While some people like to model, paint or photograph passenger trains in their settings, I mostly just like to ride them, from the fastest high-speed TGV to the slowest tourist steam excursion. In the right circumstances, passenger trains can offer efficient transportation for business, visiting and tourism purposes, as well as an escape from the hurly-burly of modern-day life. Best of all, I've made a number of lifelong friends through this highly social activity.

In total, I figure I've taken close to 1,400 passenger-train trips covering some 400,000 kilometres (250,000 miles) - ten times around the world.

NO MATTER WHERE IT'S GOING
...is comprised of these volumes: 1950's; 1960's; 1st 1970's; 2nd 1970's; 1st 1980's; 2nd 1980's; 1990's; 1st 2000's; 2nd 2000's; and a Reprise of my North American passenger-train travels. There are also three Companion Documents: No. 1, Trip Details; No. 2, Train Details; and No. 3, Equipment Details.

Clarification: Please note that I only started recording passenger-train consists at the beginning of 1974. Prior to this, most trips are reconstructed from memory and are therefore speculative (timings and car types are taken from public timetables and equipment lists; names and numbers from other reference documents).

LA GRANDE ALLURE
...is made up of these volumes: 1970's; 1st 1980's; 2nd 1980's; 1990's; 2000's; and a Reprise of my Overseas passenger-train travels. There is also a single Companion Document covering most of the same subjects as for North America.

Clarification: I've faithfully recorded the composition of overseas passenger trains going back to my first holiday in 1976 but, with some exceptions, not unit numbers or names. This is due to the sheer volume of passenger trains involved, quick station dwell times, splitting or joining of portions enroute, and complicated numbering systems.

Please note! This has been a challenging project, given the twin objectives of producing documents which could be displayed on a computer screen and printed out at a reasonable level of quality - while keeping to a manageable file size. Compromises have had to be made where photographs and other images are concerned, and the route schematics particularly need to be improved. Your understanding and suggestions will be appreciated.

To learn more about downloading these documents, please click on Getting Started.