While I have been alive longer than Amtrak, my non-Amtrak memories are few and far between.
I recall once on family trip to relatives in Southern Indiana catching a brief morning glimpse of a Monon passenger train on the street in New Albany. On another trip I recall an afternoon arrival and departure of L&N's Pan American at Louisville Union Station. I recall being trackside when the remnant of Southern's Royal Palm made a station call in Georgetown, KY. I saw what was left of the Carolina Special bolt through Marshall, NC. I had a couple of trips on Southern's Piedmont and one on THE Souhtern Crescent in the 1970's. That was it.
Other than these glimpses, Inter-City rail passenger service in my lifetime has been, warts or no, Amtrak.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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I could refer all to material I have posted at another site, but "that's not cricket". Suffice to say, I have more pre-A-Day miles than I have post.
Any wonder that Amtrak to me is simply a means of Point A to B transportation I use on occasion when such is convenient to my travel needs...and really nothing more?
notelvis Member # 3071
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I'm reaching the point where I've covered about 97% of the existing Amtrak system (plus a couple of routes which are no more). This means that I try for new combinations to excite me when I plan a trip...... For instance, I had never changed trains from the Southwest Chief to the City of New Orleans before so on my last trip I did that.
Going somewhere else entirely though, if given a choice between a ride on the Silver Star to Florida or a day on the Cumbres & Toltec narrow guage railroad in Colorado/New Mexico, I'd choose the Cumbres & Toltec.
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