American Circle Train Trip

Stuff you may be interested in if you are thinking of taking a train trip.

Showering on a train is an adventure. Good thing there is a handle and a seat, because slippery and rocking don't go well together. To start the water you push a button but you only get about 60 seconds. it kind of encourages you to take Navy showers. When you look down at the drain you can see daylight because the water drains directly onto the tracks.

Greg reminded me that you can store luggage in the top bunk of the roomette. That can free up a lot of space in the room and make it not feel so crowded. However it does mean that someone is short as I am can now bump their head on the top bunk. I think pretty much every normal adult could already bump their head but people my height are not used to looking out for head obstructions.

Trains have to sound their horns at some road crossings. All trains in America use the same horn pattern: two longs, a short, and a long. Once you notice the pattern, you can't unnotice it. The All Aboard horn isn't always sounded, but when it is, it's a short and a long. Two (or sometimes three) shorts is just a greeting from one train to another, like 'hi," "I see you," or "I'm all the way past you now.".Read more