We could have had so much more of this if they stuck to implementing the Cascades Long Range Plan, rather than get distracted by UHSGT. 🫤 The $800ish billion from ARRA set the stage to start work on higher speed projects. What did we get in this funding cycle? Leftovers.
Very nice video! I need to take a train trip again soon (round-trip Indianapolis to Chicago, on the Cardinal (formerly the James Whitcomb Riley)). That wheel is way overdue for replacement!!
If that were me I would have went to the conductor and told him of the defective wheel set. Let him know that this sound is very annoying to all that were in that car. If he did not care then get the car number and date and report it to that train operator. That would ruin the whole trip for me but I can turn the sound off.
Flat spots on wheels are a nightmare. I once rode the Texas Eagle from Fort Worth to St. Louis about 10 years ago. I had a ticket to Chicago, but the flat spot on a wheel right below my Superliner Family Bedroom - on the lower level, just inches above the truck - drove me crazy. No sleep. Told conductor who didn't seem to care. He came and listened. Said it wasn't a safety issue. So I detrained in St. Louis the next morning, took the metro to the airport and jumped on Southwest for $89 to complete my trip. Luckily I only had a one-way Amtrak ticket. BTW, the Sleeper Attendant was sympathetic but he said that the flat spot had been there for many months and Amtrak probably wouldn't do anything about it because a lot of Superliners were parked in a maintenance base somewhere awaiting repairs resulting in a Superliner shortage. Some for years due to government underfunding. I would otherwise love Amtrak if they kept their trains maintained and refurbished.
Sweet! Very good sound, too. Nice to have a record of this route, especially Tacoma to Oly. Is the current plan to bring the Amtrak trains inland south of Tacoma sometime in March?
I am not an authority on this, but as far as I understand, WSDOT is waiting for the NTSB to release their final report regarding the 501 derailment from Dec 18, 2017 before re-activating the bypass route. I think they said "spring", so hopefully we'll get that new route soon. Besides being faster it also activates an 88% on-time performance clause of the contract with BNSF. In theory, that should reduce freight interference to a minimum. The current route is beautiful, though. :)
Dear friend: In the next month of June, I will travel through the United States, start in Chicago with the Empire Builder in Seattle, from there I will take the Coast Starlight to Los Angeles and return from San Francisco in the California Zephir to Chicago. Any comments about it, information, videos, blogs, etc., will be very beneficial for my trip. From already thank you very much. Sincerely, Fausto Brindisi, from Rosario, Argentina.
