|
Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jun 7, 2015 21:25:25 GMT -8
Do you know if they are going to get any viewliners coaches for new passenger single level cars?
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
|
Post by FNS on Jun 7, 2015 22:40:48 GMT -8
Do you know if they are going to get any viewliners coaches for new passenger single level cars? It would be neat if Amtrak gets some new Viewliner coaches. I think they would have greater sized overhead luggage racks and good windows to look out of besides being nice consistent looking train sets like the Superliners. But, I think Amtrak is satisfied with its fleets of Amfleet I and Amfleet II coaches and lounges. Amfleet I rolling stock is used primarily as short-route equipment on east coast services as well as a few mid and western service extras and charters. Amfleet II rolling stock is used for eastern long distance services with limited overhead clearances in some locations. They have similar amenities that Superliners do with leg rests in the coaches. I think Amfleets and Superliners will still be around for quite awhile. Amfleet I and Amfleet II and Superliner I and Superliner II. For me, I like the Superliner I sleepers better than the Superliner II sleepers. KATO is making and distributing a new set of N-scale single level Amtrak equipment for our hobby pleasure later this year. These are the new ACS-64 Electrics and Amfleet I rolling stock. katousa.com/N/ACS-64/index.html
|
|
|
Post by R30A on Jun 29, 2015 12:24:27 GMT -8
I really don't think the mixed consists with Amfleets and Viewliners look bad at all. It is really the heritage diner between them which ruins the lines. (So did the heritage baggage cars, but they are now off all the Viewliner/Amfleet trains outside of special occurrences.)
While I doubt replacements for the entire Amfleet fleet will come soon, Amtrak is turning one of the prototype Viewliner Sleepers into a prototype coach. Also, the Midwest and California bilevel orders should bump Amfleets of everything that does not reach the east coast.
I too am excited for the new KATO cars. KATO makes amazing products. (On which I spend too much money)
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
|
Post by FNS on Jul 25, 2015 17:34:41 GMT -8
Do you see something new in this train consist? Spotted this afternoon at Edmonds.
|
|
|
Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jul 28, 2015 18:20:13 GMT -8
The 510 and 90278 on the Amtrak Cascades Mt. Adams trainset heading to Vancouver, British Columbia. I am posting these photos because for the last two months Mt. Adams have been using GE Dash 8-32BWH with a converted normal livery F40PH: 510 by Blue Bus Fan, on Flickr 90278 by Blue Bus Fan, on Flickr
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
|
Post by FNS on Jul 29, 2015 1:10:12 GMT -8
The 510 and 90278 on the Amtrak Cascades Mt. Adams trainset heading to Vancouver, British Columbia. I am posting these photos because for the last two months Mt. Adams have been using GE Dash 8-32BWH with a converted normal livery F40PH: 90278 by Blue Bus Fan, on Flickr That F40 you see is a Non-Powered-Cab-Unit. After being replaced by the GE Genesis (P40 and P42), these were retired by Amtrak as operating locomotives. Many of these, including the one above, have been converted to NPCU with machinery removed as well as traction in the bogies for use on trains that operate in "push mode". Most of these are also known as "Cabbages" (Cab-Bag-e) as there's a baggage compartment behind the push mode cab. Most of these NPCU's have roller doors for baggage loading as you see here. The NPCU's that normally are seen on the Talgo sets don't have the doors as there's a baggage compartment in these train consists (these select NPCU cabs don't carry baggage). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_F40PHBTW, the Bistro in these trains offer some delicious items fortified with awesomely good cheese.
