AKA
OBS Chief
How many places in the Amtrak system do trains run on a street ? In a city or metro area.
Trains on the Street
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wayman
Engineer
Just north of Richmond, the tracks run down the center of Center St through Ashland, Virginia, for about a mile (the entirity of town). Here's a photo of a Regional in Ashland.
The tracks run right down Embarcadero in Oakland for a ways shortly before the Jack London Square station. Here's a photo of an Amtrak California on the Embarcadero.
Does the Huey P Long Bridge count, where the highway rises up to surround the much longer train trestle for the actual river crossing? It's in the middle of New Orleans. Old photo of the Sunset Limited on the Huey P Long.
This last photo is from perhaps the coolest trip description I've ever read.
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Rafi
Conductor
Wayman hit on the big ones. I would go so far as to categorize the answers to your question, though:
Trains with street running (excluding grade crossings, of course)
And
Trains that run in the median, where cars cannot drive
In the case of Oakland (which might eb the only one, I'm not sure), you have legitimate street running where the train and cars share the road
Ashland and the Huey long bridge would count as median runs, as would the run just south of Richmond's Staples Mill station along I-195, just before the train crosses the James river, and the run in the median of the MoPac in Austin, where the Texas Eagle runs. The Sunset Limited also has a median run in LA, but not being from the area, I can't say which highway it is.
EDIT:
I would also add Tampa, where the track leading into and out of the station flanks 6th Ave.
Trains with street running (excluding grade crossings, of course)
And
Trains that run in the median, where cars cannot drive
In the case of Oakland (which might eb the only one, I'm not sure), you have legitimate street running where the train and cars share the road
Ashland and the Huey long bridge would count as median runs, as would the run just south of Richmond's Staples Mill station along I-195, just before the train crosses the James river, and the run in the median of the MoPac in Austin, where the Texas Eagle runs. The Sunset Limited also has a median run in LA, but not being from the area, I can't say which highway it is.
EDIT:
I would also add Tampa, where the track leading into and out of the station flanks 6th Ave.
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the_traveler
Engineer
How did you manage to get into the cab of a steam locomotive on the Huey P Long?Does the Huey P Long Bridge count, where the highway rises up to surround the much longer train trestle for the actual river crossing? It's in the middle of New Orleans. Old photo of the Sunset Limited on the Huey P Long.
This last photo is from perhaps the coolest trip description I've ever read.
wayman
Engineer
50 billion billion gajillion AGR points :lol:How did you manage to get into the cab of a steam locomotive on the Huey P Long?Does the Huey P Long Bridge count, where the highway rises up to surround the much longer train trestle for the actual river crossing? It's in the middle of New Orleans. Old photo of the Sunset Limited on the Huey P Long.
This last photo is from perhaps the coolest trip description I've ever read.
D T Nelson
Lead Service Attendant
It's not Amtrak, but you can buy a ticket on the South Shore Line and ride a train down the streets of Michigan City, Indiana.
the_traveler
Engineer
You mean I can do that TOMORROW?50 billion billion gajillion AGR points :lol:How did you manage to get into the cab of a steam locomotive on the Huey P Long?
TransitGeek
Service Attendant
In LA, there is freeway median running along the Metrolink San Bernardino Line (formerly PE), in the median of I-10 between Cal State LA and El Monte. As far as I knew, though, no Amtrak trains use this section- the Sunset Limited comes into LA on the Union Pacific main line, which also carries the Metrolink Riverside Line. While I haven't ever ridden the Sunset, I've ridden the Riverside Line more times than I can count, and there is no median running. Perhaps the Sunset diverges from the Metrolink routing after Pomona, and I'm simply unaware?
I'm assuming the OP didn't mean light rail, because there's plenty of street-running light rail systems all over the place. In California alone, there's San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento.
Thanks for the pictures of LaGrange. I rode the Pan American, The Humingbird, and the Local through LaGrange in Pre-Amtrak days. Amtrak's Floridian used to run along 15th Street in New Albany IN after it came across the K&I Bridge. This was from early 1975 through 1979 when the train was discontinued. It was neat sitting up in the dome coach as the train ran through this section. CSX Freights still travel through this area. The Cardinal and Hoosier State (and before that the Floridian) has street running in Lafayette, IN but that tracks were re-routed off the streets. Because interurban trains ran through streets in almost every city in Indiana at one time, people in that state were use to trains running through the streets.
