`Railroads," wrote Nathaniel Hawthorne, "are positively the greatest blessing that the ages have wrought out for us. They give us wings; they annihilate the toil and dust of pilgrimage; they spiritualize travel!"
But that was then, and this is now; much faster wings crisscross the skies, and not so many people go on pilgrimages anymore. Are trains still a viable form of transportation? Do many people go by train these days? Despite the cutbacks and consolidations, does Amtrak offer any creature comforts? Is the "spiritualization" of travel worth taking the extra time?With these questions in mind, I board the train in Denver for a two-day jaunt that will bring me back to Salt Lake City. (The actual time for the ride was only about 15 hours, but I was overnighting in Glenwood Springs.) This was something I have thought about doing for a long time, and never quite got around to it. But now I was in Denver with a couple of days before I had to be home, and I was going by train. I have ridden trains in Europe and Asia and other parts of the world. I have ridden Amtrak trains in the East, out of Washington D.C.'s Union Station. In my youth, I even rode the old Union Pacific from Salt Lake City to Chicago. But this would be my first time on one of Amtrak's sleek, bi-level Superliners. And I was looking forward to the journey.
After all, this was not just any train I was taking. This was the California Zephyr, the one author Henry Kisor calls "America's most exhilarating transcontinental train. The most representative as well as one of the most popular of Amtrak's long-distance trains."
The Zephyr, named after the Greek god of the east wind, actually runs from Chicago to Oakland (a three-day trip). But the section I would be on is one that many people consider one of the most scenic routes in the whole country, climbing to the sky through the heart of the Colorado Rockies and then descending down into the canyons of the upper Colorado River to Glenwood Springs and Grand Junction before heading off to Utah past Thompson, up to Helper and then on to Salt Lake City.
The first thing I notice as I board the train is how much space I have in and around my seat. "Wow!" said a passenger across the aisle, obviously also a novice. "This is more room than you get in first class on an airplane." And, indeed, it is. In addition to overhead racks, there is plenty of room at the seat for feet, plus tote bags, purses and other paraphernalia. No need to stow anything "under the seat in front of you." There is room enough that when the person in front of you reclines his or her seat, you hardly notice. There is room to wallow in comfort, with foot rests and leg rests and folding-down trays. There would even be room for relatively contortionless sleep, if I was going to be on the train overnight, like the folks who were going on to California. And there are windows - huge, big picture windows that frame the landscape as it sweeps by.
The next thing I notice is that the car is pretty full. A lot of people do travel by train these days. And an instant sort of camaraderie springs up between them. Just the fact of being on a train seems to give common ground. Among the folks sharing our end of the car were a couple of Salt Lake women who were also doing this for the first time; an extended family of seven going to Glenwood Springs for the weekend in honor of "Poppy's" 80th birthday; and a British tour leader who had 23 people with her who had been making their way across the country by train, stopping for several days at a time in between in such places as Pittsburgh, Chicago, Denver and Salt Lake City. It's a great way to see the country, she said.
As we settled in, the cabin attendant, a personable man named Phillip, checked to see that everyone had what they needed. ("Wait, sir! It's my job to hand out the pillows," he told one man making his way down the aisle with an arm-load.)
And then it's time to depart. No fanfare. No rumbling engines. Just a gentle nudge, and we're off, gliding down the rails. This ride is smooth. Gone is the clackety-clack of yesteryear. It's because of the "continuous welded rail" now laid down in quarter mile sections, conductor Steve Aiken tells me. "Sometimes I kind of miss the old sound," says Aiken, who has been with railroads in one job or another for 27 years.
`Well, let's see," says a voice over the P.A. system. "In order to accommodate the Denver-boarding passengers, we'll be serving breakfast for about another 10 minutes. Come on down to the diner and get your breakfast now." A number of my fellow travelers take him up on the offer. Unfortunately, I've already eaten. But, I decide, this might be a good time to explore the train.
Amtrak's Superliner cars have two levels. On the lower level of most cars there are restrooms, places for luggage storage, and wheelchair-accessible seating.
In addition to the dining car, there is a lounge car with wrap-around windows that provide a spectacular view of the scenery. This is one of the most popular cars, with seating on a first-come basis for those who want to visit and view. Downstairs in the lounge car is a cafe with sandwiches, snacks, beverages and such as well as a number of tables.
To the front of the train are the sleeper cars, with daytime seats that convert to beds at night and offering first-class accommodations and privacy for one, two or for families.
Meals in the dining car are served at specific times, with breakfast and lunch on a first-come arrangement (after the tables are full, passengers are given a number that will be called). Dinner is done by reservation. You are given a choice of approximate seating times and then make your way to the car when your seating time is called.
