“Feel the wheels rumblin’ ‘neath the floor”.  Where will the rails take us – a grandchild’s birthday party, a short vacation on the rails, going home after a family visit, for me it was a reunion with my sisters in Elgin, Tx.  It was the adventure not the destination for me riding the rails. 

Every time I heard Arlo Guthrie sing those lyrics, I wondered what it would be like to ride the train.  Growing up in a small town with a railroad running through the center of town, I heard the whistle blow and dreamed about where the train could take me.   Years later, I rode the super fast trains in Europe where the countryside is a blur as the train moves on.  Amtrak is different, moving at a slow pace allowing the passengers to view and enjoy the passing country side.  You cannot be in a hurry when riding the rails.  It’s a slower, gentler side of life and one that is to be enjoyed and savored.

Being from south Louisiana, the “City of New Orleans” was the train I wanted to ride.  There was something romantic about that train.  Unfortunately, the “City of New Orleans” did not go in the direction I was going, I had to settle for the “Sunset Limited”.  Southern Pacific’s “Sunset Limited” began operation in 1894, connecting Los Angeles to New Orleans.  This route continues today under Amtrak with various stops along the way and much countryside to view.

I boarded the “Sunset Limited” in Lafayette, La, where the station is small yet has an old world feel about it.  It is an unmanned station which means it has a few benches and restrooms.  The station is old and still has the ticket counter, old clock and old benches.  Outside is very modern and the station is shared with the local bus terminal.  The train was on time and I could hear it “rumblin” from a distance with its horn blowing.  The stop was a smoke stop, where people could debark to smoke quickly since the stop was only long enough for the passengers to embark.  No one was getting off the train and only four people were getting on the train.  I was sitting in the upper coach and was impressed with the size of the seat and the personal space.  I never heard the “All Aboard” call, maybe that is not done anymore, just another romantic idea from another time.  I was impressed by the amenities offered: lounge car, dining car, snack bar, overhead light, large windows, etc.  Since I left in the mid-afternoon, I was able to enjoy the sunset in the lounge car which had large side and overhead windows.  The train does not move very fast so it was nice to watch the country side roll by and be able to enjoy the view.

Once night was upon us, I settled into my seat and tried to sleep.  Again I could hear Arlo Gunthrie, “and the rhythm of the rails is all they feel”.  The inside of the car was quiet and the rhythm of the rails lulled me to sleep.  I was awakened at 2:00 a.m. by the attendant quietly announcing our arrival in San Antonio, my city for debarking the “Sunset Limited”.  The “Sunset Limited” was continuing west to Los Angeles and I was heading north to Taylor, Tx on the “Texas Eagle”.

The station in San Antonio, Tx. was very different from Lafayette, La.  The station was manned with a ticket counter and very modern seating.  The snack bar was a few vending machines offering so- so coffee, at least it was hot, and some snacks.  There was a four hour wait before boarding the “Texas Eagle” for Taylor, Tx.  I had a good book, cup of hot coffee, and settled in for the wait.

Boarding the “Texas Eagle”, I was on the last leg of my train adventure.  I could hear Arlo Guthrie singing as the train “rolls along past houses, farms and fields”.  Leaving San Antonio, city lights pierced the darkness.  As we left the cityscape, fog covered the fields and countryside.  As the sun began burning off the fog, the sky was filled with pinks, oranges and blues.  The sun made its entrance as a large orange ball rising above the hills of Texas.  The morning brought a smile to my face and thoughts of a bygone era.  And yes, I could “feel the wheels rumblin’ ‘neath the floor”.