It was on the 150 year old Broadway Special that travels from Chicago to Penn Station in Manhattan (That's the name of an age-old train route, not an actual train).
I got on in nearby Youngstown Ohio and rode in comfort through the back yards of Pennsylvania and around the historic Horseshoe Curve. We switched trains in Philly and zoomed along the urban tracks at about 90mph into New York City. I arrived hours before the New Years Eve celebration there, and walked up the steps into the sunlight of Manhattan. The next day I boarded with my hangover for the smooth rickety-rick ride home.
It was a long but very enjoyable ride. The seats were big and comfy with lots of leg room, and unlike airplane seats, actually reclined. When I got bored of watching the scenery roll by through the large window and reading, I wandered up to the bar car for a few beers and a game of cards with my fellow travelers.
People on cross country train trips are anxious to talk to you. They know they'll never see you again after that day, and really open up. We should absolutely revive rail travel in this country. Unfortunately, Amtrak closed the Youngstown station soon after my trip, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I still have the deck of Amtrac souvenir playing cards.
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