Nice Amtrak pacing video!

[AntonioFP45]

Glad you liked it.  I can't take the credit for it though. I was surfing through different Amtrak related clips on You Tube and this one, to me, really stood out for the good pacing action.

Peace

[killer dragonoz]

That was the best video I've seen so far keep up the good work.

Gene

 

[AntonioFP45]

Excellent idea, however, Amtrak's budget is so crunched to the last penny that it would likely not be doable. 

[Expresslane]

  Speaking of Amtrak's choise of panit for thier trains how about some heritage paint jobs on the locomotives and cars? I know the engins and cars are not allways on the same route but I think the Empire Builder trainsets stay on the same route. Would it hurt to paint the Builder in a heritage paint job? Would not the City of New Orleans look great in the old IC colors? I'm sure some of you have some idea of a fallen flag color for an Amtrak train.

[Anonymous]

Good Stuff, on a side note, is it just me or does Amtrak have the most plain and noninspiring paint scheme ever?  I would like to see possibly a white car with a large American Flag waving.  Or in an ideal world, a white backdrop with scenes from American history i.e. Signing of the Declaraton, Lady Liberty, etc.  I know it takes money they never have. But as I was always told, "It doesn't cost anything to wish." 

Matter of taste - I liked the Phase V scheme so much I purchased two Genesis locomotives and 11 Superliners in that scheme for my N scale layout.

[choochoobuff]

Good Stuff, on a side note, is it just me or does Amtrak have the most plain and noninspiring paint scheme ever?  I would like to see possibly a white car with a large American Flag waving.  Or in an ideal world, a white backdrop with scenes from American history i.e. Signing of the Declaraton, Lady Liberty, etc.  I know it takes money they never have. But as I was always told, "It doesn't cost anything to wish." 

[Anonymous]

If you're back up this way, head a little further south on the MILW main to Red Wing, MN.  Great old depot there, beautiful town with a real nice city park between the tracks and the Mississippi River.  Fantastic place to spend the day train watching and relaxing, and there's some good food and goumet coffee nearby.

[oltmannd]

Nice video! I have a question on Amtrak's power units. IIRC all the videos I have seen, have both powered units facing the same direction. Most all the other consists have the end units of power with the "nose" facing the opposite directions. Remembering back to the covered wagon days, the engines were A_B_B_A type of set up. Both A units were positioned so that any direction of travel, one of them would be pointed in the correct direction of travel. Is there a reason this is no longer used?

Thanks,
Jim

It's so that if the lead unit conks out and can't lead, you can just swap positions with the trailing unit - no need to turn an engine. There are fewer and fewer places to do it and Amtrak has no "protection" power sprinkled along the route.

[Cris_261]

Not much in the way of the characteristic black smoke when the units accelerate, but plenty of that GE chugging sound. Thanks for posting the vid!

[squeeze]

Nice video! I have a question on Amtrak's power units. IIRC all the videos I have seen, have both powered units facing the same direction. Most all the other consists have the end units of power with the "nose" facing the opposite directions. Remembering back to the covered wagon days, the engines were A_B_B_A type of set up. Both A units were positioned so that any direction of travel, one of them would be pointed in the correct direction of travel. Is there a reason this is no longer used?

Thanks,
Jim

[Modelcar]

....Yes, thought that was very decent work with the camera.

[trainfan1221]

It makes me miss the Former EL U34CH that NJTransit operated until 1994 or so.  They sounded similar but better.  Nice video Antonio.

[AntonioFP45]

Glad you liked it, guys!

It's unusual for me, because I'm much more fond of Amtrak equpment of the past (SDP40fs, E60s, F40s, Heritage Fleet cars).  As a railfan, I'm still not very fond of these P40-P42 units. Appearance-wise, they just don't say "locomotive" to me (though I admit, I sure like the famous GE prime mover "chug-chug" music).  But I still felt that this was a pretty good video. 

[eolafan]

Thanks for sharing, that video was one of the better ones shot by an amateur I have seen.

[railfan619]

OK now I feel dumb for not seeing that but. I guess that's how I learn from my mistakes but any who thanks for correcting me. I though it might have been chicago by the bridge it was crossing as it came into the station. I was thinking that cause I have seen that bridge before while I was i chicago on a trip last February. But I guess it wasn't oh well now. I know thanks.

[CShaveRR]

The site says that it's the Empire Builder from St. Paul to Hastings.  I would have guessed that it was the Builder based solely on the CP power visible along the route.  Somebody did a pretty good job!

[railfan619]

Very nice video you got there and great job. Keeping up with the train my question is where was this video was shot at my guess is that the train was coming into. Chicago's union station as the train crosses a bridge from what the video shows anyway.

[Anonymous]

Very nice! I love the shot of pacing it up close where the camera is oly about 10' from the lead P42!

[grampaw pettibone]

Now that was nice and you made a good choice.

[AntonioFP45]

Hello Crew

I normally don't post You Tube vids, but I then I thought that the passenger train fans here would really enjoy this one.  (You should have high speed internet)

  http://youtube.com/watch?v=rrAm-s52nRQ&feature=related

I've been reading the latest articles regarding Amtrak.  So good to see that inspite of "cutback" threats and the delays on freight lines, Amtrak ridership numbers are increasing.

Still lamenting that here in Florida our highways are more congested than ever, yet we had more Amtrak trains operating 25 years ago than we do today.   I'd be happy to see my taxes go for decent rail passenger service than giving congress hefty raises.