Crossing the Country in Style … Part One
As promised, here are a few of the photos I took on my recent train trip from Washington to Los Angeles, with a 48-hour stopover in Chicago. I was in Washington to attend a meeting of the Board of Directors of NARP, the National Association of Railroad Passengers.
Washington’s Union Station is a magnificent building. It not only serves Amtrak, but also commuter trains taking people to and from suburban areas in Maryland and Virginia. This is just a portion of the great hall, which includes several restaurants. Shops and an extensive food court are through those doors on the left. Trains come and go on two levels, also to the left.
This is the Royal Street, a buffet/lounge/observation car. It was one of two vintage rail cars attached to Amtrak’s Capital Limited and in which about 30 of us rode from Washington to Chicago. Most of us slept in the Pacific Union, a classic 10-6 sleeping car, meaning it features 10 roomettes and six bedrooms. Both of these beauties were built in 1950 and were leased from American Rail Excursions.
This is the Pacific Union waiting for the Capital Limited to back in and hook up. We were over three hours late leaving Washington because of a mechanical problem with the Amtrak dining car. But when your riding in a couple of classic rail cars, who cares!
Meals were prepared in a tiny galley on the Royal Street and served in an comparably small dining area seating eight people at a time.
The observation area of the Royal Street. The car is named for the famous street that runs through the French Quarter in New Orleans, one of the oldest in the city and featuring antique shops, restaurants and charming old hotels.
