On 2008-03-19, Jim Chandler wrote:
Back in 1966 I took the train from Fairfield, CA to wichita Falls, TC to
save some money. I will NEVER do that again unless I have a sleeper.
Three days in one of those seats is too much. Your idea of flying to
Denver and then by train is excellent. the scenery is much better on
that segment and might keep him occupied.

Jim

I will definitely get a sleeper (it is called roomette)

i

On Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:43:12 GMT, Jim Chandler wrote:

Ignoramus30927 wrote:

On 2008-03-19, Jerry Foster wrote:

"Ignoramus30927" wrote in message
...

Amtrak is made from metal. So there is some relevance. Anyway. My 6
year old wants to ride Amtrak from IL to CA (Chicago to Emeryville
CA) in summer.

I first dismissed the idea, but now I like it. I doubt that Amtrak
will be around for much longer, and 7 (he will be 7 by summer) is old
enough to remember, so perhaps this ride would be a memorable
experience. he may not have a chance to do it when he grows up.

My question is, has anyone tried something like this, is there enough
we can do on the train to keep this 54 hour ride interesting?

i

I haven't ridden it, but several friends have taken at least part of that
route.
54 hours on a train seems like a long time for a seven year old, especially
since it is fairly common for the train to stop and sit for sometimes two or
three hours at a time... Because Amtrak owns the train but uses other
railroads' tracks, the other railroads give priority to their freight trains
and
Amtrak moves on a "time available" basis. The result is that the schedules
are approximations only. One friend of mine had the unique experience of
having to sit for several hours somewhere in Nevada because they'd caught
up with the previous day's train...

Don't misunderstand. I think taking the kid on a train ride is a great
idea,
but you might opt for a (much) shorter one.

Or have you considered flying part of the way and taking the train the rest?
The segment, say, from Reno to Emeryville is rather spectacular.




Yes. I am concerned with this 54 hours number. We may fly to Denver,
hang out in the mountains for 2 nights, and take Amtrak from
there. Colorado has some very nice mountain places near Denver.

Chicago to Denver, is not a very spectacular ride anyway.

i



Back in 1966 I took the train from Fairfield, CA to wichita Falls, TC to
save some money. I will NEVER do that again unless I have a sleeper.
Three days in one of those seats is too much. Your idea of flying to
Denver and then by train is excellent. the scenery is much better on
that segment and might keep him occupied.

Jim

Not Amtrack, but we took a 10-year-old on a train from Beijing to
Chengdu (IIRC around 30 hours)-- it was more expensive than flying--
just for the experience. As well as books, kids today have portable
DVD players, iPods, PSPs and so on to keep busy when the view outside
the window gets boring, and you're not nearly as cooped up as during a
long flight. He also learned to work one of their yo-yos--
http://www.fcc-info.com/exhibition/toy/t1.JPG

I wouldn't do the 54 hours thing with a kid that age. Fly out and do
the best part, as others have said. There will always be trains
somewhere to take if you want to take a train.
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

Hey Iggy,

Lots of fun for both Dad and the young'un on a train. Day coach or
sleeper, or rich guy compartment, all are intriguing.

Seems to me I checked into a similar trip a few years back now. Maybe
10 - 15 years ago ??? Time flies!!. Never did it though, but I
recall something that might interest you.

You should check whether the train from Chicago goes south thru
Flagstaff, or even Phoenix. There is a "scenic railway" that runs
north from Williams (about 30 miles west of Flagstaff), and it goes to
the Grand Canyon. Not too sure if it was daily, or just seasonal. As
I recall, you can book the Amtrak with a one or two day layover that
lets you visit the Grand Canyon. Even go up by bus if you can't do
otherwise. If you rent a car and drive up, there's an interesting
airport museum that you both might like at the junction of Hwy 64 and
180, at Valle. Not too big...maybe an hours sees it all. It's about
1/2 hour south of the Canyon, and you can get sight-seeing rides in
fixed wing or helicopters from there.

Take the train out there while he's all keen and excited, and fly home
from California when he wants to see Mom.

Good on you doing the trip with young Iggy. I recall trips I took
with my Dad when I was his age and a bit older, and that was 60 years
ago!!!

Brian Lawson,
Bothwell, Ontario.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:23:58 -0500, Ignoramus30927
wrote:

Amtrak is made from metal. So there is some relevance. Anyway. My 6
year old wants to ride Amtrak from IL to CA (Chicago to Emeryville
CA) in summer.

I first dismissed the idea, but now I like it. I doubt that Amtrak
will be around for much longer, and 7 (he will be 7 by summer) is old
enough to remember, so perhaps this ride would be a memorable
experience. he may not have a chance to do it when he grows up.

My question is, has anyone tried something like this, is there enough
we can do on the train to keep this 54 hour ride interesting?

i

Ignoramus30927 wrote:
Amtrak is made from metal. So there is some relevance. Anyway. My 6
year old wants to ride Amtrak from IL to CA (Chicago to Emeryville
CA) in summer.

I first dismissed the idea, but now I like it. I doubt that Amtrak
will be around for much longer, and 7 (he will be 7 by summer) is old
enough to remember, so perhaps this ride would be a memorable
experience. he may not have a chance to do it when he grows up.

My question is, has anyone tried something like this, is there enough
we can do on the train to keep this 54 hour ride interesting?

I have taken the Amtrak from Flagstaff, AZ to Washington, DC and back
twice in the last 5 years. We went through Chicago all trips.

Your comment about getting the sleeper is important! Nights in the open
car are miserable. If you can, get a berth on the lower level of the
train, the side to side sloshing is less bothersome down low.

Avoid holidays.

