I've been following Horseshoe Curve for a while, spent almost a whole day off and on on the first of the two recent derailments. So I'm familiar with Virtual Railfan's view of the things. And it was great getting to see the Curve and the park from a train! I knew where the lumber cars were tossed after the first derailment, but I hadn't seen where the ones from the second derailment ended up till now. I was already subscribed because I loved your drone videos of Horseshoe Curve and Deshler, Ohio. Thanks!
Chicago to Seattle on the Empire Builder is the best Amtrak trip. A close second is the Coast Starlight between LA and Seattle (riding it Northbound is best, you see the Pacific in the morning. On the reverse trip, the afternoon sun shining thru the windows ruins all photography to the west. Best NA trip by far was BC Rail from N. Vancouver, BC to Prince George, 14+ hours of the best scenery on our continent. Unfortunately, the provincial government pulled the plug on BCR years ago and ruined a large part of their tourist industry.
I always love it when trains use their horn to salute the railfans as they go around Horseshoe Curve! The locomotive on the train that day was Amtrak engine #116, one of their standard P42 locomotives.
