Passenger Trains > Southwest Chief on UP Railroad Maybe??

Could the Southwest Chief go on UP Railroad say from Kansas City, MO to New Mexico somewhere get on Southern Route there in State of NM, I think Golden State Route?? But I know Amtrak  don't think of that either.

The UP - BNSF crossing of the Golden State and Southern Transcon routes is grade-separated.  I don't believe there's a connecting track, but could be wrong on that.  There's also even less population on the UP route than either of the BNSF routings.  

Dave

That former ATSF to SP connection is located in VAUGHN NM.
I really doubt that the UPRR (Borg) would want ANY Amtrak trains
on the major mainline "Golden State Route".
Good idea and attempt in thinking OUTSIDE the box to
solve the Raton Pass dilemma.
That VAUGHN NM route would require going thru the
very very busy former ATSF Abo Canyon and Belen NM yard terminal route.
---- Daniel

It would be technically possible for the Southwest Chief to run on UP rails from Kansas City Union Station to Vaughn, NM. This might include a couple of backup moves, one in KC and one at Vaughn to change from one to the other. Note I said technically possible.. 

Clarence

After making the Hutchinson, KS stop on the BNSF LaJunta Sub, they could cross over onto the UP's Golden State Route just west of Hutchinson near UP's Morton Yard.  There is a nice connection for westbound BNSF to westbound UP, or eastbound UP to eastbound BNSF.

I agree though, that UP would probably say "NO".

Mike

There is a connecting track, but would require a back-up move. It appears a new connecting track could be built in the NE quadrant without too much trouble - probably only about a 1% grade and, with high speed turnouts, a 70 mph speed limit.  Let's maybe set up a crowd funding site to raise money to build it, cover all other capital projects that will be needed, and then set up an escrow account with the extra to ensure future funding for the train.

railcity Wrote:
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> Could the Southwest Chief go on UP Railroad say
> from Kansas City, MO to New Mexico somewhere get
> on Southern Route there in State of NM, I think
> Golden State Route?? But I know Amtrak  don't
> think of that either.

Folks, I thought this was clear- Amtrak has route options, they just don't want to spend the money to start service on any of them.  Bob

Ridership would blossom with the prospect of riding over the "Sampson of the Cimarron" 
bridge  ( LOL disclaimer here ).

what freight railroad that currently does NOT have Amtrak running on it would allow daily Amtrak service without HUGE capacity increases?

66

goneon66 Wrote:
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> what freight railroad that currently does NOT have
> Amtrak running on it would allow daily Amtrak
> service without HUGE capacity increases?
>
> 66

Providence and Worcester?

    Capacity problems are only in the minds of the dispatchers and the mis-managers above them. The Golden state route is soon to be all 136 lb CWR and PTC is already going in. Some towers are up, others are being put together on the ground. Connection switches don't exist, hah !! That's like saying they couldn't run because of the wind blowing the wrong way. Like all government things, someone(s) just needs to be paid off.

bnsfbob Wrote:
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> Folks, I thought this was clear- Amtrak has route
> options, they just don't want to spend the money
> to start service on any of them.  Bob

It's clear for about 24 four hours.  Then, someone starts a new thread and everything starts all over again. 

Ain't Trainorders fun?

It's a blast, just sucks Railcity's  not looking at how yeah 3 and 4 will stay on the north line, it's a matter of how the trackage in New Mexico's gonna fair and I don't believe there'll be a stupid dumb butt 180 day notice either!

Aw, just lay rails alongside US 56 from Dodge City, KS to Springer, NM and bypass Raton. Shorter and less headaches. And Amtrak would own their own rails.

Looks level on google maps.  Why did ATSF not use that route instead of  Raton Pass and Apache Canyon?

David

santafe49 Wrote:
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> Aw, just lay rails alongside US 56 from Dodge
> City, KS to Springer, NM and bypass Raton. Shorter
> and less headaches. And Amtrak would own their own
> rails.

wasn't that the proposed "colmor cutoff" route?

66

goneon66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> santafe49 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Aw, just lay rails alongside US 56 from Dodge
> > City, KS to Springer, NM and bypass Raton.
> Shorter
> > and less headaches. And Amtrak would own their
> own
> > rails.
>
> wasn't that the proposed "colmor cutoff" route?

That was indeed basically the Colmor Cutoff.  Such a shame they stopped construction only ~35 miles from completion and then ripped the whole thing out.

And I believe there is a Santa Fe depot that still exists on site in Clayton, NM from this cutoff effort.

Edit:  I just checked on Google Maps and the depot is still there.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/15 13:19 by drgwmp344.

While all these ideas for rerouting the Chief are neat, you'd have to convince them to move off the established route on the "Passenger Main" since it seems they're going to be there in perputuity.  http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/legislature/amtrak-chief-will-keep-rolling-through-new-mexico/article_b51ca7dc-cee0-573b-9e9c-dbe50eaa7b9d.html



 

El_Duderino Wrote:
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> While all these ideas for rerouting the Chief are
> neat, you'd have to convince them to move off the
> established route on the "Passenger Main" since it
> seems they're going to be there in perputuity.
>  http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/legislatur
> e/amtrak-chief-will-keep-rolling-through-new-mexic
> o/article_b51ca7dc-cee0-573b-9e9c-dbe50eaa7b9d.htm
> l

Maybe not perpetuity, but at least as long as the Feds (aka Congress) continue to fund them.