All Aboard! ⎯ The World of Rare Mileage

In the years before the Interstate Highway System and before Amtrak, trains took Americans to many places around the country that are no longer accessible by rail to the general public.

“You could take the train just about anywhere,” Philip Kondziela said. “A lot of that is just freight mileage now and in some places it’s been ripped up.”

Kondziela lived by the railroad tracks growing up and, like many children, had model trains. Today, he knows that the railroad is the best way to travel.

“When you drive you see people’s front yards, when you take the train, you see people’s back yards,” Kondziela said.

In the late 1980s, Kondziela first began taking rare mileage trips. Rare mileage enthusiasts charter trains and travel mainly on freight-only tracks. Kondziela estimates there are around 100 casual rare mileage collectors and 40-50 serious collectors spread out around the US and a few from Canada and England. Kondziela has traveled throughout North America on rare mileage excursions, but there are also excursions throughout Europe.

“I have a map that I color in, a 1984 Rand McNally railroad atlas,” Kondziela said.

Kondziela also keeps track of bike trail mileage in a different color, although purists don’t count bike mileage as actual rare mileage.

“Steel on steel only, not rubber,” Kondziela said.

While he admits collecting rail mileage is a hobby that doesn’t come cheap, it’s also been extremely rewarding. Kondziela has already taken four trips in 2011 with two or three still on the horizon ⎯ including an upcoming trip through Minnesota and Iowa.

Some of his favorite rare mileage trips have taken him to Mexico and throughout the Northwest. On other trips, the train cars themselves are the main attraction ⎯ Kondziela has encountered cars with domes that offer sweeping views from above, open platforms where passengers could watch the rails going by, and even an open gondola car.

“What a way to see the country!” Kondziela said. “And I’m with all my friends, half are engineers or dispatchers, some connection to the rails, others are just rail fans.”

There are several companies dedicated to providing these excursions including High Iron Travel and American Association of Private Railcars. The Royal Canadian Pacific has run excursions through Canada, providing another beautiful and memorable rare mileage trip.

“Now it’s not all scenic, some rare mileage is also boring mileage!” Kondziela laughed. “It’s not for everybody, but that’s when it’s good to have your friends around. We talk about trains, we rarely veer off that topic. We talk about our wish lists, where we’re going next, and where everyone has been.”

While older rare mileage collectors have the advantage of having traveled train lines that are now shut down, all collectors are always watching for Amtrak detours due to weather conditions, as these trips can count as rare if they take them off the usual route. If a rail line is shut down, it can also be moved over to the rare mileage category.

“The biggest mileage collectors will have over 100,000 miles and that’s unique mileage,” Kondziela said. “I imagine if I live to be 100 I’ll be one of the champs. My maps are really full.”