Some of my fondest memories of my dad are of the trips we took together when I was a kid. We would fly from our home in Hawai’i to the West Cost, board Amtrak in Seattle, San Francisco, or L.A., and spend the next few weeks criss-crossing the country by train, just the two of us.
On these trips, my dad shared his knowledge and love of train travel with me, explaining things like the roles of the conductor and car attendants, teaching me how to clock our speed by timing the distance between mileposts, and telling stories about train trips he took as a boy.
Fast forward a few years, and we had something else to share: we were both writers. My dad had published a successful travel book, All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide, and I was a working journalist and published author. We still lived in Hawai’i — now in neighboring homes surrounded by pasture land in rural Maui — and I often walked over to sit on his porch, drink coffee, and hear about his latest train trip. I’d tell him about the story I was working on, and he’d talk about what he was writing for his popular and long-running blog.
After my dad passed away in 2024, I thought about what a shame it was that all his knowledge and writing about train travel would end.
So I decided to take over.
On this site, I’ll be posting new stories and information about North American train travel. I’ll also be updating my dad’s posts with the latest information on Amtrak and Via Rail. And I’ll continue to share his wonderful travelogues with his many readers.
Finally, if you knew my dad, or if you were a fan of his work, consider supporting his legacy with a donation to the Rail Passengers Association.
— Ilima Loomis
Ilima Loomis
Ilima Loomis is a writer and journalist whose work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Popular Science, Discover, Alaska Beyond Magazine, Hawai’i Magazine, Nature Conservancy Magazine, and more. She is also the author of several books.
Ilima started her career as a newspaper reporter, back when news came on actual paper. She was a longtime staff writer for The Maui News, where she won awards for her community journalism. She served as managing editor for Spirituality & Health magazine before becoming a freelance science writer.
Born and raised in Hawai’i, Ilima now lives in chilly Vancouver, Canada, where she enjoys exploring the continent by train. She is a member of the Rail Passengers Association and supports its mission of improving and expanding passenger train service, including high-speed rail.
When she’s not writing, Ilima enjoys a cup of tea and a good book. She is learning to love hockey.
Jim Loomis (1937-2024)
Jim Loomis started this site so he could share his knowledge and love of train travel, which he described as “the only civilized way that’s left for us ordinary folks to see this or any other country.” Over many decades, he traveled almost every long-distance trip on Amtrak and Via Rail, many of them multiple times, as well as numerous other routes, including the Orient Express, the Trans-Siberian Railway, and the Ghan.
He is the author of All Aboard! The Complete North American Train Travel Guide. His travel writing has appeared in publications like the Dallas Morning News, the Columbus Dispatch, International Living, and more. He is also the author of the books Fascinating Facts About Hawai’i and Travel Tales.
A longtime member of the RPA board of directors, Jim was a passionate advocate for increasing funding for passenger rail. Please consider making a donation in his memory.
Jim lived in Hai’ku, Maui, and was a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan. Go Sox!