults who remember the toy trains of their childhood are precisely the people to whom Lionel now markets model train sets:

N.Y.Times - Railroads That Carry Grown Men Away (http://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/22/garden/railroads-that-carry-grown-men-away.html)

:)

I wonder why no one's gotten me any .. ???? I've have to put it on my Chanukah list.

Subway every day. Does that count?

No, subways don't count for the purposes of this poll.

Check out these early TV commercials for Lionel trains though:

LIONEL TRAIN COMMERCIALS (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDbdO0rYYVY#)

8)

I'd really love to go on a Horror, Ghost or Halloween train.  I've found some links for ghost trains around the world ...

http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/halloween-ghost-trains/ (http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/halloween-ghost-trains/)

http://www.traintraveling.com/events/halloween-trains/canada.html (http://www.traintraveling.com/events/halloween-trains/canada.html)

http://traintra.traintravelingco.netdna-cdn.com/events/halloween-trains/index.html (http://traintra.traintravelingco.netdna-cdn.com/events/halloween-trains/index.html)

http://traintra.traintravelingco.netdna-cdn.com/events/halloween-trains/southern.html (http://traintra.traintravelingco.netdna-cdn.com/events/halloween-trains/southern.html)

I think Halloween trains are fabulous! They combine two of my favourite things. And there are four in my immediate vicinity!

8)

There used to be an old-timey train museum and ride near my home in New Jersey. You'd ride the limited train line, and they'd either have a train robbery or an Indian attack. In October they had a haunted train. I believe the museum is still there, but they stopped the train rides because the land the tracks were on all got bought up & the tracks were ripped up by developers. >:(

Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 4

It's really sad when old train lines are abandoned or reused for evil purposes. 

Rails to Trails Conservancy is a great organization that puts the abandoned lines to good use.

http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html (http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html)

Quote from: Flower on August 28, 2013, 07:34:26 PM
It's really sad when old train lines are abandoned or reused for evil purposes. 

Rails to Trails Conservancy is a great organization that puts the abandoned lines to good use.

http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html (http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html)

Yes, they've done that in my current city of Gastonia, NC.

Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 4

I don't 'social network' or 'blog' .. nor do I follow blogs .. etc  .. but this woman (Messy Nessy Chic) has some very very cool things on her blog.

Here is the railway food 'market' ..  http://www.messynessychic.com/2012/11/17/the-railway-food-market/ (http://www.messynessychic.com/2012/11/17/the-railway-food-market/)

An abandoned Paris railway ...  http://www.messynessychic.com/2013/06/17/a-walk-along-the-paris-inner-city-railway-abandoned-since-1934/ (http://www.messynessychic.com/2013/06/17/a-walk-along-the-paris-inner-city-railway-abandoned-since-1934/)

I like the abandoned railroad running through the heart of Paris!

(http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.messynessychic.com/content.messynessychic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/1000x861xpinktunnel.jpg.pagespeed.ic.7N53QN2ScA.jpg)

:)

I've put it on my 'bucket' list.

This would be a cool place for train buffs to stay.

http://old-station.co.uk/tourhse.htm (http://old-station.co.uk/tourhse.htm)

(http://www.holidaysintheuk.com/images/The-Old-Railway-Station-Petworth-Sussex.jpg)

(http://incrediblestays.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/642412-130518-t-old-railway-station.jpg)

Caboose houses ..

http://dornob.com/cute-caboose-7-train-cars-transformed-into-tiny-houses/#axzz2feffLuj6 (http://dornob.com/cute-caboose-7-train-cars-transformed-into-tiny-houses/#axzz2feffLuj6)


(http://www.designbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/luxury_caboose_jj_bxgot.jpg)

I've always loved the caboose house concept!

8)

Diners were originally railroad dining cars set up on cinderblock foundations. There was a gorgeous old restaurant in NJ that started out as a genuine dining-car diner, then they expanded around it, so you could still see the original train car.

Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 4

The Del-Mar Restaurant on Dundas Street East in London originally consisted of a couple of boxcars back in the late fifties.

(http://cdn.ci3.yp.ca/t/1545/62/15456279aa_t.gif)

It's still one of my favourites and does a thriving business at breakfast and lunch.

8)

This is a nice site on train car diners ... http://www.pinterest.com/clipperbay/train-car-diners-of-america/ (http://www.pinterest.com/clipperbay/train-car-diners-of-america/)

I'd love to go to the Rock & Roll Diner one day ...   http://www.rockandrolldiner.com/ (http://www.rockandrolldiner.com/)

(http://www.nopalcactusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/oceano0509_2.jpg)


(http://www.bayareapilot.com/Oceano%20and%20Sectional%20Pics%20036%20Large%20Web%20view.jpg)

Those are great sites!

Now here's a good looking Wonder Woman boxcar that Tyco issued in 1977:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%203/WonderWomanTrain_zpsa6cc0514.jpg) (http://s1101.photobucket.com/user/Balticprince/media/General%20Album%203/WonderWomanTrain_zpsa6cc0514.jpg.html)

8)

Always thought a train to Canada through the Rockies trip sounded fun. Locally there is a plan to have a train thru the northbay to Marin. Right off the train to the ferry to SF, no cars, cool

A very good friend of mine lives in Alameda in a lovely storybook home.  After he and his partner took a Vancouver train trip, they were both ready to move to Canada and leave all else behind. They didn't but really fell in love with the Rockies.

http://www.rockymountaineer.com/en_CA_ON/ (http://www.rockymountaineer.com/en_CA_ON/)

This is a really good 'train' site.

www.railsnw.com (http://www.railsnw.com)


I want to be in this Parlour car.


(http://www.railsnw.com/images/skunk_parlor.jpg)

Wow! Which train is that?

???

