November 14, 2023: I Guess This Makes Me A Rail Baron

[RoboAdmin]

November 14, 2023: I Guess This Makes Me A Rail Baron

Read this article on the Illuminator.

[Mack_JB]

Most Excellent! Having taken a few trips on an ex- California Zephyr dome car, I can relate to how nice a ride it is. Also great that you resurrected it from oblivion and intend to have it used as a regular performer in the service it was designed for.

Since it never had a name for most of its existence, and it is now yours to do as you see fit, how about the name "Munchkin's Retreat" or Munchkin's Rest"?

[Dr. Beckenstein]

Oh, to be a gaming tycoon who can afford his own railroad car.... :-D


So... is there a gaming table aboard?

[Turhan's Bey Company]

It's too bad travel of any kind isn't an option for me right now, because Chattanooga is less than a two hour drive for me, and I know the whole family would enjoy a train excursion.

[whswhs]

I find myself thinking of Kipling's poem "The King," about the belief that romance is fading, with its prescient verse near the end

“Romance!” the season-tickets mourn,
“He never ran to catch his train,
But passed with coach and guard and horn—
And left the local—late again!”
Confound Romance! . . . And all unseen
Romance brought up the nine-fifteen.

In Kipling's own time, the steam locomotive was the icon of dull utilitarian functionality, but he had the imagination to foresee a time when railroads were part of the glamour of the past . . .

[DeadParrot]

Any chance that this could be used for a small scale version of the 'Gaming Cruise'? Maybe with long enough stops in towns along the way to visit several FLGSs? Be cool to play a Car Wars 'Attack the Train' scenario while riding on a train.

[Steve Jackson]

Originally Posted by Dr. Beckenstein

So... is there a gaming table aboard?

Not only is there a table that can be used for big games, there are several small half-rounds next to the windows with two seats each.

I like DeadParrot's idea of a gaming train . . . To do it right you might not specifically need a domecar in the consist. You'd want a couple of nice sleeping cars and the swankiest lounge car you could find, for the actual gaming. Of course, a great observation car never hurt any trip.

[StevenDiz3000]

Awesome! We took my Mother In Law on a ride there (TVRM) a couple months ago for her birthday. (She's always loved trains but had never actually BEEN on one, somehow.)

When we go back, we'll definitely take a seat in this car.

Congrats! And thanks for supporting the museum!

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by DeadParrot

Any chance that this could be used for a small scale version of the 'Gaming Cruise'? Maybe with long enough stops in towns along the way to visit several FLGSs? Be cool to play a Car Wars 'Attack the Train' scenario while riding on a train.

Here's a picture of the rear half of the interior:



We played train games, of course! :) Specifically Express, which rocked.

Here's a nice sign they have up about the history of the car:




Right before this, I went to Chicago and back via Amtrak. It was extremely awesome (except for the part about being almost shaken out of my bed when the train went over switches at 80 mph) but didn't come close to this revival from the golden age of rail.

Steve did such a very good thing here.



Edit: Image sizes fixed. Your browser can come out of hiding now.

[Terquem]

Back in '99 I designed and installed a laundry car for the American Orient Express. As the installation of equipment was winding down I was given a tour of the rest of the train.