Rail Fan Wrote:
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> Depot America was a far superior place,
>
> nah, even in the 50's when I took my first train
> ride (B&MRR, behind steam no less) the train depot
> was in the downward part of town.

Railfan feels like expanding here, a bit, this being a railfan board.

Back in the early/mid fifties, when I was young, (4-8 years old, give or take), we would actually take the train. The B&M RR ran passenger service from Greenfield, MA to Springfield, MA. We (mother, sister and I) would take the train 20 miles to spend the day with an aunt. Then we'd take the train home. As I remember it, the first trip was steam powered, then came the E-7's.

Somewhere along the line, (to be honest I only remember watching steam then diesel headlights) we stopped taking the train. I'm guessing that either the B&M dropped the service, due to financial losses, or that my mother decided that driving 20 miles (40 miles rt) was cheaper, more flexible and easier than taking the train. It would take my aunt nearly as much time to pick us up from and return us to the station as we spent on the train.

In any event, at one time, the US had the kind of train service you desire.