A Train Thread

[dalangdon]

The old stuff was indeed nice. But Congress, being Congress, micro-managed Amtrak and thought they were too labor intensive, and didn't carry enough passengers per car. And the mandate of the retention toilet really sealed their fate.

Canada, as usual, was smarter than us. They gave VIA a few more years to modify their old stuff so it didn't dump on the tracks, so that "The Canadian" still uses the classic equipment. Then again, The Canadian is much more of a tourist train than any Amtrak train. It only runs three times a week, caters to the luxury crowd, and doesn't carry as many people. (It's a wonderful trip though - well worth the experience)

It should be noted that the Superliners are built like tanks. It's just that they've been worked to death, and the oldest are approaching thirty.

But speaking of the old toilets: When John was a sleeping car attendant, they were still running the old cars, and they were always catching people opening the top of the dutch doors on the ends of the car. When told that they shouldn't do that, many people talked about how they just loved "the mist" off the train. What they didn't know was that a lot of the mist was actually the stuff coming off the old toilets.

 

[petek]

Speaking of "The Canadian" which was Canadian Pacifics transcontinental. The sad story about it is the fact that it doesn't follow the CP route through the Rockies. Vancouver/Banff/Calgary which is the more scenic route with the spiral tunnels etc. The reason for that is because when Via took over the CN Transcontinental and the CP Canadian they deemed there wasn't enough traffic to warrant two transcontinentals any longer. So to make a long story short the rt honorable Don Mazenkowski, the then federal minister of transportation in Canada, decided that the Canadian would use the CN's less scenic more northerly route thru Jasper and Edmonton. Why? Simple politics.. His home riding/constituency is/was Edmonton. Didn't matter that people the world over know about Banff, know about the Canadian Pacific railway thru the spiral tunnels etc..

 

[rp2813]

Dan, it's interesting that they didn't think the old rolling stock carried enough passengers per car. There were so many empty seats on the Superliner cars, even during the stretch from Reno to the Bay Area where the Zephyr carries a pretty good crowd, that they struck me as wasteful.

I also noticed that the downstairs seating areas on the Superliner coaches tended to be occupied by people who had trouble with stairs or couldn't use them at all. I wondered how those people would get a snack in the lounge or a meal in the diner, and again thought about how much more ADA-friendly the older coaches seemed to be.

 

[petek]

One thing I have to say about Via though. Only a few years ago they took all the old CP Canadian cars and totally refurbished them back to their original glory at a cost of millions. They were in horrendous condition when they were taken over from CP. I remember my last trip from Vancouver to Banff before the change and it was embarassing. The air vents on the ceiling were being held on with duct tape, the upholstery was all taped and tattered.

 

[kenb]

Human Interest Picture

Back online with a new computer and thought I'd add a little "human interest" picture to the thread.

 

[appnut]

Ken, trust me you raising more than human interest here buddy! YEE HAW!!!

 

[rp2813]

Hmmmm. . . two subjects in the same shot that are big, decked out in bright yellow, and that I would like to take a ride on.

Human interest indeed, Ken!

Ralph

 

[appnut]

Ralph - ADA

Ralph, I'm one of those individuals who is better I sit downstairs. I actually pretty much like it. Not nearly as crowded, don't feel like I'm in a zoo. The only other option I'd go for would be a sleeper car. Wanna go somewhere? he he he. Actually when I've taken the Texas Eagle to & from Dallas, train personnel are very attentive regarding getting snacks, food, other things for us. Passengers are also very helpful in helping me get on & off the train too. The situation does make it discouraging to getting to the dining car if one wanted to though.

 

[rp2813]

Bob, thanks for confirming what I was thinking regarding staff attention to mobility issues and also the problem presented in how to get to the dining car, if at all. The single level cars seemed to make so much more sense from an ADA point of view but I guess Amtrak is such a loser that congress doesn't dare require changes.

 

[appnut]

Hey dudes, someone wavers a paw!!!! he he he.

