Passenger Trains > 40 years of the Streamliner to the Superliner

Our railfan demographic has changed immensely from those days when we rode trains that ran all over the nation from the 1930s to the late 1970s when Amtrak introduced the Superliner. Rail buffs or foamers or those who just love trains now see largely bi-level trains out west with 4 to 7 cars in a train with the Coast Starlight sporting 12 cars on a busy summer day. Trains could run 16 to 24 cars easily in those years of streamliners. Rail fans born from 1980 and later now see things so different than those in my age group and older where I was born in 1944 and recall train off orders in the late 1950s and into the 1960s ahead of the new NRPC or Railpax or the new Amtrak.
It is exciting in many ways to see the those who are 30 somethings and early 40s enjoying trains. A fan named Geno Dailey for example posts a website that personifies his love and interest in things passenger. In his world a 13 car rain is large and is likely the Lake Shore Limited or possibly a commuter run in a local metro area. There is a wonderful rail club in the So.Calif. area called Pacific Railroad Society that started as a rail boosters club in the late 1930s. I have been a member since 1964 and there publication is Wheel Clicks.Clubs such as this are slowly loosing members as we age and I want to encourage younger rail fans to join and support whatever rail buff club is in your area to keep this legacy alive. Rail history, fan trips and outings, booths at railroad stations and museums as well as owning numerous private cars are all a part of Pacific Rail Road Society and other such groups all over the country. So to our younger readers, please support these groups and volunteer when and where you can to keep railroading alive and well for future generations to enjoy as a hobby or interest. To finish this I am re posting a short video of the Grand Canyon Train with 16 cars of matched equipment to give our younger readers a fast look at what a "streamliner" might have looked like including a round end lounge/obs for the markers. PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RAIL FAN CLUBS- Thanks.

Phil Blommendahl
Getzville, NY

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Yes -- that was when the passage of a train might take some time, not just a swooooosh.

Love seeing the converted Budd RDC's still active!!

Thank you.

Yeah now thats a train ! How bout going for the 40-50S look with a brace of PA's or E's or F'S maybe.

Doesn't the summer consist of the Canadian carry over a dozen
(mostly sleepers) cars, two diners?

kingman Wrote:
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> Yeah now thats a train ! How bout going for the
> 40-50S look with a brace of PA's or E's or F'S
> maybe.

You may enjoy this:

http://shermanhillrails.org/trip.html

chugchug Wrote:
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> Doesn't the summer consist of the Canadian carry
> over a dozen
> (mostly sleepers) cars, two diners?

ABSOLUTELY!!!!! Often more than dozen sleepers easily!!!

Phil, Excellent video!!! The Grand Canyon Railway is another railroad I need to ride someday!!! I've been a railfan since I learned how to walk, have no idea what got me into this hobby but I know that passenger rail is one amazing way to see this beautiful country of ours and that is one of my biggest focuses when I take a big trip!

Now and then each year in varying places in the USA railroad clubs will run passenger specials that sometimes have matched equipment and Alco PAs ,Fs or Es up front. In many occasions Amtrak power has to be in the lash up of road power for protection as asked by the host railroad.That distorts the original "streamlner look" of yore.It like seeing a P-42 behind a steam engine in an otherwise nice looking train.It looks ridiculous, but has to be. This GCRR movie shot was filmed on my phone in 2008 in the fall and they rarely run a single 16 car train. I would have preferred to have had a tripod. It normally is two trains of 8 cars each. 16 is the maximum they can handle down at the Canyon for spotting cars and turning etc. Thanks for looking.

Phil Blommendahl
Getzville, NY

I really wish I had a tripod. I shot this with my phone. The GCRR rarely runs one 16 car train so I was glad to catch this.The most cars they can handle at the Canyon is 16 and they split the train in two parts and back it in for unloading so passengers do not have to walk as far. Then they re spot it later with the upgraded cars on the rear nearest the station.Too bad the road power here is not Alco PAs, Es or Fs for that real streamliner feel,but both of these are Ex Amtrak and are very reliable. Thanks for viewing as this is my 2nd post of this train in the last year.

Phil Blommendahl
Getzville, NY

Geno. If I recall I think that is your handle with the 288. You do passenger railroading and Amtrak a huge service with your amazing website. I really feel Amtrak should look at your site and send you a ticket to board the LSL and the Southwest Chief to Williams AZ ON THEM in a sleeper with a ticket to ride on the GCRR on the last car of the train.You deserve it for PR they get out of your website. Thanks for watching and commenting.

Phil Blommendahl
Getzville, NY

When I rode the GCRY a couple of Januarys ago, I rode in the "Parlor" car with the open platform. Great trip. The day before our trip to the rim, they ran a very long train but the passengers were only in the last few cars. I was told, the long train was for training/qualifying their locomotive engineers. They used a long train for the train-handling experience (feel) instead of the usual shorter consist.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/05/14 09:30 by FrensicPic.

I am sure the longevity of those ex-Amtrak F-40's has been enhanced by the fact they have an HEP car in the train so the locomotive prime movers don't have to tear their "guts" out pulling the train and providing electric power! I remember riding some of the the early San Joaquins out of Bakersfield. You could hear the F-40's screaming the minute you pulled into the parking lot!

Phil, GREAT VIDEO...Tripod or NO Tripod!!!

TomPlatten Wrote:
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> I am sure the longevity of those ex-Amtrak F-40's
> has been enhanced by the fact they have an HEP car
> in the train so the locomotive prime movers don't
> have to tear their "guts" out pulling the train
> and providing electric power! I remember riding
> some of the the early San Joaquins out of
> Bakersfield. You could hear the F-40's screaming
> the minute you pulled into the parking lot!

Tom, do keep in mind that these F40s "tore their guts out" for around 30 years for HEP (if single unit ops or the 2nd of 2 units) and are still providing service to the GCRwy. Also, that Chicago's METRA F40PHs, many of which were built around the time of the earliest Amtrak F40s, are still "tearing their guts out" on a daily basis to this day in single-unit commute ops. And also that the current AMTK P42DC GE Genesis fleet still operates on the same constant speed principle as the older EMD F40PHs did/do. Though are not quite as loud due to their 4-stroke FDL-16 design, but still operating under the same constant-speed principle. And that these F40s ran under Amtrak under an 800,000-to-One Million Mile overhaul/Zero-Life Rebuild interval, while the current GE fleet operates under a 750,000-mile interval at the AMTK Beech Grove Shops. Sure, this type of service will be "easier" on the F40s out there, but it's going to take them a LONG, LONG TIME to rack up almost a million miles under this type of service!!!

RuleG Wrote:
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> kingman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Yeah now thats a train ! How bout going for the
> > 40-50S look with a brace of PA's or E's or F'S
> > maybe.
>
> You may enjoy this:
>
> http://shermanhillrails.org/trip.html

I sure would thanks for the tip but Im stuck on LI . The 951 picture is neat though.