|
|
|
Post by Mike on Aug 3, 2015 19:30:23 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Blue Bus Fan on Nov 5, 2015 18:47:54 GMT -8
On the Amtrak Cascades Mt. Adams train set with full Cascades livery heading to Vancouver, British Columbia. I am posting these because this first a full Cascades liveried train: 470 by Blue Bus Fan, on Flickr 90252 by Blue Bus Fan, on Flickr
|
|
|
Post by yak on Nov 6, 2015 18:29:24 GMT -8
I had no idea this thread existed... Last December I had a once in a lifetime Amtrak experience. I walked off my ship the MV Baie St. Paul in Montreal at the end of my four month contract and I'd wanted to cross the continent by train for quite some time. Amtrak was the best option because it was not only cheaper than VIA Rail but the system allowed me to see some interesting cities along the way. I started the journey by shipping most of my belongings back to Vancouver Island by Greyhound and lightening my load. I spent a night in Montreal before boarding the Amtrak Adirondack to New York City. From what I remember it was a comfortable ride but I definitely chose the wrong side of the train (the views of Lake Champlain were on the lefthand side of the train and by the time we reached the Hudson River it was too dark to see much on the righthand side). A highlight for me was right at the start of the journey as we crossed St. Lambert Lock which was a common place to join the ships heading up or down the St. Lawrence Seaway. Customs was way more relaxed than at the airport and were frankly a breeze. The train stopped in Albany NY for a short break and I enjoyed walking around the small platform as light snow was falling. We pulled into Penn Station in NYC late evening and while it wasn't the prettiest of stations it was definitely a great introduction to New York bustle. I enjoyed four nights in a New York hostel experiencing every aspect of the city that I could as a solo traveler (and made my round trip on the Staten Island Ferry of course). After New York I boarded Amtrak's Northeast Regional slow train to Washington, DC (the Acela didn't quite work for my schedule). What I remember most about that train was the miles of industrial wasteland in New Jersey and the crashing and banging of the carriage as it traveled over the older tracks. If I'd had more time I would have stopped in Philadelphia but on this trip I had to be content with a view of the skyline from the station. I made it to Washington in time to drop my stuff off at the hostel and still have time to walk the mall. I spent three nights in the city soaking in everything that I could from the museums on the mall to the selections of monuments to a visit to Congress. After Washington I could have taken the Capitol Limited to Chicago but I decided to backtrack to New York and then take the Lakeshore Limited to Chicago. I did this because I worked on the Great Lakes and I was familiar with them from the point of view of the water but I hadn't really connected any dots on the shore side. The problem I hadn't really taken into account was that the point at which the Lakeshore Limited traveled along Lake Erie was in the middle of the night... Anyways, this was the first night I had to spend on an Amtrak train. Ultimately I decided against buying a roomette since I was a solo traveler and endured my coach seat. As far as sleeping in coach goes I don't think that you could do much better than Amtrak as the seats are wide and they recline nearly flat. It also helped that due to the season it was a pretty empty train and I was able to spread over two seats. That said, by the end of my journey (where I think I spent a total of 6 nights on the train) my body was breaking down a little bit. I spent a couple of days in Chicago doing the whirlwind thing again before embarking on the real transcontinental leg of my journey - the California Zephyr. The California Zephyr wasn't the shortest way home but I'd heard that the last half of the journey was spectacular. As we left Chicago the sun had already begun to get low in the sky but the observation lounge available on this route already began to pay off - I sat there and enjoyed crossing the mighty Mississippi before heading to bed. In one of the biggest surprises I found myself waking up at sunrise in Denver, Colorado. I say this is a surprise because I'd always associated Denver with being a western city as I'd driven there on a few occasions and it felt like I'd skipped a huge part of the continent in one night. Anyways, after Denver is where the real pleasure of train travel took place as we wound our way through the Rockies. Despite the sparsely populated train the seats in the panoramic observation lounge were definitely at a premium. There were some amazing canyons and tunnels and our westward march across the continent slowed to a snail's pace. By the time we reached the Great Salt Lake it was well into the next night and the sun only returned a few hours before Reno. As the sun came up that morning I remembered the beautiful desolation as the train crossed badlands on the thin ribbon of rails. The Sierra Nevada was even more spectacular than the Rockies. Despite being the middle of December by this point the only snow I encountered on the entire trip (until that point) was encountered in the Donner Pass. The dramatic changes in landscape culminated in the endless stretches of orange grove as we approached Sacramento. Sacramento was the end of my California Zephyr journey and it was also the only connection that was somewhat awkward on the entire journey. I ended up having a nine hour layover as I awaited the Coast Starlight. Since Sacramento Station was in the process of a major renovation I had the extra incentive to overcome being "train-lagged" and explore California's capital city. After a nice dinner and a movie I caught the train that would take me North toward Seattle. The last part of the journey covered a lot of the same track as the Amtrak Cascades (which I had taken 10 months earlier) but that didn't detract from the spectacular west coast scenery. The Cascades were a scenic highlight of the journey and the Starlight was equipped with not only an observation car but also (for a few hours) a live commentary by a local historian. I finished the journey in Seattle and caught the Victoria Clipper to cap off my journey the next morning. I could have flown home from Montreal in about 4 hours and instead I took 2 1/2 weeks enduring the train, but it was an experience I wouldn't trade in for anything. In fact I'm currently musing about a train trip to New Orleans... The real highlight of taking the train as a solo traveler wasn't the scenery or the romanticism of covering the continent by land. It turned out to be the people who rode the train. I made a point of dining in the dining car for every meal on the route. As I was alone I was always invited to have a sitting with two to three other travelers and the result was fantastic. It was great learning about why people would choose to ride the train in this day and age. The undertaking may have been a little bit eccentric but that meant meeting lots of other eccentric people. I met ex-CN Rail employees, Federal Judges, Ex-Cons, Geologists and everything in between. Anyway, at some point when I feel like fighting with photobucket I will share a few pictures from the journey.
