It began inauspiciously. The Texas Eagle, train number 22, popped its front wheels off the line less than 30 meters from entering Dallas' Union Station, leaving me to contemplate the crazy-quilt skyline reflected in the windows of the Reunion Center. The resulting ninety minute delay, added on the the existing 25 minute wait put the lie to my desperate half-arsed packing-jump on DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit)-sprint to the AMTRAK counter maneuvers today. It also bolstered the rumor that schedule is not one of Amtrak's strong points. The service, however, has been good so far.
My previous encounters with trains was in Europe, and immediately the scale derived differences in design are apparent. 26 hours (as I am enduring on this Dallas-Chicago run) in the Paris-Milan style sardine sleeper, or the French Concorde-without-wings TGV would probably lead to murder or suicide. On AMTRAK, however even the coach seating is pretty expansive, with nearly enough room for a 6-foot high human being to stretch out. I have been lucky with seating - having a window to rest my head. The young fellow who eventually got my aisle is off in some other part of the train with his buddies (UPDATE: Said buddies were ejected from the train at the Missouri-Arkansas border for public drunkenness. Aisle guy has still not materialized). And despite the teeming masses of hyperactive, adorable moppets that were in Union Station, no crying babies interrupt my sojourn.
One thing I did forget is electronic money will not work on a train. So there is a good chance that I will starve before reaching the Windy City. If I manage to post this you will know that the buried Christmas toffee pop I found in my backpack was able to sustain me.
Posted from Sears Tower Starbucks
