64 August-September 2019 / http://www.outdoorpainter.com
LarryMoore:I’vealwayslikedtrains,butI wouldn’thavesaidit wasa big
lovefest.I justthoughtit wouldbea greatbrandingideaforAmtrakto pair
traintravelwithpleinair.I e-mailedthem, and never heard anything back.
SoI thought,“Charlielikestrains.”
Editor’sNote:Charlienotonlylikestopainttrains,butunbeknownst
toLarry,heused to make a career out of booking live music train
excursions.
Hunter:It wasperfectlysynergistic,becauserightnowthere’sa crisis
goingoninAmericanpassengerrail.Todaythereare 19 long-distance
routesacrossthecountry,buttheruralheadofAmtrakbelievesthatthe
wayforwardis shortcorridorsof 400 milesorless.
Asa painter,I likelong-distancerailtravelbecauseit offersan
unbelievablybeautifulwaytoseethecountry.Asa personwitha senseof
environmentalresponsibility,I likeit becauseit’sthemostenergy-efficient
waytomovepeopleandgoodsfromoneplacetoanother.Thesetrains
literallyknitourcountrytogether.Theyserve tiny communities that
otherwise are going to wither and die.
Thee-mailfromLarryarrivedjustas Amtrakhadproposed
truncatingtheeasternendof theSouthwestChief ’sroutefromChicago
toLosAngelessothatit wouldrunfromChicagotoDodgeCity,Kansas
—twocoachesanda snackcar—andtruncatingtheotherendtogo
fromLosAngelestoAlbuquerque—twocoachesanda snackcar—and
substitutinga busfor 550 milesinbetween.
Larryhadthisideathatwecouldputtogethera groupofpainters
whocouldridea lengthoftheroute,getoutforthedaytopaint,and
thentravelontothenextstopuntilwereachedtheendoftheline.This
planlinedupperfectly with the endangered stops on the Southwest
Chief route.STAYINTOUCH
FollowdevelopmentsontheEnTrainAirFacebookpageandwatchfor
detailsonhowtoplanyourownrailtraveladventureatentrainair.org
(underconstructionatthetimethisissue goes to press, but expected
to be live by time of publication).Exploring Trinidad, Colorado Larry Moore painting on the moveCharlie Hunter taking in the view Charlie Hunter in Raton, New Mexico