Passenger Trains > Three more 110 MPH Michigan Amtraks

Was able to get some more video of three of the 110 MPH Amtraks through Lawton, Michigan, Thursday afternoon.

Amtrak #358 AMTK 127 AMTK 31 @ 5:56 P.M.
Amtrak #359 AMTK 34 AMTK 27 @ 6:47 P.M.
Amtrak #364 AMTK 35 AMTK 37 @ 7:16 P.M.

Thursday, September 18, 2014, passing through Lawton, Michigan, on that section of 110 MPH Amtrak Line.

The sun was really bright and the two eastbounds are kind of looking toward, but not directly, into the sun, but the glare is so so I guess.
I edited the two eastbounds down to just the trains passing over the street crossings. The westbound #359 turned out really nice, so I left a little more of the video in that segment.

There is an old passenger depot there in Lawton, that is an American Legion Hall. We've never seen anybody near it, but today we happened to catch one of the Members there and we asked him if we could have a look inside. On my, he spent about 20 minutes showing us the interior spaces and how they've remodeled parts of it and then he took us around the exterior showing us how they've maintained the exterior of the building. So.....the first train I caught, #358, sneaked right up on me, and I couldn't find a spot to mount my camera, so the first segment I'm holding the camera in my hand up against a pole to try and keep it steady.

The other two are better, but that second eastbound you can't even see coming until it's right at the crossing because of the sun.

This video may not be perfect, but it certainly shows those trains flying through that little town.

Ron

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Great videos, and really good to speed higher speed trains, but does it really take 2 modern, diesel-electric locomotives to get 6 lightweight passenger cars up to 110 mph? It usually only took 1 steam engine.

coach Wrote:
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> but does it really take 2 modern, diesel-electric locomotives to get 6 lightweight passenger cars up to 110 mph?

I don't know.....what I've heard is that....Yes, it does take two to get them up to speed fast enough. If that makes sense.....they want them to get up to 110 as fast as they can, not be dragging 10 miles until you finally get it moving.


Ron

That's actually still cool how Michigan did that with their corridor, nice job on their part, now if some other states, including my home state, would live with that instead of piling in who knows how much into their own right of way which actually is still dragging their feet!

This segment is from Michigan City to Kalamazoo. They are currently in the second year of a three project to upgrade the rest of the line from Kalamazoo to ....somewhere near Detroit. This portion will have spots where they will be able to do 110 MPH, but there will be quite a few places where the curves won't allow it, at least not with the current equipment.

I read somewhere a couple days ago that Michigan and Amtrak are trying to buy those two Talgo train sets that Wisconsin didn't purchase.

So maybe with that equipment they will be able to get the maximum speed over a larger portion of the route.


Also, I found a photograph of the Depot in Lawton. I mentioned it in the original post above.


Ron



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/14 00:01 by Ron.

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Thought the reason for a diesel at each end was the lack of turning facilities.

At those speeds they certainly have to rush the crossing whistles in a town!!

David

I like the gustnado in the last clip.

Labby Wrote:
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> Thought the reason for a diesel at each end was
> the lack of turning facilities.

Me too.

Great videos, really shows how fast those trains blast through town. Would love to see more places in the US where trains run regularly at 110+ mph.

Nathan

I was onboard #359 in this video on that same day! How cool! Stumbled upon this on accident, odds of that?