empire builder

[RailFanNebraska]

ok thinking about an empire builder trip to glacier this summer ... need some info on which route is more better ... st. paul to east glacier or seattle to east glacier ...

 

[denmarks]

Seattle to East Glacier will be an overnight trip with not much to see. St. Paul will be overnight and a full day so you would see more. Those are strange choices. How will you do the rest of the trip?

 

[RailFanNebraska]

idk yet actually

 

[Trogdor]

I'd do Seattle to East Glacier.

Since it's during the summer, you'll be able to enjoy the scenic Cascade mountains for a few hours, while your train runs along the Skykomish River. The next morning, your train will travel through Glacier Park before arriving at East Glacier (which is pretty much the end of the scenery).

From St. Paul, you get to sleep (after boarding the train close to 11:00 pm), then wake up and look at farmland all day long, prior to your arrival at East Glacier.

 

[saxman]

Yeah Seattle to Glacier is the best for scenery as you see all of Glacier Park before reaching E. Glacier. From St. Paul you arrive in E. Glacier only at the foothills of the moutains. So you wouldn't see much as far as mountains on the trip. Yet I must say eastern Montana, if you really want to see some true American frontier land full of nothingness. It actually makes me glad to see this country still so unpopulated as compared to Europe or Asia.

So your choice, moutains or vast praries.

Chris

 

[Anthony]

So here's a similar question:

I'm eyeing the EB for mid-April. Time constraints allow a one-way trip with a flight return. What's better -- SEA-CHI or CHI-SEA, and for what reasons? Will the trainset be in better on-board shape having originated in one city, vs. a simple turnaround in another; preferences of scenery based on times of day in either direction, etc.

I've never taken the EB, but have visited both SEA and CHI numerous times and thus won't be focusing on where I end up.

The only bias I have at this point is that CHI-SEA gets me into SEA in the morning, allowing more buffer time for an evening flight departure should the EB be terribly late.

Any thoughts are appreciated Thanks!

 

[Chi_Train_Fan]

I agree with the previous posters that the Seattle to Chicago (eastbound) direction delivers better scenery than the westbound direction. The scenery was so much better eastbound that I haven't felt compelled to take pictures on the westbound trips. I have not noticed a difference in cleanliness in the sleeper rooms between Chicago and Seattle/Portland. I say fly to Seattle and take the train home.

I've just planned a trip from Chicago to Seattle via the Southwest Chief and Coast Starlight before the simplified diner service hits both of these trains. One last goodbye Amtrak trip in a sleeper, courtesy of Amtrak Guest Rewards. I can't wait to repeat Raton Pass and have a chance to ride in the Pacific Parlour Car (which was missing on my last Starlight trip).

Cheers,

David Z

 

[printman2000]

Please forgive me if this is common knowledge, but I found it very interesting when I ran across this info the other day.

I found out that the Pacific Parlour Cars were originally Santa Fe bi-level cars. I always assumed Amtrak was the first to have bi-level cars, but Santa Fe had them before getting out of passenger trains.

This explains to me why the Pacific Parlour Cars are always a bit shorter than the other superliner cars.

 

[Trogdor]

Please forgive me if this is common knowledge, but I found it very interesting when I ran across this info the other day.
I found out that the Pacific Parlour Cars were originally Santa Fe bi-level cars. I always assumed Amtrak was the first to have bi-level cars, but Santa Fe had them before getting out of passenger trains.

This explains to me why the Pacific Parlour Cars are always a bit shorter than the other superliner cars.

Not only that, but several railroads had bi-level gallery cars for commuter service before Amtrak came around.

 

[MrFSS]

If you want to know everything about dome cars, go here.

 

[jphjaxfl]

The Chicago and Northwestern had bi level cars for longer distance trains to Wisconsin including coaches and parlor cars. The C&NW cars were built by Pullman Standard the same as the Amtrak Superliners. The Santa Fe bi level coaches, dining cars and lounge cars were built by the Budd Company. Both Railroad's bi level cars were built in the mid to late 1950s. Some of the C&NW long distance bi level cars were painted in Amtrak colors and served on some of the midwest corridors in the 1970s. All the Sante Fe bi levels served on Amtrak in the 1970s prior to the Superliners.

 

[printman2000]

Who built the most recent Superliners? Also, what company built the viewliners?

 

[Anthony]

Pullman-Standard built the first Superliners, and Bombardier did the second generation. I think Amerail did the Viewliners?

 

[Trogdor]

I think Morrison-Knudsen built the Viewliners, but went bankrupt during production. My memory on that might be a bit off.

 

[AmtrakFan]

Mr. Madison,

They were built by a M-K Sister Company AmeriRail

 

[Anthony]

From what I understand, MK went bankrupt, and Amerail (sp?) was created to fulfill their contractual obligations; they then completed and delivered the Viewliners.