My dad is a huge train buff. HO scale model railroads dominated our basement and thus my childhood. He worked for Burlington Northern, now BNSF. He even developed a natural gas powered locomotive. During Perestroika and Glasnost he hosted Russians for tech transfer discussions because Reagan asked the CEO of BN to make it happen. He went to Russia multiple times, for discussions of railroads. Dinner conversations ranged from wax motors for bearing overheating conditions to FRA regulatory proceedings.
So, as an adult, I love trains and travel them preferentially when possible. I've been on train systems in Tokyo, Osaka, San Francisco, Bangkok, Philly, Boston, DC, Chicago, and NY. I've taken AMTRAK from DC to Boston just to do it, literally cost me more than flying, and took longer. Just did it. Not really counting the various light rail systems (e.g. Houston), the California coastal systems, the tourist lines, the airports, yada yada.
And then I took the train from Cambridge into Stratford for a West Ham vs Manchester game. That was mind-bending. They turned the ground into navigable Swiss cheese and then pack it with so many people I was getting a bit panicky. It's probably not larger than the Japanese stations, but the experience is nuts by comparison.
The New York system I remember just seems, rickety by comparison to Japan and the UK. DC is actually pretty solid. When it's not on fire.
My dad is a huge train buff. HO scale model railroads dominated our basement and thus my childhood. He worked for Burlington Northern, now BNSF. He even developed a natural gas powered locomotive. During Perestroika and Glasnost he hosted Russians for tech transfer discussions because Reagan asked the CEO of BN to make it happen. He went to Russia multiple times, for discussions of railroads. Dinner conversations ranged from wax motors for bearing overheating conditions to FRA regulatory proceedings.
So, as an adult, I love trains and travel them preferentially when possible. I've been on train systems in Tokyo, Osaka, San Francisco, Bangkok, Philly, Boston, DC, Chicago, and NY. I've taken AMTRAK from DC to Boston just to do it, literally cost me more than flying, and took longer. Just did it. Not really counting the various light rail systems (e.g. Houston), the California coastal systems, the tourist lines, the airports, yada yada.
And then I took the train from Cambridge into Stratford for a West Ham vs Manchester game. That was mind-bending. They turned the ground into navigable Swiss cheese and then pack it with so many people I was getting a bit panicky. It's probably not larger than the Japanese stations, but the experience is nuts by comparison.
The New York system I remember just seems, rickety by comparison to Japan and the UK. DC is actually pretty solid. When it's not on fire.