All Aboard All Aboard!

I don't know about you, but the words "All Aboard" get my pulse racing and my feet twitching. I hear them and I'm ready to go -- to leave the routine behind and set out for somewhere, anywhere, that's new, different, and wonderful.

You're cordially invited to come along. On this newest of Gather.com's groups, we're going to be talking and writing all about -- and photographing -- trains, particularly the trains of Amtrak, which is underwriting the group.

For sure, there will be stories about riding the rails, but we'll also be describing some of the great spots you can ride to in this vast country, coast to coast. Everything and anything about trains will be grist for our mill, from Pullman porters to train stations. And we really hope you'll keep us company -- and send along your own thoughts about the trip.

Something else: People take trains for an endless variety of reasons -- on business and on vacation, to say good-by to an old friend or to meet the bride's parents. In that sense, train travel is a microcosm of life itself, an endlessly fascinating kaleidoscope of human experience. That is how I hope this group will look at trains -- in the large, as it were.

In case you were wondering, I'm going to be a frequent contributor to "All Aboard." I was asked to join because of my, umm, track record as travel writer and editor -- one of my posts was as the editor of The New York Times travel section. I've spent a lot of time on the road, particularly in this country, Europe, and Asia, and a lot of that time was actually on the rails. In fact, I'll be writing about some of those trips here on Gather. Please stay tuned.

Robert W. Stock is a writer and editor based in New York.

Share stories of your railroad adventures in Amtrak's Gather group, All Aboard! Just click the button below!