European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 30, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                January 1978 the stars and stripes Page 19 modern living a pfc Timve Oahu Settle watching scenery go by from bar car of the coast Starlight from los Angeles to Seattle if youve got the if s the Only Way to by Les Ledbetter new York the Orient express it is the coast which runs Between los Angeles and has Little to remind one of the grandeur of the historic trains thai carried the Rich and its old equipment causes cars Are often too cold or too passengers rarely Praise the the run has an onetime arrival record of Only 65 percent the coast with trains heading North and South each morning on the is be coming known for providing a restive trip with multiple divers Day and the Starlight passes scenery thai is Usu ally arresting if not always friendships form sharing is Small parties Are if not sometimes blooms As the train passes the California coast near Santa Darbara or climbs through the mountains in South Ern if youve got the its the Only Way to said prank As he sat in the upstairs dome Section of the lounge car drinking a Beer and talking to other passengers headed toward the Starlight is also the 1 Long distance train in the according to a spoke Raul Tor us corporation formed and subs did by the Federal government at part of a National Effort to revitalize rail travel in the ridership is up goo percent in the six years since Amtrak consolidated three Shorter runs into the coast Starlight there were riders on the Starlight in the first nine months of an increase of 7 percent Over the first nine months of trains Are running with a maximum 18 cars during this Peak travel period and most seals and compartments have been sold out throughout the the Starlight even showed an operational profit this summer and new equipment in 1978 should improve serv ice and schedules and attract More it All the campuses along the West said Arthur Lloyd of trying to explain Ibe Success of the coast Lloyd noted that the median age of Starlight riders was about whereas it was 43 for other Long distance trains in the Young and old Only those with Lime take the Long train and thai usually Means older or younger not workers who cannot spare the As the Starlight headed North from Industrial Oakland one recent teenagers and Young adults in the the lounge car formed Small older couples left for quieter in the coach cars Forward of the hundreds of Young adults and children were curled up in the regularly shifting their restive bodies in search of in the sleeping can to the rear of the behind the lounge and dining the Roodettes and rooms were curtained and their doors this my second time on the said Lauren Swift of of Uhlna with four male riders at the tint time i had never taken a i didst like was cold and we were 11 hours this it was to save Money and i like it so the train climbed through Snow covered mountains thai flashed while on Black Rock in the diesel engines red embers flew Over the dome from a malfunctioning the Start seemed More delineated against the Clear Blueback magic spot arriving an hour Early in the passed Gers had a Chance to meet Nye and his and to see the magic the yes divorced 35 years ago after four years of marriage and the birth of one until they had not spoken to or seen one another in 15 i always get off at Portland to get a a copy of the Seattle said a Veteran of 40 years on the rails who that Day was the Engineer of the southbound i was waiting for a train North to Seattle when my aunt told me was said the two met and spoke at the magic spot in the port land Railroad moved in together and remarried shortly who is about to has Home doubts about the future of Amtrak passenger theres too Many not enough he things have improved with but they took Over old Junky and Haven been Ritaa the discouraged let their cars go to Unhul now milking Toon off the Federal we used to run the trains at to Miles per hour average and now we do less than 50 Miles per he the Snow receded As the northbound Starlight continued its swollen Rivers appeared next to Small towns and farms As the train emptied in Small commune the Crete Many problems with the said Rick a Marin musician studying the a cello like instrument from Northern theres no fresh the foods not but its prefer Able to All other 1 dont feel i have any control said Henderson after playing for a few people in the lounge 1 feel in processed into a Cannon and shot its too 1 like to sense Lime and space i think its better la Doest disrupt my body this train has none of the Charm or Appeal of foreign but you can move Camp meet Converse and form