I'd concur about taking a long-haul train at least once so you can have the experience. In late 1992 I went by rail from Washington to Washington via Washington (that's DC and back to DC via Seattle) with a week driving a rental car to whatever looked interesting in between. The trains were comfortable, but slow. I did, however, get to pass through the town of Wiggins, Colorado.
The experience aboard AMTRAK's east-bound Empire Builder between Seattle and Chicago that sort of sums it all up is when you go through Glacier National Park just after sunrise, so you sit in the dome car with a cup of coffee and watch all this incredible December scenery cruise by.