Living in the south, trains are seen mainly as a means to transport cargo. Each year when I begin my lessons in US History, the students first draw a map of the Transcontinental Railroad as a way to situate themselves historically and geographically. To them, trains are merely the means to transport cargo. They know, of course, about sleeper cars and hobos who rode the rails during the Great Depression, but what many of them don’t realize is that you can still travel by train today. Always up for an adventure, I knew it was something I had to try and let them know how it went.
So last Wednesday, I left school and headed to Marshall, the nearest Amtrak location for the Texas Eagle. The Texas Eagle runs every day from San Antonio to Chicago and back. Having no idea how early I’d need to be there or whether the train would be early or late, I decided to arrive an hour early. I’m glad I arrived early, but it was way more time than I needed.
Jasmine, the young train worker, must have noticed the lost look in my eyes. She offered me a ride in her golf cart which we used to travel to the tracks. Since it’s a tiny depot, there wasn’t an obvious boarding platform; there was simply a gate through which everyone departing and arriving passed. The first car in the station was a private car. Who knew anyone still traveled in private cars? I could see people dining and chatting and immediately felt transported back to the 1920s. After the private car passed, the sleeper cars arrived. At last, the coach train arrived and I boarded with my 4 pieces of luggage.
Amtrak allows 2 personal items and 2 carry-ons per person. The carry-on can be up to 28 x 22 x 14, slightly larger than an airplane carry-on. Once you enter the train car, there is an open cabinet immediately on your left to store large pieces of luggage. However, since I didn’t have a lock, I carried my medium-sized rolling duffel up the narrow stairs and managed to just make it fit in the overhead bin. For $20, one can carry on extra baggage or check larger luggage.
I was anxious about seating and planned to scout the cars. However, the first car had barely anyone in it, so I just took the first two empty seats and settled in. Jasmine had advised me to sit on the left traveling north so I could see both the sunset and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. That turned out to be great advice. On my left, I could watch the scenery go by; and on my right, I could people-watch. With 40” of leg room, Amtrak seats both recline and have a footrest that raises till it’s almost horizontal with the seat. Additionally, there is a foot rest on the seat in front, a pocket, and a tray table. Just below the window were 2 outlets for my iphone and ipad. With a book in my hand, I was as comfortable as I could be in a recliner at home with feet up and resting.
Unfortunately, by the time I walked to the dining car, it was closed. I hadn’t realized they had been announcing its hours. The only negative thing I experienced was the size of the bathroom which was as tiny as an airplane bathroom with no room to change clothes. Since the floor was slightly wet, and there was no place to set anything down without it falling to the floor, I stayed in jeans.
The sleeper car might have been a comfier option, but it was far more expensive. Coach costs only $102 to go from Marshall to Chicago. The sleeper car cost started at $400. I did, however, receive the opportunity to bid on a car. I offered an anemic $70 and unsurprisingly did not get it. However, I didn’t really want to be shut in with a stranger, and I did want to see how uncomfortable the seats were.
All the way to Little Rock, hardly anyone got on. However, at Little Rock, the train began to fill up. The announcer had to ask everyone to not take up 2 seats. I stuck to my one but crossed my fingers. When we left the station and my seat was still empty, I raised both recliners creating a sleeping space larger than a loveseat and slept soundly all the way to St. Louis.
At 6 am, we rolled into St Louis an hour ahead of schedule which allowed for a little sightseeing for me. Since almost everyone gets off to stretch their legs or have a smoke on the platform, I left the station, hailed a taxi, and took a little drive around downtown St. Louis looking for a good cup of coffee. By the time I returned, I had seen the new soccer stadium, the Cardinals’ stadium, the Gateway Arch, the beautifully renovated original Union Station and still had an hour left to visit with my train mates.
One retired couple was just returning from a week in Georgetown having visited with the grandchildren and gone fishing in Galveston Bay. The other traveler was just let go from a company that had downsized and so was traveling the country via rail to visit friends before returning and rejoining the workforce.
After St. Louis, the 6-hour trip to Chicago fills with commuters. The train completely filled up thai time, and I got lucky again. This time, my seatmate was a woman about my age who works as an HR attorney in Chicago. By the time we arrived in Chicago, we’d solved a few of the world’s problems.
The best part of traveling by train was the peace that comes from the lack of stress: no fuel, no hotels, no reckless drivers, no sleepy eyes. I know I got very lucky on this train trip, but I am already looking forward to the next chance I can travel by train.
dana bundy 