Ralph, of course a big handsome strong man would be more than appreciated for extra friendly assistance!!! Or any additional big men you can find along the way Ralph!!! he he he!!

 

[dalangdon]

Ralph, a Superliner coach seats 72. The old overnight coaches sat 48 (or was it 42?). A Superliner Sleeper sleeps 44, an old 10/6 sleeps 32 (with no shower!)

Basically, it's a matter of making the attendant do more work. Nothing wrong with that per se, but you can see where the labor savings come in.

I'm with you on those stairs. They were a bad idea to begin with, and they've only gotten worse as Americans have gotten fatter ;-). At the very least they need to widen them, and get rid of the turns, like they did with the Amtrak California cars (which were based on the Superliner design.)

As far as the coach occupancy, it swings wildly during the course of a trip, because people get on and off. Sometimes they are so full that they are making announcements about how everyone has to occupy only one seat, other times they let people spread out. You'd think a lot of people would ride SFO-Reno, but with the abysmal on-time performance of the Zephyr, maybe not. I know that whenever I take the Zephyr from Chicago to Omaha, it's always sold to capacity.

Ken, it's great to see the heritage fleet. That's what we used to take back in my Drum & Bugle Corps days. UP still has several sleepers, coaches, diners and dome cars, and they store them in Council Bluffs, by the yards.

 

[rp2813]

Yeah, if I could ride a long haul that was made up of "heritage fleet" type cars, I'd be all over that opportunity.

 

[dalangdon]

Ralph, you should definitely take "The Canadian". Trip of a lifetime: Great food, great scenery, and great service, all in meticulously restored Heritage equipment. Now that American Orient Express has bit the dust, it's pretty much Via or the Rocky Mountaineer if you want the old school experience - and both of them are Canadian carriers.

The only thing I didn't like about "The Canadian" was that the train doesn't make many stops - it pretty much rolls through, unlike the US trains, where there are many stops, and people come and go, which adds to the fun of the journey. Once you're past the rockies (I took it west to east) it gets kind of boring, since it's the same people you started out with ;-)

 

[petek]

If you're really well heeled you might want to book a trip on the Royal Canadian Pacific. All vintage 20's & 30 's coaches with a max of about 26 passengers and more crew. Costs upwards of $8,000 per person on average for a couple of days tour thru the rockies.

http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/RCP/default.htm

 

[MrX]

Fastest thing on rails

Rail's pretty much holding its own against short/medium haul flying in Europe.

Take a look at the French TGV's latest speed record below .. it hit 574 km/h (356.6mph) without using maglev it's running on rails!

Check out the video below!

 

[MrX]

Error in the link

Try

 

[MrX]

More euro highspeed

Here's the German ICE (Siemens built) at 300km/h in normal service.

 

[MrX]

and some French ones...

The legendary TGV in normal service at 300km/h +

 

[MrX]

Spanish AVE (High Speed)

Here's one of the most significant new high speed services in recent years. Madrid to Barcelona in Spain

Nice promo video - you get to see a lot of Spanish countryside.

It does the 621 km (386 mi) between the two cities in just 2 hours 38 minutes!

If you include check-in time and all the other nonsense with airports that's impressively faster than flying.

You go city centre - to - city centre.

 

[dalangdon]

Pete, even if I were wealthy (which I certainly am not) I don't think I'd want to be stuck on a train with a bunch of rich people. To me, part of the fun is the changing cast of characters that you meet in the diner and lounge car, as well as the station stops in little towns - especially the stops long enough to let you get out and walk around a bit.

Plus, the decor on those trains always reminds me of hotels I worked at - and I haven't worked in a hotel for ten years. I think they must hire retired hotel decorators to glamorize them. (To be fair, I feel the same way about the "Pacific Parlor Cars" on the Coast Starlight. Some of the best industrial design came out of the railroads in the 30's and 50's, but these private operators - and Amtrak - think Nouveau Victorian is classy. ;-)

Give me a Raymond Loewy-esque observation car on one of those maglevs that mrx showed us, running across the great plains, or along the Pacific Coast, and I'll be happy.