Jim, A group of us once played old timey on a stalled LIRR train without raising objections, but we quit once the wheels began rolling. We figured we were allowed to ease the boredom during the unscheduled stop, but didn't want to impose our music on fellow passengers once the train got back to business. And once on AMTRAK a conductor got some kid who had walked onto the train with a didgeridoo to give an impromptu concert over the train's speaker system. Generally, however, I suspect that a concert to a captive audience will get the reception that any imposition deserves.

As to the cross-continental trips, my mother- and sister-in-law made the journey a few years ago from Washington DC to Seattle and loved it. My m-i-l is handicapped, and there are special accommodations on the trains that made the trip very easy for her and a pleasure for both.

For my part, I tend to avoid trains because I HATE sitting next to or near to jerks screeching into cell phones, and even AMTRAK's so-called quiet cars are not immune to that abuse.