Rolling Memories

I agree with David Lewis (“Train of Thought,” Letters, Oct. 1) that train travel, Amtrak style, fails to measure up to expectation and memory. There are, however, long-distance routes relatively near at hand that are much closer to the style and service we both remember.

VIA Rail Canada operates several scheduled trips using restored stainless-steel cars, real dome and lounge cars (not the plastic-seat abominations on Amtrak) and traditional dining cars--complete with etched-glass partitions and a quality of service far surpassing any I have experienced on Amtrak.

My personal favorite of these Canadian routes is the Skeena between Jasper, Alberta, and Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The Skeena makes an overnight stop in Prince George, British Columbia, so the entire trip is in daylight. This route is among the two or three most scenic and dramatic I have seen in a lifetime of rail travel in many parts of the world.

DONALD A. WOODMANCY

Laguna Niguel