Search

You don't ride in planes, cars or buses backwards...why should a train be any different? Huh? I've been in plenty of buses with rear facing seats. Have you ever been on the New York City Subway? R44 and 46 cars had rear facing seats and were built in the 70s. R68 built in the 80s. Rest of the fleet...

Does anyone know when Amtrak first stopped turning seats on the routes on that fact sheet? I saw the post about 1980 and the Pennsylvania services, but in terms of the Midwest State supported trains out of Chicago, was it all of the routes at once or piecemeal? I get that this isn't the end of the w...

It would be interesting to see the ridership data from the 1963 and 1964 applications compared to the 1971 numbers. Considering how it ended up it sure seems like the best chance at keeping the service to Millerton would have been if that first cut had happened. On a separate note there's a parallel...

Overdue. But increased capacity at Brewster Yard does nothing for actual train service. Without a new signal system to replace the 1981 cheapo signal system, and a thoroughly upgraded DC traction power system, including new substations, you can’t do a thing to increase service, or even lengthen tra...

You hit the nail on the head with all of the points you made. I came to the same conclusion after reading Grogan's book. To take it a step further, on Pg. 314 he points out that on April 11, 1963 the NYC petitioned the NYS Public Service Commision to end passenger service north of Millerton. He writ...

There was a "mini-Amtrak" bill in the NY State Legislature, 1971 I believe, that would have kept the Upper Harlem passenger service going. Either Rockefeller vetoed it or it didn't pass, but either way, we'd be in a far better place today had it gone through! My understanding is the Harlem...

ThirdRail7, mtuandrew, David Benton, and JoeG, you're all right on point in my opinion. These are the things that need to be looked at and this is my problem with Anderson, that he seems to have no concept of any of this. His desire seems to be to make Amtrak into a series of disconnected glorified ...

As railfans, how can any of you guys seriously defend this guy? My problem isn't with anyone's opinion regarding changes to the Amtrak system, it's that Anderson blatantly distorts facts in an effort to undermine our long distance rail network. He mentions 7 people boarding the Southwest Chief (wher...

a question to the experts could the new haven side have have more old board space because they had more destinations? History of the train boards above the ticket windows: Prior to 1967... no departure boards in a central location. Individual boards at track gates with roll signs. Space over ticket...

In terms of branding I think the 20th Century Limited has it beat as the most successful service ever offered by a U.S. railroad, at least in the heyday prior to the jet age. The red carpet, celebrity passengers, the featuring of the train itself in movies, the moniker of the "Most Famous Train...

Rockingham Racer, you are correct that the bus route isn't infrequent, but in terms of the time that 91 and 97 are due into Miami it isn't great. 91 is due in at 5:58PM and 97 at 6:39PM. There's a bus that runs all the way down to Lincoln Road area of Miami Beach at 6:25PM and then 8:21PM, the two o...

The current station site is unusual for an Amtrak long distance terminal, but typical of those post-1950s station locations elsewhere (Savannah, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Richmond, etc). I just find arriving in a major city like Miami and ending up in an industrial district on a back street miles out...

The "contemporary dining" crap offered by Anderson's Amtrak is a disgrace. How can anyone who knows about passenger service have a positive opinion about this junk? Hard boiled eggs in a plastic wrapper? Are you kidding? The crap they're offering is stuff that should be complimentary in fi...

The "contemporary dining" crap offered by Anderson's Amtrak is a disgrace. How can anyone who knows about passenger service have a positive opinion about this junk? Hard boiled eggs in a plastic wrapper? Are you kidding? The crap they're offering is stuff that should be complimentary in fi...

Into the 1960s some locomotive hauled trains left from the lower level - Harlem Division trains to Brewster and Pawling. In fact those trains almost exclusively left from the lower level with the exception of those leaving GCT during the evening rush hour and on weekends starting in 1962 (when the l...