I hope the CHSR project is operational soon; also, I wish the West Coast could have an auto-train from Washington (Seattle or Everett?) to Cali LA or SD...
It will be very sad if Congress pulls back on Amtrak funding !!
Another misleading subject line! Like your post recently about polar bears in Wales.
Why do you insist on doing this? To those who frequent this board, "CZ" refers to our beloved moderator Concrete Zipper. And "gets oiled in Salt Lake" recalls the initiatory anointing in the temple. Why do you seem to want to mislead? If you were honest, you would have said in the subject line "California Zephyr"
I love these train postings. Yesterday I clicked the link and watched it. Then I took a train ride from Chicago across Kansas, through Colorado, across Utah, Nevada, and into California. Then I took a train ride all the way down the West Coast. I even had enough time to ride the Silver-ton tourist train in Durrango Colorado.
After the train rides I learned how to repair train tracks and how to replace train wheels. I also learned about train tracks that buckle in the heat.
Next I watched trains plowing snow with rotary plows and busting through snow banks.
Why do trains often run with the engines back to back to each other? What are narrow gauge rail lines? It's all so interesting to watch and learn. Thanks Mr. Dave.
rail engines are connected to operate in either direction; on certain routes they can use tracks to change directions, but not all. The best visibility is from the short hood end so when there's not a 3 leg track set-up (called a 'wye'), they change which end the locomotive engineer operates from.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2023 10:00PM by GNPE.
another note about long-distance passenger trains--- Long Distance trains have 'train crews' of an engineer (+ rarely a 'fireman' who is more of an apprentice engineer) + a conductor & brake man (Amtrak: Assistant Conductor(s)) & dining & coach assistant(s).
train crews don't stay with the train (Example Empire Builder from Seattle/Portland to Chicago), they change crews about every 300 miles (more or less) whereas the other crew stays with the train... the 'cabin crew' members sleep at night & trains often used to have a combination baggage & dormitory car for after their shifts were over.
Since Amtrak / 1970, cabin crews (usually?) don't have a dorm car, they sleep in spaces that would otherwise be available to paying passengers. This is 'progress' that reduces the number of cars in the consist (fewer engines required & less fuel consumed), but reduces space available for paying 'revenue' passengers.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2023 10:20PM by GNPE.
I immediately knew that CZ stood for the California Zephyr given that Dave likes trains so much.
My dad was a big railroad enthusiast/train afficionado. He made his own train videos and I share them on a Y/T channel as a way to honor his love for trains.