# Goodbye, Orient Express

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-orient-express/521134
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [December 13, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-orient-express/521134 "2009-12-13T19:52:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2009, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-orient-express/521134/1 "2009-12-13T19:52:42Z")

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[Link](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121365224&live=1).

The audio is better than the text. I’d always hoped to ride it one day, even though it’s not the '30s anymore. Too late.

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### Author: ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-orient-express/521134/2 "2009-12-13T21:20:31Z")

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Okay, but they are just discontinuing the route, right, **Johnny**?

The tracks will still be the same width and the only problem is that the Express is a slower train?

If that’s the case, then I would predict that _anything_ slower than a “bullet train” is gonna bite the dust.

I love the “space shuttle” look of Germany’s ICE, but I prefer the old steam engine locomotive when sight-seeing.

And Germany’s railway system is awesome! A stop in nearly every town/village!

Is it (was it) still true that they had to re-configure the wheels for travel across Siberia, because of smaller gauge tracks?

Thanks

Q

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### Author: ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-orient-express/521134/3 "2009-12-13T22:56:24Z")

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Well, after the unpleasantness with the Ratchett murder, I’m not surprised…

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### Author: ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)
#### Post date: [December 13, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-orient-express/521134/4 "2009-12-13T23:14:15Z")

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[The Orient Express that everyone thinks of, with the Wagons-Lits carriages and the whole 1930s thing, is still operating](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice-Simplon_Orient_Express)- just not as a “regular” passenger service, but rather a seasonal tourist/luxury traveller one.

It’s on my “to-do” list as well, FWIW. 🙂