Remember going to the big city on a train and catching the first glimpse or de-training on to a busy street? Mine include Philly, NYC, DC, Marseilles, Paris and Frankfurt GE. And then there was Portland OR in daylight, but on one of those beautiful Trailways’ Golden or Silver Eagles with the green-tinted clerestories and extra price pillows and that awful green Coors we bought back in Redmond.
I’ve already noted RDG/B&O/CNJ’s Jersey City entrance to Manhattan but Marseilles’ (Gare St.Charles?) was the most spectacular. Arrived in the evening with colored lights playing off the fountains on the long steps to the streets. Then our small and cheap hotel turned out to be a “house”, if you know what I mean. Sun, fun and the Mediterranean’s seafood and Provence’s fruit and veggies were in store for the morning.
Thought I’d gone to heaven and if I don’t get there it’s because I’ve already been there!!!
Not quite as interesting, but a few years ago I took my first trip to DC. My wife and I caught the subway abour 15 miles out. When we got to the Smithsonian station we disembarked and took the escalator up to street level. Emerging with the Capitol on one side and the Washington Monument on the other was awesome for this history fan.
Probably one of the most spectacular cities to enter or leave by rail was Las Vegas on the Amtrak Desert Wind. The city sits in a bowl and going north or south you get a view after dark of the lights that few cities could match. It truly is spectacular to view by rail. It was even better when the UP City of Los Angeles equipped with domes made the eastbound trip.
Riding Amtrak as a kid throughout the 1970’s 2-3 times a year between Charleston, SC and New York. We would come in to Penn Station around 5am, but I remember my brother and I pressed against the window trying to see who could spot the twin towers of the World Trade Center first.
…I pass along the view I had…First, up {from lower track level}, into the Late Great Pennsylvania Station in NYC…! What a cathedral edifice of a view…!! Time line: 1942. People everywhere…Service people going all directions…Largest American Flag I had ever seen hanging from the mamoth height ceiling…flowing gently in some air movement…{I was 11 years old}.
Then walking out to the street level and peering down the street…and bingo…the Empire State Building standing majestically tall and awesome…! That was my entrance to NYC so long ago.
Wow! Sure can’t top that! I imagine only Grand Central Terminal could even come close.
My only “big city” stations have been in Chicago. When visitng family, we frequently rode into the city via the C&NW into North Western station. The waiting room was kind of crowded with relocated ticket booths and retail space but it was a spectacular arched ceiling resting on green marble columns. The concourse was plainer but had not become obstructed so still looked pretty impressive.
Later, we got over to Union station more often and, to this day, I go through the old waiting room whenever possible. Amtrak did a nice job with the new concourse area but had only so much to work with but the original waiting room is a grand way to arrive or depart the city.
I’ve been through Los Angeles Union Station a few times and it, too, is a beautiful “city gate”.
I traveled alone to Europe in the early summer of 1980. I love Vienna, but it was too cool for the season. After several days I craved warmth.
Some of you may remember the incredible flexibility and freedom of the Eurailpass. I flashed mine and was off to Italy. Got a couchette and actually got some sleep.
When I awoke the sun was shining and we were rapidly leaving the mountains for the Piedmont. A fellow passenger warned me when to see the Leaning Tower in Pisa (because of the soil, there are a number of leaning towers in the region), but I got a flash of the real deal.
As the train entered Florence, I remembered that it was my 25th birthday. I was able to walk from the statione(sp?) to my hotel. Beautiful city, really a linchpin of Renaissance culture. - a. s.
Would that one could leave trains at Chicago Union Station and walk directly into the waiting room without having to negotiate the current rats’-maze! I wasn’t around to experience the original concourse–I’ll bet it was my loss.
Amtrak has a grand entrance to Chicago from the east, if only on a clear day. Next time you’re coming in, be on the right side of the train. West of Gary, before the Hammond-Whiting station, you’ll be close to the lake. Look across and ahead for a knockout view of the city–that alone is a promise of excitement, or perhaps just a homecoming. Kind of a shock coming in the midst of the industrial jungle, which makes it all the better.
From my 2000 trip to Japan I remember Kyoto Central station. Impressive modern architecture. The station building is a highrise set behind the hall. the hall is very high with an impressive roof (with a walkway just below that is open to the public). On one side is an department store and on the other side a hotel if I remember correctly. These are integrated in the building and sightlines from 2 streets through the station have been maintained.
In my hometown Rotterdam the station is a mess. We get a new station building and the old 1950’s one has just been demolished. The underground station is being doubled and therefore there is a big hole in the square. There is still a big debate going on about some urban renewal in the area. Old relatively low officebuildings will be replaced by big ones and the people living on the other side of the tracks complain that they will loose there sunlight.