The scenery from Chicago to about the Colorado border is boring, but
gets better fast at the Colorado line. There are a few nice spots
between Albuquerque and Flagstaff, but it is mostly open desert.

If things are working, the food is pretty good on the train. If they are
not, the train people have no problem sendng somebody out for a truck
load of KFC.

The oberservation cars are pretty cool. There is lots of room to move
around. I think they showed kids movies in the observation car after dark.

If things are working, the people are friendly and professional. If not,
they may be pretty unpleasant.

The air travel system in the US before September 11 was right at the
edge of intolerable. After September 11, I will drive 8 hours rather
than fly 1 hour. Longer trips are often avoided. I was hoping the trains
would be a workable substitute for flying longer distances.

Good Luck and enjoy,
BobH

On 2008-03-20, Don Foreman wrote:
On Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:23:58 -0500, Ignoramus30927
wrote:

Amtrak is made from metal. So there is some relevance. Anyway. My 6
year old wants to ride Amtrak from IL to CA (Chicago to Emeryville
CA) in summer.

I first dismissed the idea, but now I like it. I doubt that Amtrak
will be around for much longer, and 7 (he will be 7 by summer) is old
enough to remember, so perhaps this ride would be a memorable
experience. he may not have a chance to do it when he grows up.

My question is, has anyone tried something like this, is there enough
we can do on the train to keep this 54 hour ride interesting?

i

I rode the California Zephyr from Chicago to San Franciso in 1949
when I was 7. I shall never forget that journey and experience. It
was fantastic!

We had a compartment so we could have a good night's sleep, but we
spent almost no time in the compartment during the day. We were in
the Vista Dome much of the day except when taking meals in the dining
car. I could read during periods when when there wasn't much to see
out the window.

The rail route thru the Royal Gorge was absolutely jaw-dropping,
awe-inpiring and spectacular. The emptiness of some parts of the
country (no billboards, gas stations or other signs of civilization)
was quite striking.

Don, we've definitely decided to go and I checked with my spouse
also. So we'll go. We'll use a "roomette" which is a little tiny room.

i

Excellent idea.
When I joined the US Navy, I rode a train from Philadelphia to
Chicago. It was an overnight ride and we had a sleeping car. There was
restaurant and a bar. I do remember going around the Horseshoe Curve
in Altoona PA.
It was great!!
You might be able to break the trip up into more than one long ride.

On Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:23:58 -0500, Ignoramus30927
wrote:

Amtrak is made from metal. So there is some relevance. Anyway. My 6
year old wants to ride Amtrak from IL to CA (Chicago to Emeryville
CA) in summer.

I first dismissed the idea, but now I like it. I doubt that Amtrak
will be around for much longer, and 7 (he will be 7 by summer) is old
enough to remember, so perhaps this ride would be a memorable
experience. he may not have a chance to do it when he grows up.

My question is, has anyone tried something like this, is there enough
we can do on the train to keep this 54 hour ride interesting?

i

I rode the California Zephyr from Chicago to San Franciso in 1949
when I was 7. I shall never forget that journey and experience. It
was fantastic!

We had a compartment so we could have a good night's sleep, but we
spent almost no time in the compartment during the day. We were in
the Vista Dome much of the day except when taking meals in the dining
car. I could read during periods when when there wasn't much to see
out the window.

The rail route thru the Royal Gorge was absolutely jaw-dropping,
awe-inpiring and spectacular. The emptiness of some parts of the
country (no billboards, gas stations or other signs of civilization)
was quite striking.

Igor,

Take train #1 - Moscow-Vladivostok. THIS would be fantastic!

Ignoramus30927 wrote:
Amtrak is made from metal. So there is some relevance. Anyway. My 6
year old wants to ride Amtrak from IL to CA (Chicago to Emeryville
CA) in summer.

I first dismissed the idea, but now I like it. I doubt that Amtrak
will be around for much longer, and 7 (he will be 7 by summer) is old
enough to remember, so perhaps this ride would be a memorable
experience. he may not have a chance to do it when he grows up.

My question is, has anyone tried something like this, is there enough
we can do on the train to keep this 54 hour ride interesting?

For 7yrs old - everything is interesting on the train. Especially
if you would be able to make some 'in-depth' visits - not sure
if it's possible on the Amtrack but is is for sure possible on
the train #1.

A.

On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:23:04 GMT, Zayonc wrote:

Igor,

Take train #1 - Moscow-Vladivostok. THIS would be fantastic!

Ignoramus30927 wrote:
Amtrak is made from metal. So there is some relevance. Anyway. My 6
year old wants to ride Amtrak from IL to CA (Chicago to Emeryville
CA) in summer.

I first dismissed the idea, but now I like it. I doubt that Amtrak
will be around for much longer, and 7 (he will be 7 by summer) is old
enough to remember, so perhaps this ride would be a memorable
experience. he may not have a chance to do it when he grows up.

My question is, has anyone tried something like this, is there enough
we can do on the train to keep this 54 hour ride interesting?

For 7yrs old - everything is interesting on the train. Especially
if you would be able to make some 'in-depth' visits - not sure
if it's possible on the Amtrack but is is for sure possible on
the train #1.

Good point. When I was 7 my folks gave me a kid-level train book to
read before our trip. I learned all about the various kinds of
locomotives, about fusees, torpedoes, flimsies, air brakes and the
various jobs of those who work for the railroad, and I knew all of
the whistle signals which, BTW, are still in use.

On 2008-03-20, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I certainly hope you you are not considering sending a child without a
responsible adult. Wasn't sure from the original post.

I am not considering that.

i

As to boredom, you can play the alphabet game with him, and with signs along
the way.