details of routes? bridges, etc?

[Liz]

i'm sure someone here can point me in the right direction... i posted before about NJ to Florida... just curious about the actual route (or are there many routes that can be taken?)... mainly, i'm scared of high bridges like you see in movies (skinny bridges way up high for trains like in old western movies... don't laugh at me!)

i'm basically a scaredy-cat about everything lately, so this was my dream last night (that our train was way up high on one of those bridges)... i always go to the extreme about everything, so i was just curious about stuff like this.

thanks, and stop laughing now

Liz

 

[AlanB]

Liz,

There are two possible routes that the Silver Service trains can take. From NY to North Carolina, all trains run the same route. Then they split with two trains running on one route, with the third running a different route through NC, SC, and Georgia.

They all come back to the same route before Jacksonville Florida.

Now to your question, to the best of my recollection there are no high, skinny, spindly bridges on either route. Of course it's possible that I passed over one in the dark while I was asleep in the Carolina's, but I don't think so. The east coast by and large is relatively flat along the coast, so there isn't much need for such a bridge.

 

[jdwolfskill]

Liz,

I, for one, am not laughing at your "bridge-phobia" problem. I was once in a highway rest stop located on U.S. 13 in Delaware, where I started chatting with an elderly gentleman. When I asked him his occupation, he said, "I am a bridge driver". I asked him, "just what, pray tell, is a bridge-driver?" The man said his clients pay him to drive them across the Delaware Memorial and Bay Bridges (both located in the vicinity). I asked him how many clients he has each day. He responded, "I make a living". So you're not alone Liz. I hope you have a safe and uneventful trip with no bridges in sight.

 

[Liz]

thank you both for your responses (and for not making fun of me)

i feel much better now... i've been over the deleware memorial bridge many times, and it's a biggie for sure (but i've never thought about having a *bridge driver*). i was picturing the "spindly" bridges for the train and getting nervous. and i'm assuming there are no more gun-men on horses that hold up the trains (i'm just kidding

thanks again very much!! you are all very helpful and knowledgable!

Liz

 

[PRR 60]

Liz:

There are a couple of bridges on the Florida route that are more than minor crossings.

Between Wilmington and Baltimore, the railroad crosses the Susquehanna River and the Gunpowder River on long bridges that are probably about 50 to 80 feet above the waterline. South of DC, the line crosses the Potomac and a series of rivers that are tributaries of the Potomac. Just after Richmond you cross the James River. These are all pretty big structures by east coast standards, but none approach some of the more spectacular crossings in the west.

As for the fear factor, there is an interesting phenomenon in crossing a bridge on a train. Although, from the side of the bridge looking up, the crossing may look awesome, from inside the train looking out it is sometime hard to tell you are actually on a bridge. If you want a great view of a railroad bridge, the worst place to be is on a train crossing the bridge. On the other hand, if you would rather not be awed by the bridge, the best place to be is on the train. There is little change in the ride quality (very little of the sound or feel of a bridge structure that you get from a car), and because you are so high above the roadbed (even in the single-level east coast trains) you might not even notice you are on a bridge at all. You are on and off the bridge literally before you know it.

One last thing. As a registered professional structural engineer, I can tell you that bridges are extraordinarily safe structures. Railroad bridges in particular are designed for extremely heavy loads as dictated by applicable codes (the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association or AREMA governs railroad bridge design). The structures can hold huge coal trains being pulled by multiple locomotives that are heavier than anything Amtrak uses. Among the lightest loads a typical railroad bridge encounters is a passenger train.

In short, between NJ and Florida there are some bridges. None are really scary. From inside the train the crossings are nearly non-events. And the bridges are as safe as any manmade structure can be. Sit back and enjoy your ride.

 

[frank]

An interesting thread from a number of viewpoints. As the son of a master RR bridge builder, with some experience myself, I can tell you that you have nothing to fear but fear itself when traveling over RR bridges in N. America.

That wasn't the case early on, according to historian Stephen Ambrose. Some of the bridges and even level track laid early on was done so with reckless abandon. Shoddy ballast, softwood ties, etc.

Far from the truth nowadays. I recently witnessed a Burlington Northern rail crew re-replacing ties and track on a highway grade crossing route I often take. It's hard to believe how many pieces of heavy rail equipment and how many workers it takes to re-do existing track. And when you site it, it's perfectly straight.

It's no wonder that people (even Congress) can't imagine how much money it takes to maintain rail and it's infrastructure.

But I got off topic. My ex-wife used to have to pull the car over in front of a bridge to let me drive across. I've known many people with this similiar setup. Nothing to be ashamed of, we all have our things. But rest assured that the bridges that serve American rails were built by, and are maintained by some of the greatest craftsmen that have ever earned a living on this continent. And they are routinely inspected.

If you have any doubts about the craftmanship needed to build a bridge, treat yourself, as I have, to see the Banff Springs Inn, or the Jasper Park Lodge, or to Glacier Park Lodge, or many other lodges built by master RR carpenters. The list is as great as the experience.

I'm a master carpenter raised by a master carpenter who went on to be the president of the CNO&TP and proud of the work done by crews in the field.

Don't worry about bridges. Worry about driving to the railroad station.

Frank

 

[Liz]

ok, again, you guys are all awesome! my actual fear about the bridges (aside from height, but i see what you mean about possibly not even knowing we're crossing a bridge when we're on the train, which will be good) was the train derailing while on a bridge and #1) "falling" however far down, and #2) going into the water. i can really let my imagination soar, unfortunately! So it's not so much the actual integrity of the bridge, but of the train actually staying on the tracks across it. i've been a little fearful of *regular* derailments since deciding to take the train in the first place, then my brain came up with the bridge crossing scenario! i swear, i wish i had an off button for this part of my imagination! so any other facts or opinions you'd like to share with me about trains not derailing over bridges would be welcome

Liz

 

[Steve4031]

Even if a train were to derail, you would probably walk away from it. The railraod knows that derailments on bridges would be more problematic, so a there is a greater emphasis on moniotirng the track on thes bridges, and correcting deficiencies before they become problems.

 

[PRR 60]

Liz:

Derailments on bridges. It is possible. It has happened (rarely). It can be a very bad thing when it does happen. But the likelihood of any derailment anywhere is very, very small. The probability that a derailment would just happen to take place on a bridge (given the small percentage of track miles on bridges verses not on bridges) is much, much smaller than that. And the likelyhood that such a derailment would result in a Hollywood style disaster is smaller still.

Several factors make catastrophic derailments on bridges even more unlikely than on regular track. The fact that one of the primary causes of derailments, failure of track support, cannot easily occur on a bridge decreases the likelihood of a derailment. There are also efforts made with the design of the trackwork on bridges to trap the wheels and contain derailments if they occur. But the fact is that, improbable though it may be, it is remotely possible.

But lets forget the engineering stuff for a moment and get a little philosophical. Everything we do comes with risks. Some are big risks, some are small risks, and some are really, really small risks. You have to rationalize how really small the risk of a bridge derailment is compared to every day risks that you and I do not think twice about, and sit back, relax, and enjoy the train ride. In other words, don’t sweat the little things. This, believe me, is a little thing.

Bill