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
|
Post by FNS on Nov 7, 2015 0:13:57 GMT -8
I had no idea this thread existed... Last December I had a once in a lifetime Amtrak experience. I walked off my ship the MV Baie St. Paul in Montreal at the end of my four month contract and I'd wanted to cross the continent by train for quite some time. Amtrak was the best option because it was not only cheaper than VIA Rail but the system allowed me to see some interesting cities along the way. I started the journey by shipping most of my belongings back to Vancouver Island by Greyhound and lightening my load. I spent a night in Montreal before boarding the Amtrak Adirondack to New York City. From what I remember it was a comfortable ride but I definitely chose the wrong side of the train (the views of Lake Champlain were on the lefthand side of the train and by the time we reached the Hudson River it was too dark to see much on the righthand side). A highlight for me was right at the start of the journey as we crossed St. Lambert Lock which was a common place to join the ships heading up or down the St. Lawrence Seaway. Customs was way more relaxed than at the airport and were frankly a breeze. The train stopped in Albany NY for a short break and I enjoyed walking around the small platform as light snow was falling. We pulled into Penn Station in NYC late evening and while it wasn't the prettiest of stations it was definitely a great introduction to New York bustle. I enjoyed four nights in a New York hostel experiencing every aspect of the city that I could as a solo traveler (and made my round trip on the Staten Island Ferry of course). After New York I boarded Amtrak's Northeast Regional slow train to Washington, DC (the Acela didn't quite work for my schedule). What I remember most about that train was the miles of industrial wasteland in New Jersey and the crashing and banging of the carriage as it traveled over the older tracks. If I'd had more time I would have stopped in Philadelphia but on this trip I had to be content with a view of the skyline from the station. I made it to Washington in time to drop my stuff off at the hostel and still have time to walk the mall. I spent three nights in the city soaking in everything that I could from the museums on the mall to the selections of monuments to a visit to Congress. After Washington I could have taken the Capitol Limited to Chicago but I decided to backtrack to New York and then take the Lakeshore Limited to Chicago. I did this because I worked on the Great Lakes and I was familiar with them from the point of view of the water but I hadn't really connected any dots on the shore side. The problem I hadn't really taken into account was that the point at which the Lakeshore Limited traveled along Lake Erie was in the middle of the night... Anyways, this was the first night I had to spend on an Amtrak train. Ultimately I decided against buying a roomette since I was a solo traveler and endured my coach seat. As far as sleeping in coach goes I don't think that you could do much better than Amtrak as the seats are wide and they recline nearly flat. It also helped that due to the season it was a pretty empty train and I was able to spread over two seats. That said, by the end of my journey (where I think I spent a total of 6 nights on the train) my body was breaking down a little bit. I spent a couple of days in Chicago doing the whirlwind thing again before embarking on the real transcontinental leg of my journey - the California Zephyr. The California Zephyr wasn't the shortest way home but I'd heard that the last half of the journey was spectacular. As we left Chicago the sun had already begun to get low in the sky but the observation lounge available on this route already began to pay off - I sat there and enjoyed crossing the mighty Mississippi before heading to bed. In one of the biggest surprises I found myself waking up at sunrise in Denver, Colorado. I say this is a surprise because I'd always associated Denver with being a western city as I'd driven there on a few occasions and it felt like I'd skipped a huge part of the continent in one night. Anyways, after Denver is where the real pleasure of train travel took place as we wound our way through the Rockies. Despite the