For travel in many parts of the world, choo-choos rock! Here we talk about train travel trips, great rail routes, antique trains, trainspotting... All aboard!

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The Great Orme Tramway is a vintage charmer in Wales

   At just 206 metres (680 feet) above sea level, the Great Orme (below) might be thought of as rather a slight hill. But it looks as imposing as a far greater eminence, as it overlooks the seaside resort of Llandudno, on the north Welsh coast about a 4½-hour drive or train ride from London and just over an hour's drive and two hours by rail from Liverpool. It’s a limestone headland about two miles long and a mile wide where, back in the Bronze Age, copper was mined (but they only discovered…

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Spectacular train rides without leaving home

  You’re enjoying an adventure for the senses as you journey through the soaring Alps Mountains in Switzerland.  You immediately understand why the magnificent view that surrounds you in Colorado inspired the words of “America the Beautiful.”   You channel Harry Potter during a ride over the towering viaduct that the Hogwarts Express crossed in the popular film series.   These and other equally dramatic, experiences can be yours while you travel no farther than the chair in front of your…

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Riding Canada's Rocky Mountaineer Railroad

On the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff; the views out of the huge windows can be enjoyed from the comfortable seat of your carriage. I don't think we’ve ever had such VIP treatment on any form of service anywhere. From the moment the coach came to pick us up at the hotel, the level of care we received from the Rocky Mountaineer people was almost embarrassing. read post

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  • National Train Day in the U.S. is tomorrow, May 7th, 2011.  Grand Canyon Railway will be running our Baldwin Mikado steam locomotive No. 4960 with 1923 Harriman-style Pullman cars Saturday and Sunday on runs from 10:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m.  Join in the festivities there or at major Amtrak stations such as Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, DC where passenger equipment is on display.
  • New post on Green Prophet: Travellers want trains, but what is the Middle East doing about it? http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/03/travellers-want-trains-%E2%80%9...
  • Friendly People, Good Food & a Railway Museum: That’s Colonna (Rome, Italy)!

     

    By BuzzInRome

     

    A 30 minute ride by train from Roma Termini, a unique open air railway museum and great Roman food. Don’t they make up for an exciting and relaxing half day escape?

    Colonna is on the Rome-Cassino line. If you disembark and walk down the hill to the supermarket rooftop carpark, you will find a convenient coffee shop for first port of call.

    Then proceed across the main road, in fact the old Consul road (Via Casilina - Highway 6) between Rome and Monte Cassino, and the axis of much fighting in World War Two between the German Army and the combined USA/NZ Forces. Immediately across the road and just 100 metres from the main station, is the delightful Ferrovia-Museo della Stazione di Colonna, still being developed by a wonderful team of volunteers.

    The museum features a great deal of Narrow Gauge rolling stock, an exhibition gallery in the form of a restored goods shed, the Station Master office and residence and much more. On the ground floor are some wonderful displays from the remnant railway, which used to operate all the way in to Termini. Upstairs there are some railway models and also there is a recreation of a wartime radio signals station.

    After this inspiring visit, you may choose to walk 200 metres or so back to Rome and on the left hand side you will encounter Osteria Il Bersagliere with regional fresh flavours to die for and good value, regional prices.

    With the distant views across Tivoli and snow-capped mountains in winter and early spring, this location is an absolute delight, local people are particularly friendly and helpful, and both the museum and the restaurant are within easy walking distance of the railway station.  

    Happily enough, on a Saturday you can take the afternoon trains (you need to double check on day of travel) for a pleasant run downhill back in to Roma Termini.

    What are you waiting for, then?

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    There is Much More than the Vatican and the Colosseum!
  • @NorthesastNews...The reason "the United States can't do any of this" at this point is two-fold. First, we have not invested in high-speed passenger rail in this country in any truly meaningful way from the time the Shinkansen debuted in 1964 until now (and no, Amtrak's Acela does NOT count). The reason we haven't is because Congress, at the behest of a variety of anti-rail lobby groups (airlines, aircraft makers, highway construction, auto, oil), have been trying to kill off passenger rail in this country for decades. The tables are only now starting to turn...and they may yet be reversed if certain political forces get their way.
  • Hi everyone =)
    When travelling, we always try to take the train. Our latest post is an interview with fellow Tripatini member Jools Stone, featuring his thoughts on rail travel, early experiences, and why he believes more advocacy is in order. Cheers, Andrea
  • Today was a good day for train lovers, but with a caveat. China unveiled the fastest bullet train in the world, and I read that Japan is extending its bullet trains both to the north and to the south. The caveat: Apparently, the United States can't do any of this. Why not?
  • Not cold, just an unfortunate fact of life in 2010 and beyond. I pray we never find out.
  • I think you're right, David, so they may yet hit Amtrak. This may sound cold, but the reason Madrid got hit first was that they have a better train system.
  • True, there are undoubtedly higher-visibility targets, but given that it's thought that public transit int he U.S. and Europe is counted by many experts among probable targets (eg the NYC subway system), it's hard not to conclude that such a high-profile train corridor is by no means out of the question.
  • Well let's hope it never happens. Madrid was not so long ago and pretty horrific. Meantime I have only found one, rather dry, article on this ProtectRail in an industry journal, so if anyone finds anything else I'd be grateful for the heads up.
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