Nostalgia & History > Sunrise on the PV Car Yerba Buena

The northbound Coast Starlight has John Kirkwoods PV Car Yerba Buena bringing up the rear markers a few years back. The Sun is just coming up behind Mt Shasta. The lucky riders enjoying the rear platform are Dave Maffei, Maureen, John Signor and John Kirkwood. Is this still a no no with Amtrak.while the train is in motion?

Robert Morris
Dunsmuir, CA
Robert Morris Photography

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it is...

Rules like that generally don’t get LESS strict over the years.

Posted from iPhone

In our society today, if it's fun, interesting or exciting, there's sure to be someone trying to restrict, outlaw or otherwise discredit it.  Columbus would have been jailed, the Wright Brithers charged with conspiracy and Bill Gates with disturbing the peace. Maybe we've got to get a handle in this "Keeping everyone safe..." mantra.

Fine photographic art.
Bob

a737flyer Wrote:
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> In our society today, if it's fun, interesting or
> exciting, there's sure to be someone trying to
> restrict, outlaw or otherwise discredit it.
>  Columbus would have been jailed, the Wright
> Brithers charged with conspiracy and Bill Gates
> with disturbing the peace. Maybe we've got to get
> a handle in this "Keeping everyone safe..."
> mantra.

So true.  Whatever happened to common sense governing our lives instead of lawyers out for a fast buck?

Nice photo! Is Mr Kirkwood still up in your neighborhood? If so, say Hi if you see him..
SR

Dear Bob, I love that picture and I see it everyday I'm in Mount Shasta. On a different wall in my house I have a painting by John Signor of the same setting but with blue sky, a white snow covered Mt. Shasta and a brightly colored foreground.
Let's get together sometime soon.

John Kirkwood

It was a day to rember for sure. Sailing on the YB along the base of Mt Shasta that morning. The coast line trip was perfect as well that Halloween 🎃 trip. As Bob Hope said "Thanks for the memories" ... 

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Steam Crew conductor Jim Coker was just talking about this last week. The editor of the Denver Post was riding the platform of one of the UP cars on the Frontier Days train. Coker strongly requested that the crowd back there move inside because slack action in the train could cause someone to fall off the train...

One would think that if you own a Million Dollar piece of private varnish and could afford the Amtrak rates to move it, they'd allow you to ride on your observation deck as you wish, but alas times have changed. 

tolland Wrote:
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> Steam Crew conductor Jim Coker was just talking
> about this last week. The editor of the Denver
> Post was riding the platform of one of the UP cars
> on the Frontier Days train. Coker strongly
> requested that the crowd back there move inside
> because slack action in the train could cause
> someone to fall off the train...

Never, ever saw anyone come remotely close to falling off an open platform in the dozens and dozens of times I rode on one.  Risk management fright for sure.

-John

Thanks for the memories Bob and congrats on another IOTD! Our fondest, all-time memories include the charter of the OHIO RIVER in April, 1996. We traveled behind the Southwest Chief, Coast Starlight, California Zephyr and Missouri River Runner fora round trip from KC to KC. The open platform was a highlight and we felt no danger even when we were going 90+ mph in Kansas and Colorado. I remember us outside clocking a mile in Eastern Colorado - 98 mph. BTW you get really dirty out there but who cared as we had a shower on board. Our train stalled on Raton Pass and we had to back up to Trinidad with the Conductor protecting the move from the comfort of the platform while sitting. We stalled again on Glorieta Pass and had to be rescued by a BNSF freight unit -  a Santa Fe warbonnet (how appropriate). 

I remember my brother and I looking at the stars as we passed through the Northern Arizona night (from the open platform). Because of the freight unit leading we kept losing time and arrived in LA 8 hours late. However the word was out that No. 3 was very late with a Santa Fe leader. Literally hundreds of rail fans were seen between San Berdo and LA and we obliged as celebrities waving from the rear platform. There were many other rear-platform memories from that trip but especially riding outside over Donner and through the canyons of Colorado. I am so blessed to have those memories as all those riding along with us have passed except my wife of 36 years. I truly hope folks riding these cars can experience the open platform riding again.

PCBill



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/23 07:24 by bmarti7.

bmarti7 Wrote:
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BTW you get
> really dirty out there but who cared as we had a
> shower on board.

Which is why I rarely rode the platform on TAMALPAIS and don't really miss it on REDWOOD EMPIRE.  That said, the Amtrak rule is foolish.

tolland Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Steam Crew conductor Jim Coker was just talking
> about this last week. The editor of the Denver
> Post was riding the platform of one of the UP cars
> on the Frontier Days train. Coker strongly
> requested that the crowd back there move inside
> because slack action in the train could cause
> someone to fall off the train...

UP had the policy before Amtrak , and it may have been an Ansco car on the rear , he made the comment on?  Then with UP cars on the back they clamped down.  And maybe UP twisted amtrak's arm.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/23 09:20 by dan.

No one has ever been injured riding on the platform of a privatecar on an Amtrak scheduled train.  It's really that simple.  I have riden over 600,000 miles on my car "TIOGAS PASS" including many miles on the platform without any incidents or injuries, including two memorable trips thru the spiral tunnels on Canadian Pacific in Alberta.  There is something remarkable about riding the open platform that cannot be equalled.  Private car owners indemnify Amtrak from all liability while the private car is moving on Amtrak trains, so what is the concern?

TIOGA PASS

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

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Beautiful photo with Shasta wearing a heavenly beret.  

a737flyer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In our society today, if it's fun, interesting or
> exciting, there's sure to be someone trying to
> restrict, outlaw or otherwise discredit it.
>  Columbus would have been jailed, the Wright
> Brithers charged with conspiracy and Bill Gates
> with disturbing the peace. Maybe we've got to get
> a handle in this "Keeping everyone safe..."
> mantra.

That's a ridiculous statement considering the number of serious injuries and fatalities in occupations such as logging, coal mining, and fabrication of iron & steel for bridges and buildings.

HT6 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> So true.  Whatever happened to common sense
> governing our lives instead of lawyers out for a
> fast buck?

Jury awards by our peers.

HT6 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> a737flyer Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > In our society today, if it's fun, interesting
> or
> > exciting, there's sure to be someone trying to
> > restrict, outlaw or otherwise discredit it.
> >  Columbus would have been jailed, the Wright
> > Brithers charged with conspiracy and Bill Gates
> > with disturbing the peace. Maybe we've got to
> get
> > a handle in this "Keeping everyone safe..."
> > mantra.
>
> So true.  Whatever happened to common sense
> governing our lives instead of lawyers and certain POLITICIANS out for a
> fast buck?