I worked with someone that had some Great Aunt or whatever that did this. The lady just didn't like planes, so she would travel like this. Basically, you get all the amenities of an RV, water tank fill up, power hook up, plus you can walk up to the admittedly gross food car. She said it looked like an RV apartment combo, and that the Aunt was old money, so the Mr. Monopoly vibe is accurate.
this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2025
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TIL Amtrak will let you attach your own private car to one of their trains and they charge you per a mile
(lemmy.world)
I'm with Great Aunt whomever. Flying sucks.
Plus, you could make it an event or party car. Imagine a traveling bachelorette party with a murder mystery dinner, karaoke, no flying, no driving, and you end up somewhere cool and can nap on the way back.
(100% of the pre-wedding parties I've been to have had karaoke and a murder mystery dinner. Sample set of one.)
Coworker said that time is the luxury item. Unless your car is following exactly a regular Amtrak route, at some point you get decoupled in a yard and passed off to another train, which can take hours. Basically a layover. So it sounds like it can easily become a multi-day thing to get somewhere you can get in like 5 hours by air.
But yeah, if you have the time and inclination, it seems like a pleasant way to go.
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This is so much more baller than a private jet
"I am rich but I don't need to rush around the country to keep being rich"
I'm gonna take my time and enjoy the ride. If you need me, come meet me on my train. I'm pulling into Kansas City tomorrow. See you there. Meanwhile I'm gonna have a cocktail and play some video games.
If I had to choose one, it would be the private rail car for sure.
For like 30 seconds I was thinking 'car' meant automobile and I was picturing like someone's SUV hitched to the back of a train.
I should get some coffee.
Amtrak does have the "auto train" which runs from just outside DC to just outside Orlando. You load your car on the train and ride the train rather than driving that distance. It's apparently really popular with both snowbirds as well as vacationers
Neat!
If anyone else is curious, there's a lengthy blog post with some photos here: https://www.aboomerslifeafter50.com/travel/is-the-amtrak-auto-train-worth-the-ride-heres-my-take-going-to-florida/
Two adult rail fares $286 + one roomette for two $565 + automobile $269 = Grand total $1120
And a Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Train
There's also rumblings of potentially setting up a new Auto train route from NYC to LA. I have wonder if they'll do the obvious thing of making a stop in Chicago as well given most long distance Amtrak services stop in Chicago
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This feels like a holdover from the Teddy Roosevelt/robber baron era!
Am I the only person without a personal train car? Am I surrounded by people in top hats and just don't know?
I started a conversation the other day with some friends about if I ever ran for President and needed to travel the country, what impact would there be if I decided to go super old-school and get a Presidential train car.
Side conversation; Airforce 1 is the Airliner the Pres flies on. Marine 1 is the helicoper. What would be the train designation?
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Buy cheap carriage.
Paint with radiation symbols and rainbow flags.
Write "GAY-diation distribution system" on the side.
Send it on a tour of red states and enjoy the freak-outs.
I would donate to this godundme
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Mumford and Sons is currently running a tour by rail using Amtrak's services!
But I've also heard of private groups pooling together to buy an old passenger car and keeping it maintained and up to whatever the current Amtrak requirements are so that they can do this regularly. Alternatively there's several private companies who you can rent and charter a car or several with if you don't want to commit long term to owning a railcar. I've specifically seen this one on private charter before for some model railroad events: https://261.com/cedar-rapids/
But how much is it?
- Short hop (300 miles, 1 car): Mileage = 300×$4.72 = $1,416, but you’ll pay the $2,296 minimum (plus any parking/switching).
- Regional trip (500 miles, 1 car): 500×$4.72 = $2,360 (above the minimum). With one night of standard parking, ~$2,583 before any special switching.
- Overnight long-distance (1,000 miles): ~$4,720 for one car. Two cars on the same request price ~$8,340 (first car $4,720 + second car $3,620) before parking/switching.
Even assuming some passenger limit (otherwise you could sell your own tickets and make a tidy profit) for groups large enough to require a charter bus, this sounds like a reasonable alternative. In fact that might be their target market.
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What advantages does this train have over, say, a motor car -- which I could also afford?
You are basically in a moving apartment, with bed, shower, bathroom, fridge, ability to cook...
It's out of my price range, but I certainly could see the appeal.
The car will be way faster and more open ended in terms of where you start and finish, so it's far more practical if you just want to get to where you are going.
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There were articles about people who make a lifestyle of this. Though the practice is apparently under pressure, as allowing random people to attach private carriages to your trains does complicate operating a railway.
This one of those hobbies that sounds so cool but so impractical to get into. Like it makes getting a boat sound like a cheap and easy hobby.
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Ok. Mr Burns
So is it possible to have a tiny home on rails?!?!?
How much does a rail car cost, and what is maintenance, inspection, etc like? This is still something of the very wealthy.
Yet slower, and far less convenient than air travel. Sight-seeing aside, I honestly don't know who this is for.
Maybe there's a train-enthusiast club out there that has a small fleet of rail-ready cars?
My guess is that this is a holdover from when rich people did have train cars (and sometimes even full trains!).
I would bet there are still a couple of rich people living out their train fantasies.
Because they love the experience. Trains are really a lot of fun.
I would gladly take the train over flying. You have more leg room, there is a dinning car, and way less security theater to deal with.
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i hope america, and by extension, amtrak is still around when i retire, because this is cool as hell.
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Who wouldn't want to take a private cartage? Id get one for baboo too.
Yeah iirc thats an old holdover from when that was how rich people got around
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The thing I haven't read in this thread: how do you get your personal trail car to the station, and how do you move it about on your destination?
It sounds cool but very inflexible.
You pay for someone (another rail company operating at that railyard) to move it for you into storage, where you pay the storage costs. If you need that railcar somewhere else, you pay someone to transport it somewhere else, same as how cargo rail would work.
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No joke, at least back in the 80s some wall-streeters did thIs from my home town in Nj to NYC every day. Complete with full bar.
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