The old California Zephyr when it ran on the Western Pacific would run on streets between its Oakland Station and I believe it was Middle Harbor Road, where passengers were bused to and from the Santa Fe city terminal at 44 Fourth Street in San Francisco. The buses were owned by Santa Fe Trail Transportation Company.
Prior to this, I believe the train went to the SP ferry terminal for transfer of passengers to San Francisco.
Prior to this, I believe the train went to the SP ferry terminal for transfer of passengers to San Francisco.
the_traveler
Engineer
The median running on I-10 was not the SL. Up until 10-15 years ago, the SWC did that route - back when it stopped at Pasadena. But since they rerouted it from SNB to FUL, no Amtrak trains run on it.
AKA
OBS Chief
Just north of Richmond, the tracks run down the center of Center St through Ashland, Virginia, for about a mile (the entirity of town). Here's a photo of a Regional in Ashland.
The tracks run right down Embarcadero in Oakland for a ways shortly before the Jack London Square station. Here's a photo of an Amtrak California on the Embarcadero.
Does the Huey P Long Bridge count, where the highway rises up to surround the much longer train trestle for the actual river crossing? It's in the middle of New Orleans. Old photo of the Sunset Limited on the Huey P Long.
This last photo is from perhaps the coolest trip description I've ever read.
WOW and thanks. :hi: Hats off
AKA
OBS Chief
Aloha
How does a train run on the street? They run on rails in the street. OK I am in that kind of mood. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :help:
Aloha
How does a train run on the street? They run on rails in the street.
OK I am in that kind of mood. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :help:Aloha
the_traveler
Engineer
The same as a car "runs" on the highway! Although I gave never seen a car's legs, or the wheels move back and forth - like when my cat runs!How does a train run on the street? They run on rails in the street.
Traveler, you are confusing the I-210, the Foothill Freeway, and I-10, the San Bernardino Freeway, and TransitGeek is mostly right.
The Southwest Chief ran on AT&SF's 3rd District/Pasadena Sub, which was in the median of I-210 east of the Pasadena station. That part of the line was abandoned by BNSF, the tracks pulled, and purchased by LAMTA. The Gold Line light rail was built on that ROW route up to Sierra Madre. No heavy rail freight or passenger service runs there at all. When BNSF abandoned the line, the Southwest Chief was rerouted through Fullerton.
The former PE San Bernardino Line, more recently the SP State Street Line, now the Metrolink San Gabriel Sub runs in the median of the San Bernardino Freeway, I-10, from just east of downtown Los Angeles to El Monte. That route was purchased by SCRAA/Metrolink and is host to Metrolink commuter trains. The Sunset Limited DOES indeed use this line occasionally, but mostly stays on UP's, formerly SP's, Alhambra Sub to Yuma Junction, on the east bank of the LA River, opposite LAUPT's throat. If using the Metrolink San Gabriel Sub, the Sunset leaves the UP Alhambra Sub at CP Watson, just east of El Monte.
TransitGeek, the Metrolink Riverside Line trains use the UP Los Angeles Sub, the historically UP LA&SL mainline and the route of the City of Los Angeles, not the Metrolink San Gabriel Sub, nor the ex-SP Alhambra Sub. The San Bernardino Line trains use the Metrolink San Gabriel Sub through El Monte. However the UP Los Angeles Sub and the ex-SP, now UP, Alhambra Sub run largely parallel between Puente Junction and just east of Ontario, and UP has some crossovers between them.
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the_traveler
Engineer
Sorry, I get confused by all those freeways. Besides, what's a few numbers between friends?
singwith
Train Attendant
2007 was the last time Sunset LTD took the I-10. I believe the train #4 took the I-10 in 2009 due to the fire somewhere in the BNSF San Bernardino sub.
What, you never watched the Flintstones?The same as a car "runs" on the highway! Although I gave never seen a car's legs, or the wheels move back and forth - like when my cat runs!How does a train run on the street? They run on rails in the street.(I'm in that kind of mood too!)
:lol: :lol:
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manchacrr
Lead Service Attendant
In Louisiana, the train runs down the median of Washington St. in New Iberia.
the_traveler
Engineer
What about this???What, you never watched the Flintstones?The same as a car "runs" on the highway! Although I gave never seen a car's legs, or the wheels move back and forth - like when my cat runs!How does a train run on the street? They run on rails in the street.(I'm in that kind of mood too!)
:lol: :lol:
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