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Reforming Amtrak - Some Ideas

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Posted by Electroliner 1935 on Thursday, March 24, 2022 11:01 AM

CMStPnP
 
Lithonia Operator
VW Passat 

He-he-he-he.   You get what you pay for just as you do in the United States.    Have you bought or driven a BMW 300 series or above?    Mercedes 300 series or above?

And in 1961, I bought a Renault Dauphin. It was underpowered and had a rear axle where all the torque was handled by the needle bearings at the differential. It got to be that I could steer with the accelerator. [quote user="CMStPnP"]

 

 
 
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Posted by BEAUSABRE on Thursday, March 24, 2022 11:22 AM

daveklepper
Long-distance train travel will be revived when Amtrak realizes LD's are as much a part of the Hospitality business as transportation, and adopts the Station Restaurant System (hotel-like kitchen, 24-hour-day, full-menue, sit-down in RR-themed decore. take-out, home-and-business delivery, and on-board train delivery) to make each trip a mini-vacation, even in coach-class.  Corridor travel will also benefi

1) Going back to the 19th Century Pre-Dining Car era would be an improvement?

2) Amtrak is chartered and funded to be a transportation system, not a land cruise operator

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Posted by zugmann on Thursday, March 24, 2022 11:45 AM

CMStPnP
Now if it was an American Class I railroad the rules would probably be "/" means diverging if your able to balance on your right toe, the moon is full and your moving in a forwards direction otherwise it would be "/?".     "|" would be straight aligned unless your birthdate falls on an odd day, then it would depend on lunar cycle promity otherwise it would be "|?".      Of course I think there are more accidents on rails in America due to confusion......though I can't imagine why that is.

Just about any RR rulebook is available online to read. Easy enough to look up signal rules, instead of just making up whatever that was supposed to be. 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by CMStPnP on Thursday, March 24, 2022 2:58 PM

BEAUSABRE
1) Going back to the 19th Century Pre-Dining Car era would be an improvement? 2) Amtrak is chartered and funded to be a transportation system, not a land cruise operator

1. WisDOT went to a lot of trouble along with the Mayor of Milwaukee to get an eating establishment in the Milwaukee Amtrak Station.     Your interpretation of that being 19th Century, was not their interpretation.    The Eating establishment is operating at a loss because the foot traffic of just 7 trains a day and a few intercity buses is not enough to sustain it.   However, the operator agreed to continue to run that eating establishment as a community service for rail and bus passengers he is subsidizing it via his other profitable location(s).    There is no dining car service or cafe service on the Chicago to Milwaukee trains and it is used by the patrons of those trains.    They tried cafe service and it cost something like $400k a year in subsidy across the 7 trains.    The loss of running the restaurant in the Milwaukee Depot is probably far less than that.

2. Amtraks Charter also states that the features of long distance trains that you refer to as "land cruise" be maintained.    The current President has also stated this more than once and I quote "I can't sell Amtrak without the Long Distance Trains".    So politically looks like we are stuck with them as you will not garner enough votes for Amtrak without them.   Perhaps maybe after Amtrak has an established rail corridor in every state, which is something that does not exist now but which the Long Distance trains help cover for votes.

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, March 27, 2022 5:24 AM

If I were the operator ofv that Milwaukee Station restaursant, I would offer "Take-on-the Train" kits for take-out customers and also expand the business to include home-and-business delivery within a reasonable travel-time radius of the station.  These steps might make the restaurant profitable and serve as Amtrak's model. 

Amtrak and Wisconsin DOT would cooperate by enhanced waste-disposal on the trains.

Those boarding the Empire Builder at Milwaukee would also be allowed to use this service.

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Posted by daveklepper on Sunday, March 27, 2022 5:29 AM

And I havevto agree, regardless of what Amgtrak's charter says, LDs don't really "nake it" on transportation alone ---except for that fraction of the popuulation that cannot fly or endre long ato or bus trips.  

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Posted by n012944 on Wednesday, March 30, 2022 8:03 PM

CMStPnP

 

 
Lithonia Operator
VW Passat

 

He-he-he-he.   You get what you pay for just as you do in the United States.    Have you bought or driven a BMW 300 series or above?    Mercedes 300 series or above?

 

 

Yep, have owned both.  Neither are that special.  Both are more for people that are concerned with the brand name more so than the product.  I will say, my C300 was a tank in the snow, but other than that, meh.

An "expensive model collector"

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