A Quebec reader writes in response to one of Saturday’s Amtrak posts:

NOT roundabout at all. Presume you were traveling from New York City. The principal rail route to Toledo would always have been the New York Central (slogan “The Water Level Route — You Can Sleep”), which would take you through Buffalo. Other routes such as the Lackawanna would wiggle through mountains. The NYC’s biggest competitor, the Pennsylvania, was shorter to Chicago by 13 miles (so their slogan was “You Sleep Restfully”) but that would not take you to Toledo. The Hudson valley is indeed lovely but best by car when we drive south towards NY on one side and return north on the other, avoiding both the NY Thruway and the Taconic Parkway. But come up this way and admire Interstate 87’s scenic Adirondack route north towards Montreal (or the day train if you must).