All Aboard for Trains!

I don't make much of a secret my enamorment of trains.  If you've been following my blog, you'll know that I took a train trip to North Charleston, SC, the second of two in 2013, with the other one being to Austin, TX in January.  There's a certain charm to using trains to traveling about this great country.  It's a mode of travel that allows me to really experience it.  (I also like using light rail train systems in various US cities I've visited.)

So that's why the second Saturday in May is a fun day for me, when National Train Day comes chugging in.  This year was the 7th annual National Train Day, and I've been to almost all of the events held on this day at Union Station since the first one held on Saturday, May 10, 2008.

At Union Station at the opening remarks for this year's event, Tom Carper, who sits on the Amtrak Board of Directors, spoke well to the theme of this year's event: Trains Matter.  He talked about how railroads helped build up numerous cities throughout the US in years past, and how they still play an important role in moving people around today, especially in a region like the Midwest.  A commissioner with the Chicago Department of Transportation also spoke and said that nearly 120000 people board or alight trains at Union Station every day.  As far as those numbers are concerned, that ranks it up there with the top 10 busiest US airports, and that's more people than pass through Midway Airport.

Following the opening remarks, I went to look at the train equipment displays, which featured various cars used on Amtrak passenger trains.  It was a great chance to see some spaces I wouldn't have much access to, like the kitchen in the lower level of the dining car, and the sleeping car accommodations.  There were also some luxury vintage rail cars on display for people to walk through.

Sleeping car accommodations

Above and below: views of the kitchen, in the level beneath the dining car

Something else fun I did this year was take a ride on an Amtrak National Train Day excursion train.  The train traveled out into the rail yard south of Union Station, onto the tracks that head southwest toward St. Louis, and then south onto the tracks that cross the South Branch of the Chicago River, near Ping Tom Park.  We then went all the way back into Union Station, and out the other side onto the tracks that head north, toward Fox Lake, Milwaukee, and beyond, before going back into the south rail yard and then back to the platform.

All the while, an Amtrak staff person was giving commentary about the operations of Amtrak trains, such as the logistics of the track signals, and the various facilities used in the south yard to maintain them, like where the trains get washed.

She also spoke about the importance of trains today.  And it's vital to have a transportation option like trains to move people around the country, when, for example, flying falls short.  It's certainly good to have this option, in case of a situation when aviation operations have to suspended, like we saw in the days right after September 11, and in 2010 when Eyjafjallajokull erupted.  And it's good just to have it as another mode of transportation.  She also said trains provide a great way to connect with fellow passengers and enjoy the journey.

There is indeed a certain sort of magic and charm to train travel.  You hop on, sit in a nice, comfy seat, and just relax, while taking in the sights along the route.  And there's a certain sense of community that the train fosters, as it allows for people to move around comfortably while spending a number of hours together.

While it's true that my passion for trains is fueled in part by an aversion to air travel--at least for domestic trips--it's also motivated by an appreciation for the way trains allow me to really see the country I'm going through, to be able to appreciate the journey, and not be so focused on getting to the destination.

I look forward to seeing how leaders and other citizens work together to enhance the rail infrastructure in the United States so that it can continue being an important part of moving people around.  And I look forward to more opportunities to experience the thrill and charm of riding the rails and soaking in this great country.

Thanks to the kindly conductor, whose nametag read "R. Jimenez", who offered to take pictures of people riding the NTD excursion train