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Here is a close up of a stripped control cab of an RDC. Notice the transmission/throttle control housing marked (FWD-OFF-REV) on the left side of the housing. The throttle is on the right side; the speedometer in the middle at the top. No shifting during normal operation other than stopping...

I just got off the phone with a 81 year old retired B&O engineer who operated the B&O RDC-1's when they ran in the Baltimore Division (between Philadelphia PA and Brunswick, MD). The RDC-1's (and RDC-2's modified from baggage to a dining section) did not have any manual transmissions. The 550HP...

No BlueJeanGirl - I stayed in my room the first night. I wasn't even aware of the problem until the next day when I asked someone where we had lost time. What time of night was it when we were stopped? Had I been awake, I probably would have picked up the info from my scanner that I had along...

Yes LAX needs a 1st class lounge with restrooms only for Amtrak pax. I will write Amtrak about the SWC diner experience. Thanks for the reminder. Also I must agree - I was somewhat violently shaken awake in the middle of the night in Kansas due to rough tracks combined with fairly high speed...

It is a short trip - just an 18 hr overnighter from Chicago to Washington DC, but in mid October what a terrific way to see the eastern Fall foliage in the Allegheny Mountains. The eastbound schedule (#30) is perfect for seeing the mountain scenery in morning daylight whereas the westbound #29...

I rode the Southwest Chief from LAX to Chicago Oct 22-24. Very disappointed that LA Union Station had no First Class Lounge for its passengers with Sleeper tickets. The station is 70 years old, is a "historic" bulding and badly needs some improved amenities for those of us who spend the extra...

Having worked years ago in the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad's Baltimore Division Chief Dispatcher's Office (in Camden Station in Baltimore) I had first-hand witness to the logistics of managing motive power to meet the ever-changing requirements across just a single division. The reasons mentioned...

Thanks very much, whoever you are. GB

Thanks Alan. I plan to make my reservation at 12:01am on Jan. 27 since they won't accept reservations more than 11 mos in advance. Already tried and was told to call back on the 27th. Not sure if they will book the return trip on 12/30 then but if not, I will make that on Jan. 30th. We will...

OK Amtrak afficianodos and experienced riders, my family wants to visit Niagara in late December and have planned travel dates of Saturday 12/27 from NY Penn to Niagara and return on Tuesday Dec. 30. ( :ph34r: <--wearing ski hat ...BRRR!) The schedule is rather gruesome since we have to...

Good heavens, a professional Amtrak passenger. :) I'd love to do that. I am guessing you know every trick in the book to minimize your fares. I am a neophyte to modern rail travel and would probably wind up paying "top bucket", I think you all call it. Impressive, thanks. I appreciate your...

Is that important to a lot of people??? More important than having clean, functioning restrooms? Not trying to be sarcastic but if 'great strides' have been made in cafe access times, why haven't any 'great strides been made in the restroom maintenance arena? That's a rhetorical question; I...

I think I have hijacked my own topic thread here but thanks very much for that information about Chicago. I don't think we will have much time in Washington Union Station as our connection from BWI (#125) arrives only 55 minutes before #29 scheduled departure. We will be most concerned about...

I do have the car and room numbers so am able to see where we'll be sleeping. Thanks! AlanB I read your entire trip report. Very well done. You used some terminology and acronyms that are obviously understood by experienced railfans but not me. Nevertheless, I got a good feel for the potential...

Of course Amtrak should deal with all of these issues, hiring the crew, training them, and having the equipment available at least once along the route to re-fresh the restrooms (see my example below). Insurance, safety training cannot be thrown up as excuses not to provide clean rest rooms. I...

AlanB -Thanks for the details about the crew duties and assignments. That doesn not sound all that different than the B&O trains I rode in the 1950s between Baltimore and Cincinnatti (usually the Diplomat, but occasionally the National Limited). It sounds like we at least have a chance for...

I have just made reservations to take the Capital Limited to Chicago and the Empire Builder to Seattle next August. I was sort of hoping the restroom situation and general cleanliness would be better than what I have experienced in the NEC, :angry: because I am taking along both my wife and...

Apologies to the forum -I had not intended this to get into a back-and-forth; just reporting on my travel experiences. But as you can guess I am passionate about customer service. As you may guess, I work in a service capacity and take pride in providing the best to my customers to keep them...

Two problems with your reply. 1. My wife was not asking the conductor to actually clean the rest room himself. My wife simply tried to ask if there was anyone who could maintain the rest room to usable condition...and was told "I can't do anything about it". That's a cop-out. The conductor...

Thanksgiving 2006 my son-in-law was transfered from Norfolk VA to Groton Ct. Yes he is Navy. Since then, my wife and I have used Amtrak NEC regional trains to commute between Baltimore-BWI and New London-NLC. It's ashame the Acela doesn't stop there else we'd try that too. With maybe two...