The train rides I've loved fall into two different groups:

A) hobby / historic trains. These are typically live steam, restored and run
for tourist money. My absolute favorite of those is the Old Poway Midland
Railroad and their little Baldwin steamer which is about 30 min from my
house.
http://techref.massmind.org/techref/member/JMN-EFP-786/powaymidlandrr.htm
http://www.powaymidlandrr.org

These are not practical to run nor ecological at all. Perhaps the largest of
them could be converted to run with a small nuke plant on board... ;)

The joy of those rides is from knowing the level of technology that was
available and seeing how much work my forefathers got done with what they
had. I'm proud of those trains.

My father built two live steam model trains; one in O and another in
Standard gage. Both are of the 4-8-4 Northern which, with additional
fairings, and "racing stripes" was operated as the "Daylight" on the
Southern Pacific line.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-8-4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Pacific_4449
You have not lived until you have experienced a living, breathing, roaring
Daylight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Freedom_Train#The_1975-1976_American_F
reedom_Train
http://www.freedomtrain.org/html/main.htm

The O gage model has been fired on propane and run under live steam although
it is normally run from compressed air provided from a converted propane
bottle which is pulled behind the train. The people who make the big O gage
layouts tend to use papier-m=E2ch=E9 and have silly concerns about live ste=
am,
so the compressed air option was necessary. It has pulled a single human
rider (me, age ~5) in a lashed up car behind the tender. Honestly, I don't
remember that ride, but I've seen a picture of it.


B) municipal light rail. Typically the San Diego "trolley."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_Trolley =

http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/Trolley.asp
http://www.transit-rider.com/ca.sandiego/sdtrolley.cfm

The SD Trolley is, by and large, clean, efficient, comfortable and well run.
The people on the trolley are often colorful and entertaining with very few
rude or annoying sorts to spoil the mix. You do have to hold on when
accelerating or slowing as the operators do what they must to keep the
schedule.

In my younger days, I lived in Imperial Beach (south west most city in the
USA) and rode my bike several miles to the station. With a special pass, I
was able to take my bike on board and stand with it in the rear of a car. I
would exit at City College, attend classes until the afternoon then ride
through down town SD to the Santa Fe Depot where I would board the 951 bus
(bike in a rack on the rear, mind the driver knows you are loading) which
would take me over the Coronado Bay bridge for a short uphill pedal to the
base at North Island where I severed the swing shift. Getting off at
Midnight, after bus and trolley service had ended, I would bike all the way
down the strand about 10 miles. The gunfire I heard one night as I passed
pirates cove eventually convinced me to get a car.

Next month, North County TD is opening a light rail system from Escondido
(my home) to Oceanside which they call the "Sprinter"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPRINTER
http://www.gonctd.com/sprinter_intro.htm

I'm looking forward to taking my kids on a trip to the beach.

Sadly, there is no light rail system up the I15 corridor between home and
work. =


--
James.


-----Original Message-----
From: piclist-bounces@mit.edu [mailto:piclist-bounces@mit.edu] On Behalf Of
M. Adam Davis
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 12:50
To: Microcontroller discussion list - Public.
Subject: Re: [OT]: the EM Enjoyment mile

<SNIP>

I guess the biggest problem for trying again is that everyone I've
talked to about it decries Amtrak for many of these reasons.  Sounds
like James has had a different experience, and I'd certainly like to
hear better stories and perhaps experience the joy James finds in it.

-Adam
-- =

http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist


-- =

http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist