"You know, this is the prettiest railroad country in the world," says Woody Vinson, who by this time certainly should know. He is gazing over a plate of Traditional Trainman's French Toast, past the plastic yellow rose, out the window of the dining car of the California Zephyr as it leaves Salt Lake City behind and makes for the mountains. The tables are full of people ignoring their breakfast, a comment less on the quality of the food than on the galactic beauty of the scene outside. Vinson and his wife Lois are on their way home to Memphis the long, old-fashioned way: across the Rockies to Chicago, then south on the City of New Orleans. Every inch, every jolt, every valley is familiar to him and much loved, for when he retired with a gold watch last August, Woody had worked the trains for 51 years.
The passenger train is a democratic institution now, property of the Federal Government. Gone are most of the Woodys, who catered to a passenger's every whim. Gone too are the silver coffeepots, the mahogany walls and chandeliers in the dining cars, and the nurses on board who would look after infants so that Mother could rest. The glamour trains of the early 20th century, the ones that ferried tycoons cross-country, stopping for fresh strawberries along the way, could not compete with the airlines or the new federal highway system. By the end, when Amtrak had to step in, service had deteriorated out of existence.
But, at last, a happy twist. After a 17-year struggle with decrepit equipment, bad management and public disdain, Amtrak has come into its own. Most of the filthy, ever late, steamy-in-summer, frigid-in-winter rattletraps that Amtrak inherited at birth in 1970 have finally been refurbished or retired. Last year for the first time, Amtrak covered its above-rail operating costs. Its 2,400 cars rolled along 24,000 miles of track in 43 states, carrying 21 million passengers, 12% more than the previous year. "You can't get sleeping accommodations for the summer going west," says Chicago Travel Agent Jacqueline Zarnek. "They're already sold out."
On short, densely populated routes, Amtrak is riding highest of all. More than half its business comes from the Northeast corridor, where trains have surpassed air travel as the most popular form of mass transit. Business travelers on the Bosnywash circuit appreciate the convenience, the wide seats, the reliability in foul weather, and the chance to get some work done. "When you ride a train," says Chicago Bank Executive William McClintic, "you can sit back, relax and avoid the hassles of traffic and airports."
Private companies are beginning to take advantage of the crowded roads and skies, and are buying up cars and rights-of-way to offer a plush alternative to a traffic jam. The Cape Cod & Hyannis Railroad carries 100,000 passengers between Boston and the Cape from May through October. While motorists on the single major highway are bumper to bumper, passengers can recline in the velvety Presidential parlor car, built in 1925. Next May in California, the Napa Valley Wine Train is expected to begin shuttling wine lovers from vineyard to vineyard in vintage railcars.