The Underground Brewery Stories about brewing beer and train traveling from Tom Coughlin

I can’t tell you about trains without mentioning my wife Meg, my traveling companion of more than 20 years. I married a person who loves adventure traveling, rail safaris, industrial history as much as I do. Amazingly, we didn’t discover that we were both rail travel devotees until we were on our honeymoon–I took Meg off to ride the subways and trolleys of Boston and Toronto, and took in a couple of rail museums in between, she didn’t say a word; she didn’t even blink. When we returned home, Meg revealed a side of herself I couldn’t have anticipated–her trousseau was filled with old railroad advertising posters that she had been collecting for some time.

Twenty years later, our home filled up with railroad antique artifacts, and our computers filled up with pictures and stories. Some of our stories have been published, most haven’t. Over time, we’ve traveled about 90 percent of the Amtrak system, 90 percent of Viarail Canada, and also some amazing lines that few people get to travel on. Through our involvement with AAPRCO (the American Association of Private Rail Car Owners), and the National Rail Historical Society, we’ve become involved in devising, operating and promoting unusual rail travels using some pretty snazzy equipment.