sparsely populated train the seats in the panoramic observation lounge were definitely at a premium. There were some amazing canyons and tunnels and our westward march across the continent slowed to a snail's pace. By the time we reached the Great Salt Lake it was well into the next night and the sun only returned a few hours before Reno. As the sun came up that morning I remembered the beautiful desolation as the train crossed badlands on the thin ribbon of rails. The Sierra Nevada was even more spectacular than the Rockies. Despite being the middle of December by this point the only snow I encountered on the entire trip (until that point) was encountered in the Donner Pass. The dramatic changes in landscape culminated in the endless stretches of orange grove as we approached Sacramento. Sacramento was the end of my California Zephyr journey and it was also the only connection that was somewhat awkward on the entire journey. I ended up having a nine hour layover as I awaited the Coast Starlight. Since Sacramento Station was in the process of a major renovation I had the extra incentive to overcome being "train-lagged" and explore California's capital city. After a nice dinner and a movie I caught the train that would take me North toward Seattle. The last part of the journey covered a lot of the same track as the Amtrak Cascades (which I had taken 10 months earlier) but that didn't detract from the spectacular west coast scenery. The Cascades were a scenic highlight of the journey and the Starlight was equipped with not only an observation car but also (for a few hours) a live commentary by a local historian. I finished the journey in Seattle and caught the Victoria Clipper to cap off my journey the next morning. I could have flown home from Montreal in about 4 hours and instead I took 2 1/2 weeks enduring the train, but it was an experience I wouldn't trade in for anything. In fact I'm currently musing about a train trip to New Orleans... The real highlight of taking the train as a solo traveler wasn't the scenery or the romanticism of covering the continent by land. It turned out to be the people who rode the train. I made a point of dining in the dining car for every meal on the route. As I was alone I was always invited to have a sitting with two to three other travelers and the result was fantastic. It was great learning about why people would choose to ride the train in this day and age. The undertaking may have been a little bit eccentric but that meant meeting lots of other eccentric people. I met ex-CN Rail employees, Federal Judges, Ex-Cons, Geologists and everything in between. Anyway, at some point when I feel like fighting with photobucket I will share a few pictures from the journey. That's a good report on your train travel. While in Albany NY, you may have witnessed a locomotive change. I don't think that New York's Penn Station ever allows piston powered locomotives down in the underground platforms due to lack of proper ventilation. So, trains from Toronto, Montreal, and the NYC branch of the Lakeshore Limited stop in Albany to swap locomotives. Amtrak keeps a pool of P32 locomotives within the Albany - NY Penn Station corridor. These locos are dual power mode. They each have a contact on the side for an electrified third rail. The trains run on piston power down along the Hudson River before the third rail is spotted just before the underground pathways lead to Penn Station. Once the third rail is spotted, the engineer checks for positive electrical contact. After being satisfied of the contact, the power input mode switch is changed and the piston generator is shut down immediately and the train makes a fumeless entry into Penn Station. The reverse is done outbound. Trains from Louisiana and Florida that funnel through Washington DC with a final destination of New York Penn Station swap locos in DC. The P42 or P40 diesel locos are cut and pantograph electric(s) are coupled for the continued trip up the electrified high speed Northeast Corridor. Except maybe for MOW, Amtrak keeps non-dual mode piston diesels out of the Hudson River and Northeast corridors (except maybe the Boston branch of the Lakeshore Limited). That's your Hudson River and Northeast Corridor lesson for the day, students. Class is dismissed.