These are not especially lush times for Amtrak; there have been cutbacks in routes and personnel, but the company is trying to keep the level of service high. Dining cars now have chefs that are trained at the Culinary Institute, and food is comparable to what you might find in any linen-table-clothed restaurant. Meals also provide a chance to meet and mingle with other passengers. (I share a table with a member of the Merchant Marines and an Australian couple doing the cross-country thing; all have interesting tales to tell.)
Meeting the other passengers is a good way to increase your enjoyment of the trip, advises Aiken. "We get all classes, all cultures, people from all walks of life. We get a lot of families; kids are naturally attracted to the train."
During the day, the scenery creates its own entertainment, but other activities are provided for evenings. Movies and cartoons are shown in the lounge car. Sometimes there are even talent shows - if there are any talented, cooperative passengers. (On our train only one person ever signed up, try as they might to get more. "Come on," pleads the announcer. "We're offering prizes!")
Some people take the train because they don't like to fly. Some because it can be cheaper than flying. A lot of people take the train because they love trains; some are even true-blue railfans (a term they prefer to rail buffs, writes Kisor) who have had a lifelong love affair with all things trainy. Some people like the leisurely pace that allows plenty of time for reading or even working on a laptop. But whatever people put on their "good things about trains" list, one of them almost certainly is the chance that train travel gives you to see the country in different ways.
"Now, folks," says the announcer, "pretty soon we're going to be going through an area that you can only see by train. You can't fly there and you can't drive there, and if you forgot to bring your camera, we have some for sale in the lounge. You won't want to miss these spectacular views."
We glide past rocky ridges and velvet trees as we ascend through the Front Range of the Rockies. Fall colors have started to work their magic, but even without that the scenery would live up to its billing. We cross the Continental Divide through the Moffat Tunnel - 6.2 miles long and opened in 1928 at a cost of $15 million.
We make a brief stop at Winter Park, a popular ski area; in the winter lots of folks make just the Denver/Winter Park run. (This is a smoking stop. Because the Zephyr is a nonsmoking train, periodic stops are made to allow smokers access to the platform. But anyone can get off the train and look around - just don't go very far, and watch for the signal to reboard - you don't want to get left.)
Past Winter Park we enter Gore Canyon, with sheer rock walls climbing 1,500 feet above the river. The river is the Colorado, and it will be our companion now until the other side of Grand Junction. By the time we get to Glenwood Canyon, the river has become a prime recreation area, and we see kayakers and fishermen enjoying what it has to offer.
It seems all too soon that we pull into the Glenwood Springs station, where I will leave this train and pick up the next one 24 hours later. (Glenwood Springs is famous for its hot springs among other things, so I don't worry about finding things to do.)
The next day's train seems to have more long-distance travelers; people who have come from Chicago and are going on to California. Only a handful of us get on at Glenwood, assigned to cars by the conductor and to seats by the cabin attendant. It's all very smooth; the train is in the station for about 15 minutes altogether.
And then we get the Scenic Ride, part 2. We still follow the Colorado, but the rugged peaks of the Rockies have given way to the red-rock country of the Southwest. We pass Colorado's Grand Mesa and go through Ruby Canyon. Outside Grand Junction, we start to pick up speed. Through the mountain passes the train goes about 40 mph, but on the flat lands it can get up to 79 mph. "That's as fast as they'll let us go," says Aiken. "We could go faster." And here Mother Nature adds to the show; a thunderstorm is moving through the region, and we see an exquisite double rainbow. I watch the rainbow until it fades from sight. After Thompson (it was in the movie "Thelma and Louise," we learn) I watch the sun as it drops in the west, casting long shadows and spreading a golden patina across the plains. It isn't until the last ray has been tucked in for the night that I finally settle back and pull out the book that I had brought along in case the ride got boring. We pull into the Salt Lake station just past midnight.
And as I step off the train, a little sleepy and a lot satisfied, only a couple of questions remain about train travel: Why haven't I done this sooner? And when can I do it again?
*****
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Sample fares fares
The California Zephyr currently operates between Chicago and Oakland/San Francisco with daily service between Chicago and Salt Lake City and four-times-per-week service in each direction on the Salt Lake City-California segment of its route.
Fares include: Salt Lake City to Denver - $113 one way, $120 round trip. Denver to Glenwood Springs is $56 one way, $72 round trip. Salt Lake to Glenwood Springs is $87 one way or $95 round trip. Chicago to Oakland is $235 one way and $242 round trip.
Fares are subject to change and to availability. For more information, call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).