By Kevin Williams
There is something soul-stirring about a train ride. You get to see people and places from angles unseen from the clinical confines of a car. The railroad is the road less traveled, a journey into inner-America where the hearts of small towns and villages beat robustly. Trains pass through town squares, through lush farmland, and past all-night diners. Cars give you a view, but trains give you an experience.
My journey from Philadelphia to Lancaster on the Keystone line lasted scarcely an hour and left me wanting a lot more, but at least I got to experience some of the rails.
What was especially wonderful is the train being equipped with wifi so I could write as the scenery passed by. As a writer, there is something extraordinarily powerful about being able to create as countryside pinwheels by in a beautiful blur. The rhythm of the wheels on the track bring out the best and it's just incredible.
On a more practical level, the Amtrak is a great way to enter Amish country. You are treated to beautiful vistas of Amish farms, buggies on their way around town, and well-tended farmland. Here are some scenes from my journey:
The sleek Keystone line awaits passengers at Philadelphia's 30th street station.
The train passes through Philadelphia's freight yards...
One of several stops on the way out of the city
Farther from the city...
Amish farms are plentiful as you near Lancaster, the windows on this train were a bit grimy so the colors in these photos don't do the views justice.
More Amish farms...
Lush farmland...
A lot of Amish
six passengers take this train....it makes at least six stops a day in town.
The Lancaster platform greets you with an old-fashioned clock and a walkway across the tracks to Lancaster station.
And here you are
Freight lines also crawl by Lancaster station...
The front exterior of the station almost has the look of an old high school.
The interior has an old-time retro flavor.
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