The week of Thanksgiving is Amtrak’s busiest time of the year, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Our travel columnist took the California Zephyr during the Thanksgiving rush. And would do it again, with ear plugs.

From swanky sleeper services to dynamic first-of-their-kind engineering feats, these are the best new and upcoming rail journeys to get excited about.

Take a scenic three-hour roundtrip on the world's highest cog railway to the summit that inspired 'America the Beautiful.