The California Zephyr takes 51 hours (on a good day).

Anybody that signs up for a 51 hour ride, when the air trip would be 6 or 7 hours at roughly the same price, is not worried about arrivaling on time.

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I know that America is 3000 miles wide, but I just find it ironic that trains can arrive hours or even days late, and people just accept it.

If the 8.45am was 10 minutes late at Waterloo station there would be hell to pay and letters to the London Times. Even a 30 minute delay with the Glasgow to London service gets front page news in the Evening Standard. Are Americans THAT laid back, or just gave up years ago?

America's urban trains may have better on time performance than the UK system. You don't hear about that because you don't consider them trains. In WWII America built airplanes. They didn't stop when the war was over and they had lots of land to build lots of airports. Who is going to take a multi-day train ride those 3000+ miles when they can hop a plane and be done in time to see eat dinner and catch a show? Oh as to distance, that would be you getting on a train in London and arriving in New York.

Oh as to accept it, you have noticed how many take the train and how many take the plane? Maybe the market forces are at work?

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I know that America is 3000 miles wide, but I just find it ironic that trains can arrive hours or even days late, and people just accept it.

If the 8.45am was 10 minutes late at Waterloo station there would be hell to pay and letters to the London Times. Even a 30 minute delay with the Glasgow to London service gets front page news in the Evening Standard. Are Americans THAT laid back, or just gave up years ago?

America's urban trains may have better on time performance than the UK system. You don't hear about that because you don't consider them trains. In WWII America built airplanes. They didn't stop when the war was over and they had lots of land to build lots of airports. Who is going to take a multi-day train ride those 3000+ miles when they can hop a plane and be done in time to see eat dinner and catch a show? Oh as to distance, that would be you getting on a train in London and arriving in New York.

Oh as to accept it, you have noticed how many take the train and how many take the plane? Maybe the market forces are at work?

The problem is that people are also taking planes for distances where they should be taking trains. That's not just the market, it's also government policy over the last 60+ years favoring air and highway over rail. The government policy, in turn, is influenced by the lobbies for air and highway being fueled by big business, whereas the big business of railroads mostly wants to stay out of the passenger market, unless they see an opportunity to get public funding for major infrastructure work on their property.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

Well borrowing a line from"The go between" by LP Hartley

"The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there"

America really is a foreign country and has been shown in many threads not least this one "they really do do things differently there"

(Of course it works both ways)

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The past is the rock we all stand on!

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Quickly back to trains

To try and demonstrate differences and find and excuse to post these type of pictures :-)

Here are a few. well slightly scenic pics;









There is no way I could ever see as much of the US as I would like except by train, perhaps people can begin to understand my fascination with these long distance travelling hotels.

I just hope I have enough time left to one day travel through scenery like that on a train.

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A reason Amtrak is running late
http://abc7news.com/news/2-hurt-after-amtrak-train-hits-vehicle-in-orwood/949868/

ORWOOD, Calif. (KGO) --
Two people were seriously injured when an Amtrak train struck a pickup truck outside of Brentwood and knocked it into the water Wednesday afternoon, according to Amtrak and fire officials.

Fire officials responded around 2:45 p.m. to a report of a collision between a train and vehicle near Orwood Road, according to the East Contra Costa Fire Protection District.

The sole occupant of the pickup truck was ejected from the truck into a nearby body of water, fire officials said.

The tracks pass over the Middle River near Orwood and Fallman roads, according to maps of the area.

The truck then landed on a 20-year-old woman who was on a raft in the water, according to fire officials.

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Ever had one of those days?

To get my camera pictures of Amtrak services I rely on the Amtrak "track a train" app on their website, while not 100% accurate by looking at times and places I have a good idea when a train will pass Chesterton or Chicago.

So today I look at the 29 and 49 and see that not only aren't they where they say they are but the times all look wrong.

Looking at a few other trains it is obvious that Amtrak are having problems with the "track a train" function.

So I that means with actually no idea when the 29 and 49 will pass the camera I have to have the Chesterton camera on and just record every time the gates go down.

Fine get the 29 OK, then of course the Chesterton camera fails completely both east and west! Fardles!!

Obviously not a day for train watching. :-(

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There is no way I could ever see as much of the US as I would like except by train, perhaps people can begin to understand my fascination with these long distance travelling hotels.

I just hope I have enough time left to one day travel through scenery like that on a train.

I'd love to take a real excursion train. The only thing I have in my neck of the woods is a dinner train that goes through some scruffy forest, and then backs up. :~( Here's someone's review: http://www.louisvillefamilyfun.net/2012/12/review-of-my-old-kentucky-dinner-train.html

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

So I that means with actually no idea when the 29 and 49 will pass the camera I have to have the Chesterton camera on and just record every time the gates go down.

