Maybe some will find this interesting?
What an Amtrak ride to Pete Buttigieg’s home town taught me about America’s railroads
What an Amtrak ride to Pete Buttigieg’s home town taught me about America’s railroads
Amtrak article from the UK
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Wow, so it's come to this? Amtrak is borrowing MARC multilevel cars for use on the Capitol Limited? 
No wonder the author was less than impressed with the ride, although, to be honest, I was able to sleep fine on the MARC cars, though I needed a good eyeshade and I didn't really doze off until after we left Odenton.
No wonder the author was less than impressed with the ride, although, to be honest, I was able to sleep fine on the MARC cars, though I needed a good eyeshade and I didn't really doze off until after we left Odenton.
20th Century Rider
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This is a story about a system bleeding from lack of funding and government priority.
With such neglect of this precious transit resource... at a time of environmental calamity; overcrowded roads, and economic depression, more responsibility is needed on the part of local, state, and national government.
With such neglect of this precious transit resource... at a time of environmental calamity; overcrowded roads, and economic depression, more responsibility is needed on the part of local, state, and national government.
jis
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Yup, with those MARC Sleeping Cars in the consist to boot!Wow, so it's come to this? Amtrak is borrowing MARC multilevel cars for use on the Capitol Limited?
I am afraid the Independent (corrected) is as bad as the rest of them in fact checking the photos they include with articles. At least they did get two rows of windows right, and got everything else wrong as far as the lead photo goes.
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20th Century Rider
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You're are absolutely right... this paper needs to do some proofreading and editing... especially the ??? photos!Yup, with those MARC Sleeping Cars in the consist to boot!
I am afraid Guardian is as bad as the rest of them in fact checking the photos they include with articles. At least they did get two rows of windows right, and got everything else wrong as far as the lead photo goes.
"In the quiet moments, the conductor finds himself staring out the window at mountains (Richard Hall/The Independent)"
Wow, so it's come to this? Amtrak is borrowing MARC multilevel cars for use on the Capitol Limited?
"A train waits on the platform in Washington DC. A little way up the platform, the Amtrak Capitol Limited waits to begin a 17-hour journey to Chicago."
joelkfla
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Except it's The Independent, not The Guardian.Yup, with those MARC Sleeping Cars in the consist to boot!
I am afraid Guardian is as bad as the rest of them in fact checking the photos they include with articles. At least they did get two rows of windows right, and got everything else wrong as far as the lead photo goes.
jis
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Which would indicate that I need to proof read my posts more carefully too
joelkfla
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And I just noticed: the photo caption says the photo is of "a train at the platform in Washington", but not the Capitol Limited. So technically it's correct. The photo is credited to the author; he may not have been aware of the difference at the time.Which would indicate that I need to proof read my posts more carefully too
(Just noticed @TrackWalker already pointed this out).
jis
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They could have gotten a getty or Wikimedia run of the mill photo of the Cap in 15 different forms even at Washington DC Union Station. This is just lazy journalism. But these days that is par for the course of course, so why complain? Just IMHO of course.
You beat me to it.
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Yeah, normally when I write an article about a Boeing 787 flight, I do post a leading photo of a Puss Moth, and then in the article point out that it was sitting at a stand away from the 787 that the article is about. Of course. How could I possibly miss this wonderful editorial trick!
The guy may have taken his own pictures and couldn't get a decent one of the CL, due to lighting, crowded platform or just a bad pic. Probably figured the intended readership wouldn't notice anyway.
20th Century Rider
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jis
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What amazes me is how many people rise to the defense of mediocrity. I guess that is the theme of the age.
20th Century Rider
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Mediocrity & the great bureaucracy go hand in hand. Such as the streamlined 'efficiency' of the US post office.What amazes me is how many people rise to the defense of mediocrity. I guess that is the theme of the age.
BTW wonder how much of this mediocrity stuff is a part of the Amtrak management system and its 'fabulous flex meal' idea??? I remember getting some gripes when suggesting there's a better way such as Space X that can land and reuse its boosters.
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I love those city pairs "Miami and Orlando", "Dallas and Texas". Since when did Texas become a city? Damn, for 70 years I was taught it was a state! So when Texas had the big power failure, why didn't everyone just drive a short way out of town to Louisiana or New Mexico? Oh, I forgot, New Mexico is a foreign country - or at least a lot of Americans think so. Well, Louisiana and Oklahoma, then?
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Are Texans allowing themselves to go to territory purchased by big bad Washington DC now, while they prepare feverishly to secede?
20th Century Rider
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I don't understand all the stuff that's going on there in Texas... they're throwing away their masks now??? Don't they understand that this pandemic can only be stopped when the virus has no more hosts to take it in? That's heard immunity. We gotta hope that they pick up their act... including expanding passenger service.Are Texans allowing themselves to go to territory purchased by big bad Washington DC now, while they prepare feverishly to secede?
My response seems to be all over the place but Texas is such a big state of many ideas and contrasts. Wishing the very best for all our AU'ers living there!
Is that the Mother of all Freudian slips?
My view is the attraction of all the Amtrak LD routes is it's vaguely out of date equipment jogging along at the speeds they run at now, but that said the equipment should be in good order.
Again my personal view is the dinner is the absolute heart of any Amtrak LD train and should be reinstated to levels of say 5 years ago. Without a fully functioning dinner half the pleasure is gone. Where else can you on any other form of transport enjoy reasonable meals sat at a table, meet strangers who you will never have approached in other circumastances, and sit next to a picture window watching a fabulous country glide by your dining seat.
I do think that for business users they need high speed trains to make the journey effective and speedy. The city center to city center aspect is or should be ultra convenient, the overall time taken from departure to destination should rival planes, the sense of space is almost impossibe to create in other transport which should lead to a more relaxed and effective journey.
I'm not an expert but I do see how in mainland Europe so many business travellers use high speed train in place of planes, plus Europe is returning to night trains in increasing numbers for business folk too.
I think that could be duplicated in the US if as a country the US looked at 3 or 4 of the most popular shortish plane routes (say up to 1000 miles) and duplicate them with HSR, it will spread if it became very desirable or at least turn a profit in selected locations. Adding possible feeder rail routes on existing track for medium speed trains would enhance HSR.
That would leave Amtrak to cater for all other rail journeys aimed at a mixture of economic safe and comfortable travel and leisure and enthusiast travel, basically doing what it does now.
Having ridden 5 types of 200 +/- mph trains I sometimes leave the train slightly disappointed. They do what they say on the tin, they are fast, it looks fast out of the window and feels fast when accelerating, but there are three drawbacks. The interiors are in the main boringly modern. Not ultra comforatble compared to Amtrak. It is not a device to use to see the country you are travelling through, it all passes so fast that it's gone before you can take a second look.
For business possibly it's brilliant, for enjopyment of the rail journey less so.
Please accept when reading my comments that I know nothing about rail in compared to most on this forum. I just enjoy travelling on trains that can take us comfortably to somehwere else, through a landscape we don't know and there being a good chance (especially on Amtrak) of meeting someone interesting. Using those criteria rail is impossible to beat.
20th Century Rider
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Your comment, insights, and perspectives shared on this forum are very very much appreciated... Thank you!
There's an old saying that more can be seen from the outside looking in than from the center looking out!
There's an old saying that more can be seen from the outside looking in than from the center looking out!
