DougT
Western Thunderer
Can happen to the best of us Mickoo. A three day trip to France earlier this year for some Nez-Cassé action coincided with a two day national strike. I spent a lot of time sitting in the car!
Mickoo's North West US Vacation
- Thread starter mickoo
- Start date
DougT
Western Thunderer
Spookily enough, this just appeared In my YouTube feed…Mullan Tunnel smoke. taken on the 23rd Sep possibly. That would be enough to invoke the work safe procedure in this country!!
simond
Western Thunderer
Philosophical question, hopefully related to matter in hand.
It seems to me that the US would be an ideal place to operate motor rail services. Drive on, park up, work, wine, dine & sleep on train, drive off at new location. Big distances, easy loading gauge, compared with crowded airports, expensive parking and rentals, naff motels and drunks in diners. It’s undoubtedly slower but you get to drive your own car/truck/camper rather than a rental, and you possibly save a motel or two.
Did they try it? I don’t recall ever seeing reference to it in my travels.
It seems to me that the US would be an ideal place to operate motor rail services. Drive on, park up, work, wine, dine & sleep on train, drive off at new location. Big distances, easy loading gauge, compared with crowded airports, expensive parking and rentals, naff motels and drunks in diners. It’s undoubtedly slower but you get to drive your own car/truck/camper rather than a rental, and you possibly save a motel or two.
Did they try it? I don’t recall ever seeing reference to it in my travels.
Compton castle
Western Thunderer
Amtrak do operate one service that serves Florida, starts somewhere in the north east.
I think it’s also the longest train by length Amtrak operate.
Edit, between Washington and Orlando
mickoo
Western Thunderer
No, definitely before the 20th Sept as that's when the BNSF signage was erected.
Awesome, that's the last spot I wanted to get to on the first day on the west side, but light faded and trains dropped off, the next few days were rainy and heavily overcast but even then I think the thick black smoke against the white mist would have been a good photo. From about 60 seconds you can hear the traction motor whine, on the east side you can hear that easily 20 minutes before the train arrives.
Have to say, I miss Mullan already, that clip and a few others linked do sound really good, those swing helps at full bore are impressive.
One thing I noted through the north weest is that there are a lot more EMD's up here compared to Transcon2 in Cali and Arizona, they seem to pop up more often on the coal trains and I'd read somewhere that railroads prefer EMD's on heavy block coal trains and sometimes oil trains. It shouldn't make any difference as 14,000t of coal is the same as 14,000t of oil or wheat.
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mickoo
Western Thunderer
No, but if you sit long enough nature does come closer, worst was the rattle snake I nearly stood on in Cajon last time, luckily it was early morning and still cold, plus he was in his burrow so couldn't easily coil up to strike, even so he was only 3! away and I'm sure he'd have bitten me if I'd stood on him.
This time is was mostly small rodents, I did see a very rare black squirrel (too fast for a photo) and a deer did amble out of the forest a few yards away from me but as soon as I lifted my camera he was off.
Squirrel near the old MILW and I-10 bridges.
Chipmunk....I think at Mullan's Pass, no fear at all though I was stood very still next to the switch winter cover rack so he might have thought I was part of that other than a threat.
Also at Mullan's, no idea what it is, flat..ish tail but I'm not sure it's a Beaver and it looks too big for a Gopher.
I saw a couple of Eagles I'm sure and dozens of Ospreys in Columbia Gorge.
Osgood
Western Thunderer
"Also at Mullan's, no idea what it is, flat..ish tail but I'm not sure it's a Beaver and it looks too big for a Gopher."
I'm pretty sure that if you'd stopped the night then the next day the trains would have been at the same time, with the same numbered locomotives, with the same freight cars......
I'm pretty sure that if you'd stopped the night then the next day the trains would have been at the same time, with the same numbered locomotives, with the same freight cars......
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