Southwest Chief wrote: conrailman wrote:The Southern Route Amtrak would use less Engines about 2 engines instead of 3 or 4 engines because it almost a flat route without any Mountains to deal with.The Southwest Chief is currently operating with only 2 P42s (elephant style too).
conrailman wrote:The Southern Route Amtrak would use less Engines about 2 engines instead of 3 or 4 engines because it almost a flat route without any Mountains to deal with.
The Southwest Chief is currently operating with only 2 P42s (elephant style too).
Long-distance AMTK trains are only 9-10 cars long now; no need for more than 2 engines; they used 3 or 4 when the train was still hauling mail and express. They still use 3 a lot, though.
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
It is possible to include ABQ on the Southwest Chief while still taking the Belen Route. It just involves some backtracking and a wye maneuver. This was done when the Chief was rerouted due to heavy snows this winter, and a few other times it has taken the southern route.
I would hate to see a permanent move though as Raton is one of the scenery highlights of the route.
But I think it is foolish for BNSF to completely relinquish Raton. When there are serious derailments on the southern route, it makes sense to reroute trains over Raton, even if some have to be cut up in order to make the grades. I hope they still have trackage rights.
You know, it might end up being like the tracks in Southern California. Metrolink actually owns much of the tracks in SoCal. But BNSF still runs their trains on these tracks. Metrolink is in charge of maintenance and dispatching on the San Diego sub, while BNSF still handles maintenace and dispatching on the San Bernardino sub...however Metrolink owns the tracks on both (up to San Bernardino). So NM owns the Raton track, will likely handle maintenance (or contract it out to BNSF), and perhaps one day handle dispatching over the route.
And on the class 4 thing...I'm not sure of the current status, but some portions of the Raton route were 90mph territory. In fact there where train control (ATS in this case) semaphores, possibly the only ones in the country. I know Rail Runner has a top speed of 79mph, so the ATS and 90mph may have been removed recently.
conrailman wrote:The State of NM don't Maintain track like the BNSF does and the Boy Scouts could get off at a New Stop on the Southern Route and take School Bus to Camp?
conrailman wrote:Will the BNSF put the Amtrak Southwest Chief train 3&4 on the Southern Route, where the Southern Route is alot Faster Route than Raton Pass.
CRboy: Your initial premise is screwed-up. Raton Pass is 3 hours faster and one crew district (used to be two) less then going on the TRANSCON/BELEN Cutoff. The difference is tonnage and grade (and only one industry between Trinidad and Lamy)
AMTRAK will continue the present route and stay off the transcon Newton-Dalies. La Junta to Trinidad will still see plenty of freight trains. Slowly, but surely, the inferior (as in crooked and slow) C&S line between Pueblo and Trinidad (via Walsenburg) will eventually go to the commuter people, but not anytime soon. (The"visionaries" want El Paso to Cheyenne (possibly Casper) in one integrated system.)Colorado is in no financial shape to accomodate this and is currently inept on anything rail (they are rubber tired slaves). NM is already on shaky ground and BNSF is quite justified in trying to avoid running over their maintenance.
I doubt if Amtrak would reroute the Southwest Chief over the Transcon because it would leave Albuquerque, New Mexico's largest city, not only without its long distance passenger rail service, but a good source of traffic.
Class 4 track allows passenger trains a top speed of 79 mph
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