Taking the Train long distances?

[corky52]

Has anybody looked into shipping your "home" via rail into an area you wish to explore and then driving from there?

I can see fuel and time savings if your don't want to wander your way to an area.  


Corky

 

[eDJ_]

I've seen TV travel shows where in Countries other than the USA,  people pull their RV's onto flat bed Rail Cars
for excursions.   You are able to stay in your RV like it is your own private car on the rail road.

From time to time I see RV's on "low boy" trailers behind Tractors towing them down the Interstate.  But by law
I don't think anyone can ride in them when they are being towed.   I guess that it would work the same on
rail freight...if the rail road would even agree to do it.

Youtube Video:   Mexico's Copper Canyon excursion.





Time was that you saw automobiles on rail cars being transported.  Like so.

Today it seems all automotive rail cars are enclosed.  I understand that was because kids along the rail road
were throwing rocks throw windows or shooting them with air rifles etc.

People do ship RV's on trucks

I more frequently see larger boats or yachts on the road though.

I think the idea has a lot going for it just the same.  The big Diesel rigs get much better mileage and
you will defer a lot of  wear on your RV if you can ship it.   I would put some kind of padded cover
over the windshield though.

I understand that if you are shipping something less than 500 miles the Motor Freight is the way to go.
But if it is further than 1000 miles Rail Freight is more practical.  Again if a Rail carrier would even agree.
(if a train has to stop for any period in a more remote area or in the inner late at night, your RV could be vulnerable to being broken into or vandalized.

 

[highdesertranger]

in Alaska the train to Whittier was like that but it was only like an hour ride. you did ride in your car. I looked into shipping my truck and trailer to Alaska in a container it wasn't cheap. the reason car carriers are enclosed now a days is because of the vandalism. train robbery is also not dead you just don't hear about it. out here in the desert when the train slows down for long grades the hoodlums jump on the train and break into the containers and start throwing stuff off the train their partners come along and pick the stuff up. highdesertranger

 

[ccbreder]

I traveled to Florida on the Amtrak Auto Train. From a bit south of DC, to outside Orlando. I could not sleep in my vehicle, but the coach seat was comfortable, and it included three meals in the dining car

 

[WriterMs]

It's been many years ago, but I remember a travel article about Amtrak having certain "Sunset Limited" runs that took on RVs on flat cars. (I think I have the name right for that west coast train run.)


HDR -- I had never thought of that sort of train robbery. Wow. I would not want to be near that, purely as a safety measure. I'm sure the robbers do not want witnesses to identify them or their vehicles. That's something to be aware of -- so I do not choose a desert camp near a rail line. Though I guess I'd avoid those areas because of noise anyway.