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.
Posted by amtrak92 (Member # 14343) on :
That is a inspection train. Good catch, seeing you weren't planing on it. As those are rare.
Posted by slfranke (Member # 18584) on :
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?
Posted by amtrak92 (Member # 14343) on :
That is the usual reroute for that train.
Posted by ehbowen (Member # 4317) on :
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.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
The Track Inspection Car pictured is formerly of the defunct Transcisco Tours that ran an OAK-RNO excursion train:
Cool, that is totally it. So it just goes around all the BNSF tracks an inspects them.
BTW if heading to Chicago, that would be a fortunate reroute as its much more scenic.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Franke, when Ol' Man River starts a risin', the Builder gets a reroutin'.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
I flew to Minneapolis in July 2009 just to ride an excursion train from Minneapolis to Chicago using the BNSF routing. It was worth the trip.
Posted by Earl Needham (Member # 19572) on :
Do I see the "antenna" for the old Pennsylvania Rail Road induction telephone system on top of the car in the first picture?