|
|
FNS
Voyager
The Empire Builder train of yesteryear in HO scale
Posts: 4,948
|
Post by FNS on May 20, 2016 22:41:54 GMT -8
The veteran heavily-used workhorses AEM-7 locomotives of Amtrak are into their last days of operation and are being retired from the fleet. Take a look at this note from Amtrak: media.amtrak.com/2016/05/amtrak-says-farewell-to-iconic-northeast-corridor-locomotives/According to the link below, there are 6 AEM-7 electrics remaining in operation as of May 1. There are 66 new ACS-64 in service. The ACS-64 has a horsepower of 8500 while the AEM-7 has 7000. www.on-track-on-line.com/amtk-roster-engines.shtmlOn the baggage side, there are 69 new Viewliner II baggage cars in service. The remaining 8 heritage two-door baggage cars and the 19 one-roller-door 1700-series baggage cars may be on their way out soon. The new Viewliner II public sleepers, baggage-crew dorms, and diners should be entering revenue service soon.
|
|
|
Post by Kahloke on May 21, 2016 13:59:17 GMT -8
A sort of interesting shot I took of Amtrak California in downtown San Diego on April 22, 2016 - shows the train passing through a very urban vignette
|
|
|
Post by Blue Bus Fan on Oct 11, 2017 16:29:22 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Blue Bus Fan on Nov 28, 2017 18:38:12 GMT -8
For past seven days Amtrak Cascades 510 has been use two Siemens Chargers on the consists. I am posting these photos because Siemens Charger are the newest locomotives in Amtrak fleet:
1404 by Blue Bus Fan, on Flickr 1404 by Blue Bus Fan, on Flickr
|
|
|
Post by Blue Bus Fan on Dec 18, 2017 23:06:36 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Low Light Mike on Dec 19, 2017 11:31:26 GMT -8
A sad day for rail on Monday, and a very sad day for rail fans and "Transporation-Nerds" everywhere. Two of the riders killed on Monday's Amtrak Cascades trip were rail fans, who were on that train specifically because it was the inaugural run on a new routing. That story hurts me, and likely hurts many of us here, because we all know that we've been in that situation before, where we purposely ride a train or bus or ship or plane when something new is available. Those two men were just like us. Same motivations, same source of joy, same sense of history, same appreciation for things-that-move. From the New York Times: from HERE
|
|
|
Post by northwesterner on Dec 19, 2017 19:20:19 GMT -8
A sad day for rail on Monday, and a very sad day for rail fans and "Transporation-Nerds" everywhere. Two of the riders killed on Monday's Amtrak Cascades trip were rail fans, who were on that train specifically because it was the inaugural run on a new routing. That story hurts me, and likely hurts many of us here, because we all know that we've been in that situation before, where we purposely ride a train or bus or ship or plane when something new is available. Those two men were just like us. Same motivations, same source of joy, same sense of history, same appreciation for things-that-move. Zack made one quick contribution to WCFF a few years ago... ferriesbc.proboards.com/post/174463
|
|
|
Post by Mike on Jun 24, 2018 17:02:57 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Mike on May 22, 2019 10:14:18 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Blue Bus Fan on Mar 17, 2021 17:05:43 GMT -8
Here is an interesting video about the Amtrak livery history and future.
|
|
|
Post by Blue Bus Fan on Jul 8, 2021 10:15:23 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Mike on Feb 4, 2022 17:57:14 GMT -8
The first of apparently several Amtrak crew familiarization runs occurred today. WDTX 1400 lead the northbound trip with AMTK 90252 leading back south. Headed northbound through Burnaby. WDTX 1400 - Piper by Michael, on Flickr Passing the old GN depot in White Rock on the return trip south. AMTK 90252 - White Rock by Michael, on Flickr
|
|
|
Post by SS San Mateo on May 14, 2022 20:23:29 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Blue Bus Fan on Aug 31, 2022 22:12:00 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by Olympic Ferries on Sept 13, 2022 15:11:04 GMT -8
Was so very nice to see the final Cascades 516/519 test train roll through Bellingham today, before service resumption in just about 2 weeks. Today's train was 4 Horizon cars, Siemens Charger 1401 in the lead and a F40PH 90250 bringing up the rear. Will definitely get the chance to take the first train, so can't wait! Cascades Charger @ Bellingham by Jay Cassady, on Flickr Cascades F40PH @ Bellingham by Jay Cassady, on Flickr
|
|