SSoP Podcast Ep. 21 — Trains: Better Than Planes and Cars. Fight Me.

SSoP Podcast Ep. 21 — Trains: Better Than Planes and Cars. Fight Me.

Monday, 14 December, 2020

In the 200 years since trains first started clattering on the rails, they dramatically changed industry and commerce — and inspired technological innovations that changed the world.

But we like them because they’re romantic and comfortable, allow us to interact with other travelers, and are the most fun way to get out of town.

With the transcontinental railroad in the US — followed about 30 years later by similar achievements in Canada and Russia — far-flung destinations were connected for the first time. Entire continents were opened up to new trading opportunities, and people could travel farther and faster than they ever had before.

The world got a bit smaller, but also far grander, and a new era in travel was born. Just about anyone could take a seat in a rail car and find themselves very shortly in a new place. But in a few short decades, luxury trains like the fabled Orient Express offered the curious and the posh opportunities to see the world in opulent comfort. No wonder there are so many great stories set aboard Pullman cars and steam engines.

In this episode, we briefly explore train history and discuss why train travel might just be the best mode of transportation. Then we share five books we love that capture the innovation and adventure of trains around the world, including a visual encyclopedia, a stirring history, a noir thriller, a murder mystery, and a story of Dame Agatha Christie, but not the one you probably expect.

transcript

Read the full transcript of Episode 21: Trains.

The Lady Vanishes

buy | read review

Nothing Like It In the World

buy | read review

The Train Book

buy | read review

The Woman on the Orient Express

buy | read review

The Woman on the Orient Express

buy | read review

The Edge

buy | read review

The Dining Car

buy | read review

other books we mentioned

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other cool stuff we talked about

  • Kremsnite: We waxed poetic about the Slovenian cake known as Kremsnite — it’s cremeschnitte in German — in the intro of this episode. Here’s the scoop on this creamy cake, a recipe, and a photo. Enjoy!
kremsnita cake made from layers of custard and cream
Photo courtesy of Petar Milošević.
  • Orient-Venice-Simplon Express: Travel bloggers Flying the Nest took the Orient Express from Venice to London. It looks fab.
  • Pera Palace Hotel: While travelers waited for their departure on the Orient Express, heading west from Istanbul, they often stayed at this historic hotel. Built in 1892, it’s a gem of neoclassical, art nouveau, and oriental design. Here’s the official hotel website in case you want to book a room, a travel blogger’s review from February 2020, and a first-person account of staying in the room where Murder on the Orient Express was written.
room decorated with red velvet
Kubbeli Saloon Tea Lounge at the Pera Palace Hotel.
  • Neil Young: Neil Young has been a model-train fan his entire life, and at one point, his collection included a 3000-square-foot display that he kept in a separate structure on his property. He used his massive collection to connect with his son Ben, who has cerebral palsy. Read all about it on Mental Floss — and this lovely story is explored in this video.

These headlines need no further introduction:

 
turquoise blue lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains
Lake Louise. Courtesy of Kevin Noble/Unsplash.
chateau lake louise on the shore of the lake
Chatuea Lake Louise.

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