America by Train

In 1955, after being in California for five years, my mother was missing her sisters in Pittsburgh. So she, dad, and I embarked on a journey across the country on a train! After boarding in Los Angeles, I quickly discovered the "dome car" and spent the vast majority of my time up there watching the vast expanses of the west pass before my eyes!

This is similar to the "dome car" in which I travelled.

On the second day of the journey I met a kid about my age. Can't remember his name but we had a great time running up and down the stairs and sitting up in the "dome car" as we moved eastward on the tracks. He was going to North Platte, Nebraska to spend the summer with his grandparents. Upon arrival there we were both sad that our adventure had ended and just said "good-bye" and he jumped off the train on the to the platform and the conductor yelled "all aboard" and away we went!

The next stop I remember was Chicago and the station was so busy! We had to grab our luggage and catch a cab to another station and once there we boarded the Pennsylvania Railroad for the remainder of the trip to Pittsburgh. The new train didn't have a "dome car" but it did have a dining car. At dinner time, we walked down to the dining car and sat down. Our table had a linen table cloth and what I remember as really nice dishes and silverware! Our waiter was dressed in a fancy suit and had a white cloth draped over his arm as he took our order. I elected to have a ham sandwich with french fries. Now this was not a deli sandwich by any means. When he delivered the food, I was amazed to see a thick piece of grilled ham between to slices of white bread! Why, it was like someone had sliced the Christmas ham, grilled it, and made this magnificent sandwich for me! And, it was so very delicious!

This is what I remember most about that first visit home. Next post I'll share significantly more detail about the second trip that mom and I took a scant three years later!