- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Chicago Review Press; Third Edition, Third edition edition (Feb 1 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1569763097
- ISBN-13: 978-1569763094
- Product Dimensions: 21.4 x 14.2 x 1.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 408 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#179,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #75 in Books > Travel > Latin America > Mexico
- #84 in Books > Nonfiction > Transportation > Railroads
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
Having traveled almost every North American rail route at least once, Jim Loomis has the track record to write this information-packed guide to rail travel. This book "is written for the person who is naturally inquisitive, who notices and finds delight in little things, who knows that those who hurry miss a lot." After helping you decide whether train travel is right for you (and why car and plane travel might not be), Loomis gets into the finer points of traveling by train. His detailed research reveals how to plan your trip; packing suggestions; booking procedures; schedules; onboard etiquette; good places to stay for overnight stopovers; descriptions of scenic rail excursions; route maps of passenger trains in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico; floor plans for typical coach and sleeping cars; folklore and history of railroading; safety information; and a professional railroading glossary. His creative, tried-and-true itineraries include fall-color routes, big city tours, grand and semi-grand tours, the Santa Fe trail, and "southern comfort." Loomis even explains how many modern phrases have their roots in train travel. He'll help you get "over the hump," while avoiding "hell on wheels," know when you're on a "doubleheader," and see the "light at the end of the tunnel." --Kathryn True
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
Anyone contemplating a train trip would be wise to read this guide by Loomis, the travel writer for the Honolulu Advertiser. After outlining the history of the railway system in the United States and Canada, Loomis describes in detail train equipment, jobs, routes, and schedules. A veteran train aficionado who has logged 60,000 miles by rail over the past ten years, Loomis portrays life on board a train, offering advice on dining protocol, sleeping arrangements, and tipping, as well as hints on "passing the time" (computing the train's speed, listening in on "train talk," and diverting the children). This comprehensive guide will assist the traveler in planning an excursion and executing it with minimum effort and maximum pleasure. Recommended for public libraries and large transportation collections.
Pamela Bellows, Northwestern Connecticut Community Technical Coll. Lib., Winsted, Ct.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Pamela Bellows, Northwestern Connecticut Community Technical Coll. Lib., Winsted, Ct.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
informative but not as useful as it could be,
By a_bucket_of_shoes (Walnut Creek, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: All Aboard! Revised 2nd Edition: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide (Paperback)
The information is good -- plenty of background material on North American trains, etc. I'd recommend reading it if you're planning a vacation and are interested going by rail (or could be talked into it).But having read it, I can't help feeling that it would be more useful if it were organized and presented differently. Rather than a thick paperback with about 10 typically-sized chapters, maybe it would be more useful if the chapters were broken down into smaller, better delineated sections, with stronger cross-indexing. Maybe spiral bound. More maps? If you're planning a vacation in North America, it would be good to get this book and read it during the planning stage. But it wouldn't be very useful to throw into your backpack and take it with you, which is too bad because with a different organization I think it could be.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must read before you board,
By
This review is from: All Aboard!: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide (Paperback)
I was planning to take a train across the country on a sleeper.It is certainly nice to know what to expect before you embark unless you are a real adventurer. Author provides very detailed information about the life on board of the train, living quarters, conditions. This takes about half of the book. Than he describes each route. I found this part very short, for my purpose was to know what kind of cities or sceneries I would expecte to see or where to get off the train for a day or two. So for that reason I was a littel dissapointed.But the TV shows gives you some information anyway. So this book was more valuable for life in train.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent briefing for first-time rail travelers,
By David Adler "David" (Hilton Head Island, SC United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: All Aboard! Revised 2nd Edition: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide (Paperback)
This is the latest edition of an earlier book written by an enthusiastic supporter of American rail travel. It includes changes in Amtrak's system within the last five years. If anyone is looking to travel by train for the first time or is a supporter of rail travel themselves, you should get this book. It explains everything from the duties of crewmembers, who to go to with questions while onboard, an excellent history of Amtrak from its formation by Congress in the early 70s and some sample itineraries. Coverage of the Canadian VIA system and Mexico's Copper Canyon is also included. His section on the Copper Canyon route will make you want to go, and he tells you how to do it. If you need help planning your itinerary, this book provides great advice and even lists some travel agencies who specialize in rail travel. Old rail veterans may consider this book a little trite, and there isn't a whole lot of detail about the trip descriptions in the book. However, the history of rail travel and the technical information about railroads is pretty interesting.
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