…I’m rather sure it was Union Station, Chicago we arrived at back when {as a soldier}, I came in from Pennsylvania {on the PRR}, from Johnstown…to meet my troop train there, to head west and hence, overseas for Uncle Sam. Remember of large massive {but rather dark}, spaces in the station. {Early, 1953}.
And Carl, your description of sights of the city remind me of one snowy night as we returned back to O’Hare from out west…the plane came on in over Chicago and made a large sweeping turn and we could look out almost sideways at the John Handcock building and then make our western approach back to O’Hare. That site {at night}, with all the downtown and lake shore lights was awesome to me. What a sight.
Utica Union Station is right near downtown, recently refurbished, and would be a fairly impressive place to arrive at. Just a couple blocks away is the Hotel Utica, which offers a distant view of the tracks from some rooms.
Rome, just a few miles down the tracks, is a fair distance from downtown, pretty much in the middle of nowhere… Haven’t been in the station in a while, but it’s typical NYC medium sized city.
Is’nt it funny the way traveling has changed over the years from say the 50’s to now? Now,the object is to “just get there” nobody seems interested in seeing the sights along the way or stopping to smell the roses ,so to speak…
I can’t think of a better city transit system than the Washington Metro. My wife and I used to spend a few days in D.C. everytime we went to visit our daughter in Baltimore. This was over a ten year period, and the convenience of the Metro is outstanding. As you say, every time you come up from down below, you see great sights. We once came up in the lobby of the ICC. The museums, public buildings, memorials are everywhere.
Also, the Metro is so well lighted you don’t really feel you are underground, and the arrangement of the platforms and the tracks make it almost graffiti-proof. If you wonder what I have as comparison, I’ve ridden public transit in NY, Chicago, (One is “L” and one is “El” but I can never remember which.) and several other big cities. I’ve even ridden over almost every foot of streetcar track here in St. Louie, and there is no comparison. Note I said streetcars-that was a long time ago. But I’ve also ridden our new Metrolink. DC Metro has them all beat.
Hey, Ish–“L” is Chicago, even when the "L"evation is negative in relation to the surface.
I, for one, will almost always be looking out of the windows on any train trip, to the point where people have thought it strange that I could get so excited about a mundane commuter run. For me, the trip into the city (on UP West) has a pretty grand entrance. While you’re still headed east, east of Ogden Avenue, the view of the Loop skyline out of your right-side windows is impressive. Then you make the big curve to the south, and the view shifts to the left side. Recent construction in the area has cut off a bit of the view of the north-side skyline and the main stem of the river, but you can still catch the Lake Street L crossing the throat and the South Branch.
Then, you go into the terminal at Ogilvie Transportation Center. It isn’t the old North Western Station, but you’ll still be impressed when you look upward after entering the building.
…Quite a few years ago myself and another BWA person experienced the London Underground…What a way to get around in that city. Old and impressive.
On the Washington D C views…The museum buildings, gov. buildings and all the rest are very impressive. Many years ago {on our high school class trip}, we arrived there by PRR…{still have the menu from the dinning car with our school name on it}, and one night we went on a cruise up the Potomac where one could look back and see the lit up Capitol Dome and all the rest…Great to be an American…!
I remember as a kid taking the GO Train into downtown Toronto, seeing the skyline and the CN tower before dipping into the cutting and then deboarding in the beautiful Toronto Union Station. That is truly amazing. Also coming into Chicago on the Amtrak Hiawatha is great too because the platform is open to the Chicago river, and the skyline, beautiful views especially at night, although the smell can get rather oppressive if the wind is coming off the river.
Here in Milwaukee, now that we’ve finally gotten our station remodeled, it’s quite nice as well, coming off of the platforms into the waiting room and bagage claim, there’s a huge glass wall looking out at downtown, very modern as well. The station is designed to be complimentary to the new art museum expansion that was completed early this century and is in my opinion one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
I’m not totally convinced of that. I am generally a quite impatient person, but I L-O-O-V-E sitting in a seat looking out of the window. Even at night: I especially treasure a trip up the river valley from Vancouver on what was essentially the old CANADIAN, operated by VIA. Moon was sparkling on the water, one of the prettiest sights I’ve ever seen.
…A lot of good experiences and emotions…Seems we have remembered them quite well.
On my NYC trip {in 1942}, I remember on the return trip we were rounding Horseshoe curve in the very early morning and it wasn’t very warm in our coach…but as we moved around the curve I can remember seeing the {2}, steam engines…{most likely K-4’s}, dragging us up around to gain the top of the Alleghenies…A partly foggy cool morning.