In the summer of 1965 I traveled from Spokane to New York City. Took NP's Mainstreeter to Chicago, then Central's "Wolverine" via Canada to NYC. The biggest impression I had at the time was how the Central's dining car prices were about 30% higher than NP's! Returning home I traveled the water level route on an overnight secondary train, laid over in Chicago for a day (where I made the initial steps that led to a 4-year employment with the Rock Island) then back to Spokane on the Mainstreeter.

All the trains were clean and generally on time. The route of the "Wolverine" has since been abandoned.

During my time (1965-69) with the Rock Island I rode (on pass) many of their remaining passenger trains. They were spartan but clean and generally ran on time.

My dad made many trips from Spokane east; generally to Washington DC. He liked to ride the MILW Olympian Hiawatha but when it came off in 1961 he switched to NP's North Coast Limited. The NCL was a total class act right up to Amtrak day. I got to ride it a couple of times myself; in 1963 from Livingston to Spokane, and in 1968 from Minneapolis to Spokane on my honeymoon no less!