THE JOURNEY IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE DESTINATION. What’s it like to ride in a train 800 feet below the surface of the ocean? How does it feel to be in the cab of an Acela train burrowing under the East River? Train enthusiast Frank Heppner had his first train ride before he was born, and since then has ridden over 500,000 miles by train on four continents and 28 countries. Along the way, he’s traveled in the cab of an engine barreling 115 miles an hour as it approached Boston, ridden white-knuckled on a train with no brakes in the Philippines, and wallowed in luxury on a train with a sauna in Spain. A retired professor of biology at the University of Rhode Island, Heppner was born in San Francisco before WWII. His father was a doctor for the Southern Pacific Railroad, and had a family railroad pass. As soon as he was 16 Heppner used the pass to travel by himself around the western states, and by the time he was 18, had crossed the United States 4 times by train. He took his first train picture in 1954, and “Seventy Year Train Ride” has over 100 of his pictures taken around the globe. His professional travel took him several times around the world, and gave him extraordinary opportunities, like being the engineer on a steam engine powered by sugar cane. A question that continues to intrigue Heppner is, “Why trains?” Why are so many people around the world enthralled with trains and railroads? “Seventy Year Train Ride” examines this question in some detail, and suggests some answers based on very human qualities. He discusses why passenger trains are still relevant almost 200 years after their invention, and how they satisfy some important psychological needs–the journey is as important as the destination. A train enthusiast recalls a lifetime of rail journeys in this evocative memoir. After teaching biology for 41 years, Heppner (Emeritus Professor, Biological Sciences/Univ. of Rhode Island; Railroads of Rhode Island , 2012, etc.) decided to fill his retirement time by writing about his lifelong passion: trains. At the age of 3,he received his first toy engine, named "Big Red," and not long afterward, his first train book, Smokey the Lively Locomotive . So began his fascination. In this endearing book, he charts his most memorable rail journeys, although his first, he concedes, occurred prenatally--when his mother traveled from San Francisco to Auburn, California ("I must have been a passenger in the 'baggage car' "). Born in 1940, Heppner counts himself fortunate to have experienced an exciting period in railroad history, having witnessed "cab-forward steam locomotives" and ridden high speed trains such as the French TGV. Among countless other journeys, Heppner recalls the severe grades of the Raton Pass in New Mexico and Colorado, the ugliness of the Italian Settebello, and the efficiency of the Japanese bullet train. Heppner admits to being "a certifiable nerd" and gives enough attention to railway minutiae to satisfy other train geeks. However, it is Heppner's attention to detail that beguiles the reader. An early train journey took place when he was 10 years old--an overnight from San Francisco to Salt Lake City. He recalls lying in his bunk:"It was a moonlit night on the Nevada desert. I could see in the distance the shadowy outline of the Great Basin mountain ranges, and there was a hint of sage smell through the vent." Heppner's sensory descriptions transport the reader to the very carriage in which he traveled. On occasion, the author digresses,making the memoir read more like generalized travel memoir as he discusses air and sea travel. All but the most hardcore rail fans will forgive these meanderings. Illustrated with the author's accomplished photography, this is a treat for anyone with a love of trains. Observant,spirited writing that conveys the author's infectious enthusiasm for railroads.-- Kirkus Review. Frank Heppner retired in 2010 after 41 years as a professor of biology at the University of Rhode Island. His father was a railroad doctor, and he had his first train ride before he was born. A teacher of scientific photography, he took his first train picture when he was 10, and has gathered thousands of images since then, many of which are included in his latest book. His professional life gave him the opportunity to ride trains in 26 countries, and "The Seventy Year Train Ride" recounts many of his more memorable train adventures. It also has helpful hints for those who might be inspired to duplicate some of his trips.