Bucket list item added to cart....

[maycontainthunder]

...or more correctly I would like to be added to one of these carts!

 

[maycontainthunder]

Just to add some information about this line;

Stratford–Okahukura Line - Wikipedia

 

[Tom]

Interesting, but maybe too loud don't you think?

 

[maycontainthunder]

Interesting, but maybe too loud don't you think?

I agree. Most of that noise is the wheel flanges grinding against the rails. If they were a more correct profile and larger they would be quieter.

 

[Tom]

I agree. Most of that noise is the wheel flanges grinding against the rails. If they were a more correct profile and larger they would be quieter.

Yes. I like rail rides, but in a quiet car with just the rocking motion. I had to spend a long ride between cars once where you could see the ground below, etc, and it was very noisy.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I like rail, and especially steam trains, but any good rail will do. Trips:

• Canadian Pacific from Toronto to Vancouver.
• Canadian National from Windsor to Toronto.
• Alaska Railway from Anchorage to Denali.
• Cumbres & Toltec Steam Train (Chama to Antonito).
  
• Durango to Silverton Steam Train.
• AVE, Madrid to Seville (193 mph).
• Shinkansen, Tokyo to Osaka (178 mph).
• Shinkansen, Tokyo to Takasaki (275 mph).
• Zagreb to Ljubljana.

I would like to ride

• The Empire Builder from Chicago to Glacier NP.
  
• Orient Express from Paris to Budapest.
• Trans Australia from Port Augusta to Kalgoorlie.
• Flying Scotsman from London to Edinburgh

The high speed trains are quite luxurious and smooth. One of the reasons is that unlike common rail the trucks/bogies are shared between cars rather than having two on each car.

 

[Sunny1]

I LOVE trains. Unfortunately, I've only ridden a few.
Trips:
Round trip Windsor to Montreal
Steam train in Canada, N. of the U.P. of Michigan
Amtrak Pere Marquette (Holland, MI to Chicago)
Amtrak Texas Eagle (Chicago to San Antonio)

 

[Sunny1]

I find train rides very soothing, especially in the dark.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

Just to add some information about this line;

Stratford–Okahukura Line - Wikipedia

That looks like my kind of fun. Here in the American Midwest some rail trails converted for bicycle use are scenic in that way. The Sparta - Elroy trail goes through the Driftless Area (That the massive continental glaciers did not flatten.) with hills, ridges and valleys, through three tunnels, the longest 1 1/4 miles. A Midwest gem.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I LOVE trains. Unfortunately, I've only ridden a few.
Trips:
Round trip Windsor to Montreal
Steam train in Canada, N. of the U.P. of Michigan
Amtrak Pere Marquette (Holland, MI to Chicago)
Amtrak Texas Eagle (Chicago to San Antonio)

Yep. Because Chicago was an old transportation hub through which EVERYTHING passed, the train routes originating from Chicago keep the names used since the age of steam. like theTexas Eagle, Southwest Chief (formerly, Super Chief, Empire Builder, Pere Marquette (which carried rich Chicagoans to N. MI) , The Broadway Limited.

Or Windsor to Montreal!! My spouse and I got as far as Toronto on that line. We had such a special time that we both recognized that we were getting married, and I hadn't asked her directly . . . . . the romance of the rails?

So, to close I'll give you this from Blue Highway

 

[Luca]

That is amazing! New Zealand is on my bucket list too.

I have done the Mt. Washington cog railway in New Hampshire. Breathtaking!

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

That is amazing! New Zealand is on my bucket list too.

I have done the Mt. Washington cog railway in New Hampshire. Breathtaking!

Wonderful! Never did that, but I did take Funiculars in Zagreb, Barcelona, and Hong Kong.

 

[VictorR]

@Gerald Wilgus - an acquaintance raves about Empire Builder / Lake Shore Limited as their preferred cross-country route. Sounds like fun and someday I'd like to give it a try.

I love the Canadian going through the Rockies, but have only taken it eastbound. I'd like to try booking a EDM-VAN one day to see how it is westbound.

Trips:
Cascades / Coastal Starlight (San Francisco to Vancouver portion)
Southwest Chief (LA to Albuquerque portion)
Toronto - Quebec City
Canadian
Vancouver - Whistler (now defunct)

 

[Sunny1]

Yep. Because Chicago was an old transportation hub through which EVERYTHING passed, the train routes originating from Chicago keep the names used since the age of steam. like theTexas Eagle, Southwest Chief (formerly, Super Chief, Empire Builder, Pere Marquette (which carried rich Chicagoans to N. MI) , The Broadway Limited.

Or Windsor to Montreal!! My spouse and I got as far as Toronto on that line. We had such a special time that we both recognized that we were getting married, and I hadn't asked her directly . . . . . the romance of the rails?

So, to close I'll give you this from Blue Highway

Thank you so much for your reply! Trains and banjo! Hard to beat that!