I've written about Amtrak in the past .. waxing nostalgic on the "City of New Orleans", which I have taken to New Orleans more than once .. I always liked Train Travel .. you had what was really a self contained Community, and, back in the old days, there was a Smoking Lounge (I don't know if it should be called a Lounge, as it was more like being inside a giant ashtray) .. but, if you were a smoker, you'd see the same folks there when you decided to light up, you'd likely have more than one cig while there, and, I would always, always, strike up a conversation with those folks .. over an 18-20 hour train trip, you'd get to know these Temporary Friends pretty well ..
A guilty pleasure, for me, would be the dining car .. where food was prepared in a small kitchen in that car .. if you were alone or with one person, you'd always get seated with another stranger or two, thus, unless you wanted to be really rude, you'd strike up a conversation as well while breaking bread with these folks .. the commonality within this "Train Community" was, er, we were all on a train and as long as it was moving, we were not getting off ..
The dining car would have white tablecloths, a small lamp, and, oddly, somehow gave you an idea of what it must be like on the Orient Express .. the rails clacking, passing Mississippi Delta towns like Yazoo City, Jackson and more .. it was quite Romantic .. harkening back to another Age, at least IMO ..
Now, Amtrak is eliminating the Dining Car as I knew it, sadly .. to go more "Airline" style, with prepared food .. purportedly, because the newer Generations are simply not interested in this type communal activity and to cut costs ..
Another Slice of Americana swirls down the drain of History ..
