Happy 40th anniversary to Amtrak!!!
May 1, 1971 - May 1, 2011
Use this post to share Amtrak modeling photos and Amtrak memories
Unfortunately, another fiasco of the federal government. Except for maybe the busy east coast and a few other areas where it may make sense it is a money trap and a waste of taxpayer dollars.
I checked it out one time to bring my grandkids to Texas from Montana. We would have to take three days, stay overnight in Chicago be cause the southbound train did not leave until the next day and cost as much, if not more, than a round trip airplane that takes 3-4 hours to make the same trip.
I only have one Amtrack memory, of my Grandparents, taking thier very first Amtrack train ride together with a couple of thier children. They made it in plenty of time to the station, my Granma and the children boarded as soon as they could. Grandad was standing outside “talking shop” with another gentleman, ignoring the call to board, and just kept on talking. “It must have been a real good conversation”, cause the doors all closed and the train pulled out away from the station, with my grandma banging on that window and screaming at grandpa! My Uncle said she never looked that scared in her life. There they were heading half-way accross the U.S. just her and the kids, not knowing what to do or what would happen to him, or how they would go on without him. Then she finally turned her fear into anger I suppose and managed to hanle herself until the next stop, Where a slightly pitiful looking poor old Grandad finally caught up with them, thanks to some rather quick thinking of the folks at the train station I suppose.
They never rode the Amtrack again after that I don’t beieve. I know all of us Grandchildren would give a million buck’s if we had it, to see the look on her face, when that train pulled out of that station and left Grandad behind. “He always was one to talk your ears off” if you got on the right subject. Anyway, that’s my Amtrack memory, the only one I have…Dave.
A few years ago, back in 2005, school gave us a three day weekend in October. I thought heck, gas is a little pricey (ha! it had to be like $1.95) and Amtrak out of Altoona is like $24 each way. I’d always wanted to go over Horseshoe Curve and the leaves were all colors so I thought hey why not do it. So I made the drive down from State College to Altoona. I don’t remember if it was the Three Rivers or Pennsylvanian, but at the time the train was going to arrive at Altoona at around 1:30 or so. So I excitedly get down the Altoona, and am waiting on the platform in the rain.
I get onboard and am all excited to get going. Well thats when things take a turn for the interesting.
Those of you familiar with Altoona may note that is an eastbound train. A quick consultation with a map will reveal that Pittsburgh is not east of Altoona. To my own credit, I was not in an absolute panic when the conductor announced our ultimate destination as New York when I was settling in. When time came for my ticket, I put all shame and dignity to the wind and announced that I was a bit of a stupid person and got on the wrong train. Some negotiation with the conductor netted me a trip to Huntingdon PA where I’d arrange to have a friend make the drive down from State College. At worst, I’d be out some personal pride and a case of beer.
Some embarrassing quiet minutes later, the conductor rounds me up and says “COME WITH ME” and I’m like oh hell this is not good. Seconds later, I’m practically hanging out the open door of one of the most beatup Amfleet coaches I’ve ever seen. The ride is shockingly rough there. The very, very, very polite conductor brings me up to speed:
Their train was several hours behind schedule. They’d rolled into Altoo
Back in Spring 1974, I enjoyed my one and only ride on an Amtrak train. Being an exchange student in Washington State those days, my guest family decided to give me a real treat, and, instead of taking the plane to Los Angeles, we rode Amtrak´s Coastal Starlight Express all the way from Seattle to Los Angeles Union Station. The ride was a bit bumpy and slow for my spoiled European taste, but you could steel feel the flavor of the grand old name trains that gave US railroads the worldwide fame.
Staff on board was really friendly, and the conductor, upon learning that I was from overseas, gave me a set of old train orders and arranged for a short cab ride - oh joy, oh rapture. Motive Power was a pair of ex-SP FP7´s, already in Amtrak livery.
If the need to “be there now” was not as important as the journey “getting there”, then Amtrak would be a profitable venue for many people. Unfortunately, that is not the case these days. Amtrak DOES make more sense than buying a Chevy Volt or Nissan Leaf, but then, most of us are not fooled by or consumed by the electric car dreams that Washington DC is.
I wish that passenger train travel was a more positive experience for many, but the sad fact is that there is no real purpose in a long distance train trip, except along the east coast. Even in California, driving from LA to SF is more tenable by car than by “coach”, edspite the scenic vistas available using both methods of travel.
It would take a wholesale change in the economics of air travel to bring long-distance travellers back to trains.
On the bright side, commuter rail (except here in Florida) is doing well. Users of the Northstar line in the Twin Cities avoid arduous winter freeway trips when coming to work in the cities, and the Hiawatha line is growing into a true regional mass transit system. I have ridden both when up north and find them a fun and inexpensive experience.
Perhaps modeling modern (not trolley) urban regional rail transit will be the next “frontier” for model railroaders?
Cedarwoodron
My point was I would be more than willing to take the train for the experience and scenery if the price wasn’t essentially the same as flying. You cannot convince me that it is as expensive to run a train 1000-3000 miles as burning up thousands of gallons of jet fuel and maintaining a craft that must stay airborne rather than just stay on the rails. Make the trains competitive with bus fairs and people would use them again.
My only Amtrak trip was cut short, due to me getting sick part way through. It was back when the Cardinal was Superliners. Dad and I were trying to get to New Mexico to see my Aunt and Uncle. Those same REFUSE to fly, she’s terrified, and always take Amtrak to see ANYONE outside of the state. Admittedly, taking a gamble on if the Sunset Limited would get to CHicago on time wasn’t fun when Dad was in the Hospital, but Amtrak pulled through.
Nittany: Yours is not the only story like that. I know of one trip where a Cardinal runing an hour and a half late stopped and waited 40 minutes on a Cab for a Passenger who’d slept through their station stop. On the one hand, you have to ask yourself if that was good for the other passengers, but on the other, going out of their way like that for a single person means something.
You’re forgetting, Amtrak is paying for track maintence, something that Busses and planes don’t do. That’ll make up the fuel difference PDQ. And it’s arguable that Amtrak is being billed more than they should be by some RRs, but that’s beside the point.
I take the Coast Starlight fron Van Nuys CA. to Portland OR each Christmas. It is a little over $200 for seniors at Christmas cheaper other times. Countiing checked bags and parking flying is about $500. As a model railroader I enjoy the trip possibly more than others and at 29 hours you are glad when you arrive. Many stops are long enough to get out and stretch your legs. I walk along the train and am VERY aware of the train personell, you can tell when to get back on.
Dennis San Fernando Valley CA.
Hi guys, found something interesting…
In the August 1992 issue of Kalmbach’s “Model Railroader” magazine has an article on the SDP40F with dimensional diagrams included. Some nice photos too. One bit of info that, imho, is innacurate was that by 1981 the remaining units were in work train service, which is not true. In 1981, those giants were still regulars on the 12 to 15 car long Florida trains and I have the photos to prove it.
Interesting also is the length: 72ft-4in. Same length as the FP45, but with an SD40-2 power setup. Also mentioned in the article is their success on the Santa Fe.
I mentioned before that a friend of mine, who was an engineer, liked running them and enjoyed their ability to easily pull a long train and quickly reach track speed.