Amtrak ride

There is too much speed in our travels!

We should slow down a bit and enjoy!!!!

Ralph

Good point. But it's so hard to get average speed up without a dedicated track. Having to share the road with priority freight trains from other railroads makes it extremely hard to increase average speeds.

Yes - but they are building new track on a new right- of- way for billions of dollars.  Couldn't some of that be used to modernize what we have?  And how in the world did they manage better speeds in 1950 on track that was not quite as good as the new stuff?

I find myself against the high speed rail project for that reason - we ought to build a good rail system, and not try to compete with airliners.

Personally, I was happy with the slow speed.  My purpose was the train ride, and the quick turn in Portland was only a side adventure.

I live just north of Philly.  I took a 3-day weekend to Williamsburg.  The gf and I looked into trains.  $300 EACH round trip.  We ended up driving because the train station closed before our train would have arrived and we would have had no way to get to our hotel.

We need to bring back the rails.  It's no fun in planes and buses.  Driving is even less fun.  I want to chug chug down the rail and see the sights.  

Bob2,  I didn't see which Amtrak train you are riding and your route.   I rode the CZ from Oakland, CA to Chicago a couple of years ago.  I thought the trip was just fine.  The bathroom was OK for me.  I am 6 feet 2 inches tall and 185 pounds.  The bathrooms on the Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains between Oakland and Sacramento are huge.  

Getting the speed up to an average of over 60 with stops would require consistent 80 mph or above running between stations.  This requires special signals, grade crossing protection, etc., that isn't generally available on tracks shared by freight trains.  I don't think you could run at 80 plus over Donner, Tehachapi, or Cajon passes anyway.  The basic track isn't built for it.

Joe

Timely.......

I just returned from a 6000 mile plus Amtrak trip. I rode from WSS WV to Fullerton CA, last stop before LA Union station. Trip out went very well. Cardinal for the first leg was coach and about as good as it can get. One hour late into Chicago.

Southwest Chief was great. I had a Roomette perfect for one person. My car attendant was great and friendly.....ALWAYS available. Ride good, food great, train clean....just a great trip.

The return trip was less than great......After train service in ABQ all but 5 toilets of 25 failed....making for a long walk to a dirty and busy restroom. A few were fixed in route...but only a few. We had to end up using the crew restrooms. One hour late into Chicago.

Cardinal leaves exactly on time.....but only feet from the station we are stopped. We end up sitting, in the dark, for 5+ hours while a freight train is 'fixed'. We never got a good explanation why it took over 5 hours to fix this train. Kinda wonder about it myself. Lost more time and got to WSS 6 hours late. Only good part was seeing the NRHS Fall train in the New River gorge and the West bound Cardinal within minutes of my train....more passenger trains in the gorge since the 1950's I bet!

Going out....an A

Return trip ....an D-

Like many things in this country....fix whats broken...not just throw something else at the issue.

Apparently there are different sleeping cars.  The bathrooms on the Coast Starlight sleepers are tiny - an average size adult will have difficulty, and someone with very big thighs will have no luck with the toilet paper if it is in its little compartment.

So the toilet paper gets moved to the sink top, which is well dammed with molding so the water that is forced out of the very tricky faucets can form a puddle, rendering the TP useless.

The coach from LA to Solana Beach had huge bathrooms - just the opposite.

So let's say you have seventy billion dollars to blow on a train that goes 230 MPH.  If that pays for brand new right-of-way through the mountains plus train sets plus elevation over highways or tunnels or whatever,  how many trains would the same amount of money enable to operate over existing right-of-way with the improvements mentioned above at 110 mph - steam engine speeds?  And pass a law that gives passenger trains right-of- way over freight trains.

And why 230 mph anyway?  If I want to exceed 100 mph, I want to be airborne.  Or on a very long runway.  What will a ticket cost to go from LA to San Fran in three hours flat, when you could go for a quarter the price on a jet?  And after the security hassle, it is a one hour flight, with connections to everywhere.

Still, I love the train, even if it doesn't look like the good old Pullmans.

The Superliners restrooms are smaller.....they work well with me, 6'1" 225, but larger folks I'm not sure! They may work well with me because I have balance issues and the tight space holds me in place!!! 

The Cardinals coach cars, Amfleet IIRC, have big and bigger restrooms....one able to accept a wheelchair which I used for a while. 

Yes.....I'd rather see money spent on new traditional eqipment, it's needed badly, than throw a new thing at the problem.

As you stated....I still love the train.

We took AMTRAK from Burlington, NC to New York City last Feb. and he hit 100mph multiple times. The track from Wash, DC to NYC must be dedicated to passengers only because we were hauling a**. It's a 12 hour trip; we had free wifi and electrical outlets next to the seats. Round trip was $300 for 2 people.

Here's a pic of The War Dept. waiting to board in NYC.

I'd look for answers on Amtrak Unlimited, 'Amtrak Rail Discussion'. The site isn't run by the company--it's a bunch of enthusiasts. But one often gets information there (such as the cause of a delay, or the rationale for CAHSR over "just" upping speeds on freight tracks) that wouldn't surface in a sub-board of a model-train forum. Oh, and it's not necessary to sign up an account in order to ask a question (but it is appreciated if you acknowledge any replies).

---PCJ

One needs to remember Amtrak is operating over the railroad's right of way.  UP, at least, makes it very obvious they do not want Amtrak and are very effective at making Amtrak know it is not wanted.  There is nothing Amtrak can do about it.  They can't even complain or the railroads will whine to their congress people and it will only get worse.  

The only way to go faster is on their own right of way.  Once you've spent the big money on that the difference between a 60 mph average and a 200 mph average is not all that much.  That's why the NE Corridor works.

Last Saturday I rode the Cardinal from Chicago to White Sulfur Springs wV. The train left Chicago Union exactly on time. We got less than a mile from the station and came to a halt. We sat at a rail to rail crossing because a local freight was sitting on the track. We sat for exactly 5 hours and then the 'broken' (Amtrak's words not mine) locomotive was able to move the blocking freight train. With hundreds of other locomotives within yards of our 'breakdown' and MANY ways to go south out of Chicago I am pretty sure part of this delay was retaliation for something Amtrak did recently. I say this because of another incident 2 years ago when a conductor on the train I was riding and befriended, admitted a 40 minute delay was a CSX work crew 'fixing' track just outside a station stop causing us to sit. He got on his phone and called the CSX dispatch and the track went green. He told me it was because of something he had done that CSX did not like.....he claimed it was a constant 'war'.

Thanks for the Amtrak Unlimited hint.  I posted there.

This is a good forum for discussing real trains, and Amtrak is a real train, although it would be better with steam power and heavyweight Pullmans?

My 11 year old son and I took the Amtrak to York for the first time!  We traveled from Gainesville GA to Philadelphia PA and then from Philly after a 2 hour layover to Harrisburg PA.  It was great trip and added to the experience.  The rental car was the only thing that was bad about the whole trip.  We were in coach on both trips but would like to see what a view-liner room is like next time.  

On a side note while there, we also went to Altoona, PA and then made our way over to Johnstown, PA, meet up with some friends and rode the Amtrak from Johnstown PA to Altoona PA.  Were able to see great foliage, ride through the Gallitzin Tunnels and Horseshoe Curve.  That was an awesome experience and I think we all 4 rode for the 57 min trip for just under $45.

My wife and kids are taking Amtrak also to Ohio during Thanksgiving but I can't go due to work.  Wish I could for would love to get back aboard.