Fine get the 29 OK, then of course the Chesterton camera fails completely both east and west! Fardles!!

Obviously not a day for train watching. :-(

At least you got to see the 29. Not a complete wash.
Hope the cameras come back up quick.

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

There is no way I could ever see as much of the US as I would like except by train, perhaps people can begin to understand my fascination with these long distance travelling hotels.

I just hope I have enough time left to one day travel through scenery like that on a train.

I'd love to take a real excursion train. The only thing I have in my neck of the woods is a dinner train that goes through some scruffy forest, and then backs up. :~( Here's someone's review: http://www.louisvillefamilyfun.net/2012/12/review-of-my-old-kentucky-dinner-train.html

Sometime in the next couple summers, I'm going to retrace the trip we took in December 1963. California Zephyr to Chicago, then up to Milwaukee to see some relatives. Back down to Chicago, then the Santa Fe Chief to LA, then back home on the San Joaquin Daylight.

Also want to take the Coast Daylight from San Diego all the way to Seattle (never been there, they tell me it's nice).

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

There is no way I could ever see as much of the US as I would like except by train, perhaps people can begin to understand my fascination with these long distance travelling hotels.

I just hope I have enough time left to one day travel through scenery like that on a train.

I'd love to take a real excursion train. The only thing I have in my neck of the woods is a dinner train that goes through some scruffy forest, and then backs up. :~( Here's someone's review: http://www.louisvillefamilyfun.net/2012/12/review-of-my-old-kentucky-dinner-train.html

Sometime in the next couple summers, I'm going to retrace the trip we took in December 1963. California Zephyr to Chicago, then up to Milwaukee to see some relatives. Back down to Chicago, then the Santa Fe Chief to LA, then back home on the San Joaquin Daylight.

Also want to take the Coast Daylight from San Diego all the way to Seattle (never been there, they tell me it's nice).

Now that is the sort of trip I would like to take. For me it would be Lakeshore NY to Chicago, then the Zephyr to SF. Then the decision whether to go north or south from SF!! I think I would probably take the Coast Starlight to Seattle, then the Empire Builder back to Chicago. I think that would be my "dream trip".

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Hi guys, I saw this really nice looking Australian locomotive in the Geelong west yards and thought ya'll would like to see it. I really like the colours and the shape. I think its an old one but I dont really know. Its been sitting there for a couple of weeks.

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A little picture search says its a B class belonging to Consolidated Rail Leasing (CRL)and looks so good because it was recently rebuilt in Bendigo.

Edit Crazy racoon lady lol, good pick up Vic.

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Love it!

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A little more info

1 of 6 B class purchased by West Coast Railway. Was later swapped with GM19 from Great Northern Rail, with GNR folding B75 was sold to four members of Yarra Valley Railway, sold to SSR/CRL Early 2011. Not Operated by any of these operators yet.

The B class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Victorian Railways in 1952/53.

The B class were the first mainline diesel locomotives built for the Victorian Railways. The design was based on the successful Electro-Motive Diesel F-unit locomotives with the distinctive bulldog nose. They were unusual in having a streamlined drivers cab at each end. In the 1980s some were rebuilt as the V/Line A class.

So yes it is indeed based on the EMD F unit, except a bit like the UK a lot of Australian locomotives had double cabs, means you never need a turntable or even a "wye"

Very nice looking machine.

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Thanks Bernie, that info is great. Arent I lucky to have such a fabulous locomotive living just one mile down the road.

@Chris I like the double cabin design, its my favourite design. They always look like they are going the right way.

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Not good for Amtrak. Beech Grove Shop worker burned. A reliable source (but who did not cite a public report) says he was ordered to weld a fuel tank and it exploded, he was burned over 85% of his body, and he died Sunday morning.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

Not good for Amtrak. Beech Grove Shop worker burned. A reliable source (but who did not cite a public report) says he was ordered to weld a fuel tank and it exploded, he was burned over 85% of his body, and he died Sunday morning.

No. That will come down on them like a ton of lead bricks dropped from a mile high. Talk about an explosive event. I feel for his family.

For those who missed last weeks Iowa Pacific feature (yes I know you can scroll up/down to see to but wheres the fun in that!!) here is a slightly different repeat performance.

Of course since it was turned on the wye last week, it is now facing the other way with SLRG 4137 and the dome "leading"



Which puts SLRG 4135 on the other end



With one of my favoutite pairs of PV The Patrick Henry Creative Promotions train(Yes I have mentioned these before as well, bit like TV lots of repeats)



The dome and diner. Warren R Henry named after his father.

Who apparently worked for the Santa Fe railroad for 40 years hence his sons, interest in railroads.



And the Evelyn Henry sleeper named after his mother

You can see the insides and read all about them here

Patrick Henry Creative Promotions Train

All yours from just $9,750 a day!!

PS Linked fixed.

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