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Hi, I was waiting at my nearby crossing in my car where only freights go by and I saw a locomotive with only 2 cars and got my camera ready. This is what I saw and I've never seen anything like it so I wanted to ask people who knew more about this stuff. My first thought was that it is like an RV. If so, I am envious of its owner.
Looks like a pair of former passenger train cars (one bilevel) that have been converted for some sort of track testing and data gathering....
But that's a guess.
Perhaps someone more familiar with what you spotted will respond.
amtrak92 Member # 14343
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That is a inspection train. Good catch, seeing you weren't planing on it. As those are rare.
slfranke Member # 18584
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Interesting, 2 leather seats in the back window looked very inviting.
On another note, I once saw an Amtrak heading south on these same tracks (BNSF tracks running south through La Crosse, WI to Galesburg and Chicago). The Empire Builder tracks run E-W a few miles north of this crossing. There is not an Amtrak route that way normally. Perhaps it was a random reroute to Chicago, but what about all the other stops some passengers would miss?
amtrak92 Member # 14343
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That is the usual reroute for that train.
ehbowen Member # 4317
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quote:Originally posted by slfranke: On another note, I once saw an Amtrak heading south on these same tracks (BNSF tracks running south through La Crosse, WI to Galesburg and Chicago). The Empire Builder tracks run E-W a few miles north of this crossing. There is not an Amtrak route that way normally. Perhaps it was a random reroute to Chicago, but what about all the other stops some passengers would miss?
Generally if a train is rerouted Amtrak either provides bus transportation for passengers traveling to/from the intermediate stops which are skipped or else they announce in advance that the train will not serve those stations on that day and that "no alternate transportation is available" and offer refunds.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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The Track Inspection Car pictured is formerly of the defunct Transcisco Tours that ran an OAK-RNO excursion train:
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