Remember the Smoking Car on Trains?

[HawkeyeLinus]

Good luck finding cribbage players these days

Learned in third grade - my Dad taught me while listening to Iowa and Iowa State BB radio broadcasts on Thursday evenings and on Wednesday nights in the winter while Mom was at choir practice. His side of the family was into cribbage, bridge, Parcheesi, you name it. I still remember a four generations rotation pool match in my Grandpa’s cellar. I got “stuck” with my great Grandpa against my Dad and my Grandpa. My Dad still talks about the look on my face after my Great Grandpa tottered around the table and running it (of course, he let me have the first turn for our team). Thanks for the great memory today!!!!!!

Edit: Great Grandpa rolled his own and Grandpa smoked Tiparillos - lucky I was low to the ground back then!

 

[edger]

I loved those smoking cars on the Long Island Railroad when I commuted. I could always get a seat when the trains were crowded. The only drawback was having to air out my suits when I got home.

 

[mso489]

Cross country rail is a different experience from commuter trains where you are tracking the stops and people are getting on and off, and the conductor is punching tickets every few minutes. On a cross country run, there are much longer stretches between stops and the gentle rocking of the train is hypnotic, even sleep inducing. On longer runs, the scenery is often more rural and scenic and you get a better feel for the geography as it changes.

In the heyday of rail, the dining cars and sleeping cars were kept meticulously clean and bright. It was alike a well run ship.