Ok. I posted this in another thread. Notelvis has indicated his desire to travel over the BN between La Crosse, WI, and Aurora, Il, as well as Tennessee Pass in Colorado. Some of my dream detours would be over the CP or the CN routes that skirt the north shore of Lake Superior (complete with a stop at Thunder Bay or Atikokan for a few days of wilderness canoeing ), the ex-CNW route of the 400s between Milwaukee and Saint Paul, as well as Tenn. Pass. Another dream trip would be to get on the first Empire Builder that goes via Madison, WI.
So here's my question: If the members of the forum here had to pick a line upon which they would like to have a rare mileage detour, what line would it be?
The choices are limited to lines that are currently in service, or existing, but shut down.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
I'd also like to ride the former Pennsy from Perryville, MD to Harrisburg, PA. The tri-weekly DC section of Amtrak's National Limited used this route for a time in the mid-70's.
Posted by RRCHINA (Member # 1514) on :
The former Rio Grande over La Veta Pass between Alamosa and Walsenburg Colorado is remote and very beautiful. This was the standard guage access to the narrow Guage line toward Durango. The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic is only 35 miles beyond Alamosa at Antonito, CO. The American Orient Express did this one, I think, in the past year. Can anyone confirm the AOE trip?
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
Ex-Northern Pacific through the badlands at Medora, ND and up the Yellowstone River through Billings and Missoula to Spokane.
Feather River.
Tennessee Pass would include the Royal Gorge, which now has a sightseeing train. The pass itself has been closed for a long time due to some damage at the tunnel. Can anyone confirm it is reopened.
Also the Empire Builder was recently re-routed over the BNSF from Chicago to St. Paul for some trackwork.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
quote:Originally posted by notelvis: I'd also like to ride the former Pennsy from Perryville, MD to Harrisburg, PA. The tri-weekly DC section of Amtrak's National Limited used this route for a time in the mid-70's.
Rode that eastbound with family in about 1975. One through coach plus one added at Harrisburg, very few people, hauled by a GG1. All stops after Harrisburg were discharge only. We got to DC about 30 minutes EARLY.
My dream would be either the Tennessean route - Memphis Chattanooga - Bristol - Roanoke - Lynchburg - Washington or the Kansas City - Florida Special route - Kansas City - Memphis - Birmingham - Atlanta - Jacksonville, then run ti through to Miami
Posted by NativeSon5859 (Member # 2993) on :
I did the Royal Gorge sightseeing train and it was amazing. So I can only imagine that doing the whole Tennessee Pass route would be a great experience.
I was on the Zephyr last year to Chicago and we had to take the UP from OMA to CHI via Ames due to track flooding. The best part of the route was the crossing of the Kate Shelley High Bridge.
Posted by TwinStarRocket (Member # 2142) on :
Denver-Trinidad-Texas along the Front Range.
Omaha-Billings on BNSF through the Nebraska Sand Hills and Wind River Canyon.
Additional info about Royal Gorge and Tennessee Pass: the mountain scenery in between these is some of the most spectacular in the country. Most of Colorado's 14,000 foot peaks are fully visible from the tracks as they wind up the Arkansas River valley.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
quote:Originally posted by TwinStarRocket: Denver-Trinidad-Texas along the Front Range. Additional info about Royal Gorge and Tennessee Pass: the mountain scenery in between these is some of the most spectacular in the country. Most of Colorado's 14,000 foot peaks are fully visible from the tracks as they wind up the Arkansas River valley.
I drove that route Leadville to Salida in a rental car in June 2004......an absolutely spectacular afternoon. I rode the Cumbres & Toltec the following day and the Royal Gorge excursion train the day after that.
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