PICK A TRAIN, ANY TRAIN - All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide - page 285

cross the Ohio River into Kentucky in the early morning hours.
At about dawn, and just before you stop in Memphis, you'll see
the 32-story Great American Pyramid. It's on the right—believe
me, you can't miss it. Then it's on through the Mississippi Delta
to the capital city of Jackson. By now, the river itself is well to
the west. Another 80 miles or so, after passing through the town
of Magnolia, Mississippi, the train crosses into Louisiana. This is
swamp country. You can almost see the alligators and snakes out
there, but it's interesting and very picturesque nevertheless. After
a stop in Hammond, the train skirts around Lake Pontchartrain
along the longest continuous railway curve in the world and into
New Orleans. Let the fun begin!

Crescent (19, 20)

Stops: New York City, Philadelphia,

Washington, Greensboro, Charlotte,
Atlanta, Birmingham, New Orleans

Frequency: Daily

Distance: 1,377 miles

Duration: Westbound: 30½ hours; eastbound:

30 hours

Equipment: Amfleet coaches, Viewliner sleepers,

dining car, lounge car

This train was the pride of Southern Railway for years. South-
bound, it still follows the same route through all the major cit-
ies along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor to Washington, then it
swings down through Virginia farm country before running
along the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains for several hours.
Stay alert for the impressive Wells Viaduct after you leave Toc-
coa, Georgia (depending on the time of year, you may cross it
after dark on the northbound trip). After Atlanta you'll travel
west through impressive pine forests along the southern end of
the Appalachian Mountains on the way to Birmingham. From