If you could ride a locomotive cab anywhere in the U.S., where would it be? & Why?

Where: The former Rio Grande Moffat Line (Denver - Salt Lake) jumps out at me.

Why: Tough operating characteristics (grades, curves, tunnels) and beautiful scenery.

How about y’all? [:D]

Here…I don’t like grades…good ole flat running!!!

Hi Zach [:)]

So when are you going to come to NLR and give me a ride? [8D] ( I would even ride in a nasty GE ) [}:)] But I want to ride across the Bearing Cross Bridge. [:p]

Montreal Secondary of CSX. I live near it, hear ops on it all the time. Like to ride it end to end, and maybe back. Wouldn’t mind catching a local with a lot of work to do, either.

Second choice would be the Saginaw sub in Michigan - again because I lived near it and saw trains almost every day.

The fact that they are both CSX is coincidence. Montreal Secondary was NYC and Saginaw line was originally PM, then C&O.

I may get down there…this is Northbound territory here!!! get some south bounders.

CSX (Ex-NYC) Water Level Route, over Horseshoe Curve on the NS (Ex-PRR) over the Donner Pass on the UP (Ex-SP) and the parallel Ex-WP route too…too many others to mention…

LC

Horsehoe curve would be neat to run though…hmm…

LC,
I hadn’t thought about your suggestion of the WP in California on the Feather River Route. That’s a beauty too. I’ve wanted to get out there to see that line for quite a while now. The photos I’ve seen and the topo maps sure show an amazing piece of RR engineering there with the tunnels and with how the line snakes up and back in the valley there.
Good choice! - Stack

…One would be a local route I’m familar with in terrain…and almost did get it accomplished years ago but circumstances didn’t quite fall in correct place…Location: On the Somerset and Cambria branch of the ex. B&O now CSX…from Somerset to Johnstown about 30 plus miles…Reason: Heavy grades and curves and even a short tunnel. Elevation change about 1000’. Ex. heavy coal hauler…Now, just some light freight at times.

I wouldn’t mind going on the Tehachapi Loop. Steep grade, sharp curves, and tunnels.
I would like to go up the line and back down because first I would experience what the crew goes through to get the train up. Then I could see what they go through to get the train down safely.

My second choice would be the UP triple track mainline in Nebraska. I would want to go one the triple track because the trains go fast non-stop. Then I would get to see Bailey Yard.

Willy

Tehachapi loop defiantely .

because I got to see it when I was little

A BNSF intermodal hotshot going thru the Q’s old Lacrosse Div.-Beautiful scenery along the old Mississipp.

Anyplace on the Wisconsin and southern’s railroad lines in the fall. Most of the running is through hills with lots of trees and if you hit the right time, all the trees would be turning their colors.

Noah

tree68, I run on the Saginaw sub everyday. You may be intrested in knowing that the limits of the subdivision have been changed. Saginaw is MP CC1 and it runs south to Carlton Mich at MP CC105. It used to run all the way to the state line of Mich and Ohio. The former part from Carlton to Walbridge is now the Toledo Terminal sub.
As for my dream, between Hunington W VA to Hinton W VA in a C&O H-8. A tough piece of railroad and a beast of a locomotive.

My personal preference, as far as riding a train, would be riding a GP7/GP9 up the
Big Sandy, or if we were still in steam, one of the C&O BERKS would work.

I don’t think H8’s ran on the subdivision. If they did, I wouldn’t mind being on one.

Last H8 I saw was in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI.

Why? I’d just like to be there and see everything from the cab.
Huntington to Hinton would be nice!

How about an Amtrak AEM-7 on the NEC

DOGGY

Willard sub through fostoria deshler all the way to garrett.with yard stop in Defiance.
home territory
stay safe
Joe

Two choices, either one would be fine. First would be the BNSF out of Chicago through the westerb burbs on triple track raceway and then up the C&I line through E. Dubuque, LaCrosse up the MIssissipi River to Minneapolis. Second would be on CN out of Chicago, up the old Wisconsin Central/Soo Line track through Fon duLac and out through Stevens point. An honorable mention would be up to Portage on an Amtrak train and then up the old MILW Valley Line to Wausau.

dblstack a very good choice. Back in the 50’s and 60’s I worked for the Rio Grande and had a number of cab rides. 13 hours in the cab of the CZ Denver to SLC was a long day but a great experience. Mountain railroading with some fast running around Rifle CO and in the Utah desert. Spent a nice evening in the cab of #7 the Prospector, different look at night Denver to Grand Junction. Several trips on #1 and #2 the Royal Gorge thru the canyon of its name, great scenery and some fast running from Colo.Sprgs. to Pueblo. But the best - lots of noise, hot, dirty, rough ride and slow, Alamosa to Chama on a K36 over Cumbres. Unforgettable!!!

Had an authorization for a cab ride on the Super Chief from La Junta to Albuquerque but a family emergency forced cancellation, a great pity as was never able to get it set up again. Raton Pass and some really fast running back in the good old days of the Santa Fe. Might have seen 100 on the speedometer. Amtrak wouldn’t even come close.

The BNSF C&I Line, Auroua to Savanna. I’d like to see all the spots i railfan at from the engineer’s view.