Union Pacific
Avoid the Airport in the Pacific Northwest - Amtrak Cascades Review
When traveling on vacation do you have to trudge through crowded airports? Depending on where you are coming from and where you are going the answer is a qualified No.
We took a cruise from Los Angeles, California to Vancouver, British Columbia on the Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas (Review here) and a one night cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia to Seattle, Washington on the Norwegian Cruise Lines Norwegian Star and had to get home to Portland, Oregon. Most people just go straight with taking a plane and don’t think about what their alternatives are. Well, In Washington and Oregon along the I-5 corridor one option is Amtrak’s Cascades.
Our choice, travel 45-60 minutes from the cruise terminal to SeaTac then spend 1-2 hours trudging through and around the airport, an hour and a half in the air, then another 30+ minutes waiting for our bags or travel 10 minutes to the Amtrak station, wait 15 minutes for our train, spend 3 and a half hours on the rail, grab our bags and go. When the time going by air is compared to the time going by rail it is almost a coin flip, while the actual travel time is longer by rail the additional time in airports and getting there outweighs the same actions by rail. So we opted to take the train, and we did not regret our choice and from now on when we need to get to Seattle from Portland we will always take the train.
The Amtrak Cascades travels a scenic route through the Pacific Northwest from Vancouver, British Columbia to Eugene, Oregon past Mount Saint Helens and over the Columbia Gorge. Amtrak Cascades service is financed and operated in partnership with the states of Oregon and Washington, giving residents and visitors to the Pacific Northwest a viable alternative to air travel.
The beauty of the option is where the train station is located in both Seattle and Portland, unlike airports, which are usually located in an out of the way location the train station is right downtown, this is true in almost every location that Amtrak goes to.
Once we debarked from the Norwegian Star we exited from the Seattle Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 and grabbed a taxi right in front. There was an "unofficial" porter working the cabs, a nice young man that appeared to be working just for tips helping people get cabs and their luggage loaded, I don’t know how the cruise lines and taxi drivers view these helpers but he did earn a tip helping us get quickly settled with a cab. The driver took us directly to the train station which was a 10 minute at most drive from the cruise terminal.
We checked our bags with Amtrak baggage handlers and waited for our train, shortly before the train arrived Amtrak personnel assigned us seats and the train arrived on time. When the train arrived everyone headed to their assigned cars in a leisurely pace. We boarded, found our seats, and were settled in a matter of minutes. The train then departed on time.
Each car has monitors in the ceiling that initially show where in the trains route you currently are, once the train passed the last Seattle/Tacoma Metro area stop they started a movie on this screen.
During the ride from Seattle to Portland I was able to use my cell phone to do business on the internet the entire trip, every seat had a power outlet to allow you to plug in your computer and work, which is definitely something you could not do on a plane.
At one point we walked from our car to the lounge car which serves offers food and beverages from the Pacific Northwest including meals, sandwiches, beers, and microbrews.
The trip was quiet and restful, we had incredible views and were able to relax for the full trip. Once we arrived in Portland we walked into Union Station to baggage claim and our bags were ready for us, out the front door and into our ride. The trip was much easier and enjoyable then any plane trip would have been.
About the Author
Tom Truxton lives in Portland, Oregon, is the father of 4, poker player and with his wife operates a home-based travel agency and website. Planning a vacation or cruise and don’t have an agent? Use Tom and his wife as your personal escape planners, visit them at http://www.timeenoughtravel.com.
Union Pacific
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 Lionel JLC 6 11126 Legacy Union Pacific Big Boy 4024 4 8 8 4 Scale MINT  US $2,250.00
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 NEW Lionel 11210 Union Pacific Challenger coal fired Vision Line US $2,000.00
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 BRASS O Westside KTM Union Pacific Bigboy C P NO RESERVE US $1,950.00 |
 BRASS O Overland Union Pacific U 50D F P NO RESERVE US $1,750.00 |
 LIONEL JLC 6 28064 UNION PACIFIC ENGINE TENDER 3985 NIB 4 6 6 4 FREE SHIP USA US $1,599.00
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 Lionel Union Pacific Post War O Gauge Set Locomotive 2023 w Box 2481 2482 2483 US $1,574.99
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 6 28099 UNION PACIFIC 4 6 6 4 STEAM LOCO TENDER US $1,525.00
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 6 38065LIONELUNION PACIFIC SCALE 2 8 8 2 Y3 374REL 2002FACTORY SEALED US $1,499.99
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 6 38029LIONELUNION PACIFIC 9000 4 12 22 SPECIAL INTRDUCTIONRARESEALED BOX US $1,399.99
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 Lionel 6 28099 JLC Series Limited Edition Union Pacific New in Master Carton US $1,299.00
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 4664 Union Pacific Challenger grey by American Flyer S gauge US $975.00
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 4664 Union Pacific Challenger by American Flyer S gauge US $975.00
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 MTH Premier Union Pacific Big Boy Steam Engine 20 3127 1 US $929.99
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 NEW LIONEL 11200 Union Pacific LionMaster LEGACY 4 6 6 4 Challenger 3985 US $929.99
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 Lionel A F Grey Challenger Union Pacific 3977 6 48084 US $900.00
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 Lionel 6 11259 Union Pacific Mikado US $883.99
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 NEW IN BOX MTH UNION PACIFIC FEF 4 8 4 NORTHERN STEAM W 20 20 3044 1 US $875.00
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 Lionel Pre War Yellow Union Pacific Streamline Set 636 W 637 638 O Gauge Runs US $839.99
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 Brand New Lionel 6 11259 Union Pacific LEGACY Scale 2 8 2 Mikado 2840 US $829.95
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 UNION PACIFIC COAL TURBINE 80 20 2214 1 NEW IN THE BOX US $823.40
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 LIONEL 6 11259 UNION PACIFIC 2 8 2 MIKADO LEGACY STANDARD O SCALE ENGINE 2840 US $810.00
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 LIONEL LIONMASTER UNION PACIFIC 4 8 8 4 BIG BOY ITEM 6 38075 US $800.00
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How does a railroad company like Union Pacific operate?
It's for a history project so a website with ll the info would be great.
Read this:
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewarticle/articleid/3216373
"operating" a railroad is such a broad question. There is a myriad of facets involved in railroading. Merely 'operating' covers so many aspects and fields of expertise it would take a railroad scholar hours to type out 'how' . And the legal aspects of 'operating' including:
http://www.felalawhelp.com/railroad-companies/
http://www.fra.dot.gov/us/content/3
http://www.breakingviews.com/2007/09/07/Railroad%20investment.aspx?sg=bvtv&ea=o
Type:
"operating a railroad"
"railroad safety"
"railroad investing"
"railroad security" & "railroad police"
"railroad hiring practices"
"Maintenance Of Way"
"railroad infrastructure"
in your search bar and go from there.
The easiest way to 'operate' a railroad would be to get a train set, and then build on it.
Picking up raw materials from mines and quarries and delivering them to power plants and foundries. Then taking metals and lumber to factories that manufacture products like furniture and appliances.
Then, delivering these products to huge depots and warehouses to be shipped around the world in containers, which are taken to the docks and loaded on ships.
This is not taking in account the track maintenance crews, dispatchers, road foreman, train crews, electricians, and all the white collar blood suckers that make a lot of money doing nothing.
Railroading is an in depth study and can not be answered fully here.