There haven't been any that I can recall since Robert Kennedy's procession. I think that there is little a politician would do nowadays to help promote the railroads. It's like when "W" goes- I'm sure it's not Amtrak that'll be a pallbearer.

There is a general population that agrees (although hardly true in most cases) that the railroads are soil-ruining, noisy places that the poor live by- hardly a parade route for mourners to say thier last goodbyes. The elite would rather see a funeral lear-jet instead of a funeral train in today's society.

I remember reading an old mag about the King and queen of England doing a cross country train journey in Canada. If I recall correctly, it was the 1960's or 1970's. Well, the royalty needed a quiet, secure place to park the train for the night. Guards were stationned around the train to ward off hobos, and the Royal family stayed the night on the parked train- as the itinerary told. This train was parked in what is now the grittiest part of Surrey! Bridgeview! This industrial wasteland is the Crown Jewel of contamination! Pretty much all the businesses that are there now, were the same kinds of businesses back then:
Two gypsum plants.
An auto wreckers.
A metal scrapyard (for crushing autos, and loading on barges).
A lumber reload centre.
A bar or two owned by the H.A.
Tow truck yards.
A garbage truck parking lot.
An aluminum window manufacturer.
Lots of people that are in poverty, and resort to living beside these businesses.

I hate to be disrespectful to a particular neighbourhood, but it's a sad place to live in- as well as have Royalty chosen to spend the night in.

I don't think any other dignitary has taken the train in Canada since.

almo