Despite the “Welcome Aboard” on the cover, this is not a traditional welcome-aboard brochure informing passengers of the amenities on the train they are riding. Instead, it is another advertisement for Amtrak trains, with four-color illustrations and floor plans of the interiors of typical Amtrak cars.
Click image to download an 8.5-MB PDF of this brochure.
The brochure notes that “traveling by train means comfort and mobility,” which is true. But, making a virtue out of one of the disadvantages of passenger trains, it adds that “the time you spend aboard a train . . . is a rare chance to be idle.” Not everyone likes being idle.
“A train ride is a pleasant interlude that combines the gentle motion of wheels on rails and the fascination of a constantly changing scene,” the brochure adds: “Yes, traveling by train is fun.” While most people who read this blog would agree in principle, the sad truth was that Amtrak trains in 1976 were better known for being late and broken down heat and air conditioning.