That car is from one of the African Rail Adventures that can be found on the website posted with the image.

I have a hazy memory of having journeyed to the beach with my mother and sister on the London & Port Stanley Railway one summer day in 1957(?). It would have been on an interurban car like this beautifully restored one that's part of the collection of the Hallton County Radial Railway Museum:

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%203/LondonampPortStanley_zps23774d55.jpg)

(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/General%20Album%203/LondonPort_zps69f3e1c3.jpg)

8)

What a great looking passenger car! As a very young child, we would venture out to see relatives (we would see them and run the other way) on Long Island. I was very impressed with the double decker cars on the Long Island Railroad when it passed us on our journey.  Not every train had a double decker car and there was rarely more than one car per train but I longed to ride in one but never managed that feat as they discontinued the cars because of the lack of headroom caused by two levels or so I was told.

Quote from: Hepcat on May 23, 2012, 10:56:04 AMSome other interesting facts about Lake Baikal:

Comparing Lake Baikal to Lake Superior which is the world's largest lake by surface area is an interesting exercise. Lake Baikal is only the world's seventh largest fresh water lake by surface area with 12,248 square miles of surface area in comparison to Lake Superior's 31,700 square miles. Lake Baikal though is much deeper than Lake Superior with an average depth of a whopping 2442 feet compared to Superior's 483 foot average. Lake Baikal thus contains 5700 cubic miles of water volume in comparison with Lake Superior's 2900 cubic miles. Lake Baikal's extreme depth is due to the fact that it was not carved out by a glacier but is instead a 25 million year old rift valley or break in the earth's crust created by movement of the earth's tectonic crust (an earthquake).

The Agawa Canyon north of Sault Ste. Marie along the route of the Algoma Central Railway is another rift valley. If you've not taken the Agawa Canyon train, it's a shame.

cl:)

I think that Hepcat wants to take this train ...

http://www.messynessychic.com/2014/01/24/last-train-to-sicily/ (http://www.messynessychic.com/2014/01/24/last-train-to-sicily/)

(http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.messynessychic.com/content.messynessychic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/664x443xlittorine11.jpg.pagespeed.ic.oAvXLEQrwL.jpg)

You bet!

8)

Pity it only runs during tourist season in the summer though. That means that local residents don't use it very much as a means of everyday transportation. And I miss all the inter-urbans that once connected small towns across North America too. How I wish I could still take the train to Keswick, Goderich, Port Dover, Port Stanley, Owen Sound, Collingwood, Peterborough, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, North Bay, etc, etc.

:(

Port Stanley Terminal Rail is running a Murder Mystery train once again this Halloween season:

Murder Mystery Train (http://www.pstr.on.ca/events.htm#mm)

(http://elginhistoricalsociety.ca/rail/wp-content/gallery/minor/Port-Stanley-Terminal-Railway-equipment-in-Port-Stanley-27-04-87.jpg)

I see that it's all sold out again this year. Oh well. Maybe next year!

:-\

(http://www.subwaynut.com/njt/north_jersey_coast/south_amboy/south_amboy1.jpg)

Growing up, the South Amboy station was a 5 minute drive from my house.  There you could take NJ Transit to Penn Station, NYC.  The ride takes 1 hour.

We made two lovely train adventures.  We were in NYC for 9/11 and fled after 9 days to Niagara, caught the Trans Canadian across to British Columbia, hopping off every other day for a 2-3 day honeymoon reclamation effort after the twin towers.  That was a pretty great train trip.

Then in 2010, we took AmTrak from Texas up thru West Virgiina into NYC, picked up a company car that was being transferred back to the Texas location and drove it back.  That was rather routine - highways.  But the train trek especially into little-town West VA was spectacular.  I'll always want to hop off on the small stops and avoid the big city ones. 

But that was tres expensive.  The version to our Calif locales wouldn't take so much time but the opportunities to stop at small towns is almost nil, compared to East Coast transits.

Quote from: Flower on September 23, 2013, 09:06:52 AMThis is a nice site on train car diners ... http://www.pinterest.com/clipperbay/train-car-diners-of-america/ (http://www.pinterest.com/clipperbay/train-car-diners-of-america/)

I'd love to go to the Rock & Roll Diner one day ...   http://www.rockandrolldiner.com/ (http://www.rockandrolldiner.com/)

(http://www.nopalcactusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/oceano0509_2.jpg)

(http://www.bayareapilot.com/Oceano%20and%20Sectional%20Pics%20036%20Large%20Web%20view.jpg)

Oh yeah! A trek on the Rock & Roll Diner would be a fabulous excursion!

8)

Quote from: ChristineBCW on November 02, 2017, 02:14:19 AM...caught the Trans Canadian across to British Columbia, hopping off every other day for a 2-3 day honeymoon reclamation effort after the twin towers.

If you were hopping off every other day, would that trip not take about five to six days?

???

Quote from: ChristineBCW on November 02, 2017, 02:14:19 AMBut the train trek especially into little-town West VA was spectacular.  I'll always want to hop off on the small stops and avoid the big city ones. 

But that was tres expensive.  The version to our Calif locales wouldn't take so much time but the opportunities to stop at small towns is almost nil, compared to East Coast transits.

It's just sad that passenger trains don't stop at or even travel through so many destinations anymore. I can think of six or seven routes abandoned within my memory that I'd love to travel. The refrain "You can't get there by train (or even bus) anymore" is all too common these days.

:(

Most of my train travel occurs outside the United States. Touring in Spain ,China and Peru all included lengthy train trips. While trying to leave Madrid, I kept telling a cab driver I needed to go to the train station in my ( utterly ridiculous) broken  Spanish. What I couldn't comprehend was that there were TWO train stations- the cabbie had no idea which one I wanted to reach- apparently neither did I! Lol
RF