Part of having an interest in past styles, customs and
cultures is that I’ve missed enjoying these things in their own time. Unfortunately I have missed the great
romantic train era of the early twentieth century. My modern day experiences
have limited me to minutes-long metro link and subway trips—hardly the height
of glamorous train travel.
There once was a time when the
railways were the major and preferred mode of cross-country travel
(international travel in Europe ). It seems to have been the happy medium of
commuting. It was faster, smoother and
more comfortable over great distances than automobiles, yet unlike flight it
did not distance you from the passing points of interest and scenic landscapes. You could still sightsee
as you cross-country as you were swiftly slipping through the country rather
than leap-frogging it. It was cross-country
traveling at its most luxurious. It was
dining cars and sky cabins. It was sleeper births and lounge cars.
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| Union Pacific Streamliner |
I also like ingenuity of the old
time technology and engineering that engulfs the railway systems. The finest passenger trains were powered by steam
locomotives that were monuments
to size, strength and power decked out in lustrous Art-Deco, aerodynamic styles
of the day. The bridges, tunnels and train stations were all wondrous feats of architecture
and engineering injected into the everyday lives of generations of commuters. The bridges ranged from elegant to stout. The
stations ranged from simple ticket booth and overhang to giant and elaborate
caverns with magnificent interiors.
The track itself made its way
through the landscape in graceful, sweeping curves. The train can be a wonderful compliment to
beautiful scenery it traverses. I think
a train and track is the perfect accent to alpine pass.
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| 20th Century Limited of the New York Central Railroad |
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| Penn Station, NewYork |
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| Redlands, Calif. Santa Fe train station |
