MNN - Mother Nature Network

While reading a story about corporate transportation on the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) website, I felt my inner train-loving child trying to get out. My grandfather was the engineer on a train that the copper mining company in my small town operated. From time to time, my cousins and I would get the opportunity to ride the train with him. However, the trains in this WSJ article are a far cry from the greasy and grimy engine I rode in.

 

Barry Newman takes a peek inside a corporate train in his article, When a Gulfstream V Just Won't Do, Try Riding Like a Rail Baron.

 

"If corporate jets are your idea of sky's-the-limit business travel, try riding a corporate train. Every big American railroad has one for its bosses: a string of sleepers, dining cars, theater cars, gym cars and — bringing up the rear — a private 'office car.' They date to streamliner days when the freight lines still hauled passengers. Now they haul executives."

 

While an interstate trip on a private jet will get you to your destination more quickly, I’d prefer to take the trip on a train. If you want some fresh air, you can step out onto the deck. You also get a more up-close and personal look at nature, especially when the tracks are winding through backcountry away from major roads.

 

If you’re a fan of trains, definitely check out Newman’s article and watch the video below for a behind-the-scenes look at a corporate railcar.