# Train vs. Tornado



## Andy (Feb 24, 2011)

This is wild. A train vs. a tornado. I guess they put a camera in front and one in the back of the engine as normal practice like in police cars (not that I'd know ) and this is what the back camera caught. It's kind of slow at the beginning...mg:


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## Retired (Feb 24, 2011)

*Re: Train vs.Tornado*

It's interesting to see how the tempo eventually increased as the train trip progressed.  Train travel has always been a charming and relaxing method of travel; especially the way you get rocked to sleep  :zzz: on a train!

.....and the people on this _this_ train would have had such a memorable experience!


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## Andy (Feb 24, 2011)

*Re: Train vs.Tornado*

I love trains. I have since I was young. I have been around a lot of grain cars lol but never travel.  I would love to go across Canada though. Have you gone a long distance by train?  Well I have gone by transit through the city but that's just a germ infested vestibule with boring scenery and a bunch of people trying to figure out where to look. lol Ok, maybe that's just me.


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## David Baxter PhD (Feb 24, 2011)

I travelled across Canada twice by train, in compartments. Really cool if you're not in a huge hurry.

I also travelled down to New York City once by overnight train - Amtrak. Not an experience I'd repeat. This was in July - hot. The train broke down on the way so the air conditioning shut off. The windows wouldn't open. My young daughter fell and cut her forehead over her eye on the heating vent. We sat there for a several hours just sweating and going nowhere. 

We finally pulled into NYC about 5 am instead of the projected 10 pm the previous night, to find that our guaranteed hotel reservation had been given away. I was tired, sweaty, hungry, and grumpy. The clerk said he could try to see if another hotel had any rooms available and said not a chance. We are going to sit here in this lobby complaining very loudly to anyone who walks by about the wrteched service here until you find us a room in THIS hotel. (Seriously, what is the point of taking a credit card number to gurantee a reservation if you're going to give it away?)

They did find us a room after about 10 minutes. Odd since the clerk claimed they had none available. 

I'm not usually that assertive (or grumpy) but I was not going a foot further that day.  Next time I had to go to NYC I drove. I'll never trust Amtrak again.


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## Andy (Feb 24, 2011)

The trip across Canada must have been great? Especially through the Rockies. I don't imagine parts of AB, Sask and Manitoba were that interesting. 

Your Amtrak experience doesn't sound like a trip that anyone would want to repeat. I think I would have been grumpy too. Amazing how a little loud complaining will make things appear out of no where!! 

They are talking about putting a train from here to the capital and then eventually up to the oil sands. A trip from her to the capital is 4 hours and it would then be one hour on train and 2 and a half or something to the sands. They have been talking about that for years though so who knows if that will ever happen.


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## bloodwood (Feb 24, 2011)

Hi
I have traveled canada by train a couple of times and hitchiking several times coast to coast. There is no part that I wanted to skip. Even the rolling flat lands of the prairies had a beauty. The wind waving the wheat made me think of ocean swells. Sometimes mezmerizing. The miles of yellow mustard flowers. The wildlife I saw. Also, being able to see the lights of a city from 100 miles away. I prefered the rockies and the coasts but the prairies were OK for me.
By train I wish I had a cabin like Dr Baxter, I would have gotten more sleep. We were out in reclining lounge chairs.
Glad I missed the tornado though. Peter


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## Andy (Feb 25, 2011)

It sounds so great. Maybe one day.  A cabin sounds really good, your own little space.  Lounge chairs would still be great. I've done a lot of travel by bus and your pretty much kissing the back of the next row of seats (I'm really friendly )

I'm glad you missed the tornado too.


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## bloodwood (Feb 25, 2011)

Hi
I guess the negative part of a cabin is that you are then isolateed from your travel mates. There isn't the same opportunity for traveller banter and exchange if you are inclined that way.
I remamber one time I also took a bus across and in the row in front of me was a tyke about 2 years old.
I spent 1000 miles answering questions from a bored two year old about the book I was trying to read.

"What is that picture on your book?"
'It is a man coming out of an egg."
'Why was he in the egg?"
'Maybe that was how he was born."
'Did someone put him in there?"
'Maybe they did"
"How come he has no clothes on?"
.......

I was trapped...I couldn't escaped...I eventually caved in to Stockholm syndrome.
Peter


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## Andy (Feb 25, 2011)

Oh yeah, the bus can bring on different circumstances. Good parenting for the little kid. lol Probably glad to have the kid occupy itself with someone else. 

I got to sit beside a man who had a bad B.O problem and the bus was packed so I didn't have many options. Not that I would have switched seats anyway because I would have thought I hurt his feelings. lol I was so annoyed and almost sick by the time he got off because I have an extremely sensitive nose (for scent not, not to touch it, or upset it).


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## bloodwood (Feb 25, 2011)

It is  a random shot. I can remember some of my encounters being wonderful and some less so.
Having a car and driving is equally nice.
Peter


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## Retired (Feb 25, 2011)

David Baxter said:
			
		

> I'm not usually that assertive (or grumpy)



_Da' squeaky wheel gets da' grease!_


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## bloodwood (Feb 25, 2011)

I read on the Internet that seven out of nine dentists believe Dr Baxter is grumpy and the Pope has recently blessed this belief.
Peter


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## David Baxter PhD (Feb 25, 2011)

STP said:


> I have an extremely sensitive nose (for scent not, not to touch it, or upset it).


 
Note to self: Do NOT upset STP's nose.
Supplementary note to self: Do not touch it either.


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