It was an amazing trip. Everyone should take a sleeper train once if they can.

It's always a treat. I've loved trains ever since I saw James West's train in The Wild Wild West when I was a little kid.

We got as far as Needles, on the CA-AZ, border where we discovered there was a derailment in front of us. So we sat in Needles -- in August -- for 16 hours, in 116 heat, without a dining or club car, and with only enough ice to air condition every other car (ours wasn't).

Once was enough for me.

You do hear horror stories sometimes. Couldn’t you all crowd into the cars with air conditioning?

We were there for 16 hours. That wouldn't have been feasible, even if it had been possible.

We left LA in the late evening, bound to reach the Grand Canyon the next morning. In essence, this was intended as a short, overnight run, so there was no dining car. There was an observation car, but most of the train was made up of sleeping cars. You don't just "crowd into" someone's private compartment. i have no memory of regular passenger cars on this train.

To make matters worse, we were told not to leave the train for more than few minutes, as they expected the wreck up ahead to soon be cleared. It wasn't, which meant that we didn't have any food, and couldn't leave the train to go to a restaurant. When they finally did get it cleared, and hooked up a dining car about 8 PM, my sister promptly threw up while eating.

This is an indelible, but unpleasant, memory I have carried for more than 50 years. I was 8 that summer. I'm 65 now.

but then I wonder about the level of privacy

and absolutely LOVED my sleeper car. It's pricey tho.

more people would use them, I know I would.

My preference for long trips is either to drive my Hybrid Sonata or use my frequent flier miles for first class.

from West Virginia to Montana, to visit the grandparents.

If we flew there, they had to drive 100 miles to the airport. The train dropped us off six blocks from their house.

Love sleepers! Turkey used to use old French wagons lits. Lovely plush seat, brass sink, gorgeous wood. Porter made it into two beds with sheets starched so hard, cool and heavenly. Porter wakes you up, brings cay and ekmek with rose jelly and goat cheese. Between Istanbul and Ankara. Perfect way to travel! They've probably gone modern!