I recently had an opportunity to ride an Amtrak train for nearly 90 hours. This was a thrill for me as I have enjoyed trains as long as I can remember. I remember distinctly at about 4 years of age getting excited to see a train approaching. Mom on the other hand was a bit frantic as it was approaching the car we were in that had stalled on the tracks. It was a slow moving freight and a pickup pushed us off the tracks in plenty of time. Anyway after this Amtrak experience I really had my eyes opened about the way real railroads operate and how the tracks are. I was on the Empire Builder and saw mostly BNSF but the incredibly large numbers of engines I saw just blew me away. Seeing the switch yards amazed me. Now I want to see the North Platt Union Pacific yard. I would highly recommend a trip on any train if you are designing a layout or just need some ideas in the hobby.
