Passenger Trains > Rocky Mountaineer Arrived Colorado 24 June

The Rocky Mountaineer arrived in Colorado on June 24, 2021.  Generator car RMRX 9272 was on the rear of the 14-car deadhead move from Canada shown crossing the Colorado River at Chacra, CO, June 24, 2021.  Train ran from Helper, UT, to Bond, CO, during the day.  Union Pacific’s Glenwood Springs Subdivision.

Video just east of UP's Whitehouse Siding, Utah - NO sound-



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/21 05:56 by cozephyr.

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The Rocky Mountaineer held the New Castle, CO, siding as Westbound Amtrak train 5, the California Zephyr, zipped by on the main 24 June 2021.

NO sound video.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/21 05:57 by cozephyr.

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First time these CN cars have ever entered the States since the pe-Amtrak CN/GT International service to Chicago ? 

Rocky Mountaineer 14-car passenger train deadheaded on Union Pacific’s Glenwood Springs Subdivision crossed the Colorado River near Chacra, CO, June 24, 2021.  The train commences Denver to Moab, Utah, on August 15th.  Passenger service will be 40 departures across 10 weeks from August 15 to October 23, 2021 over UP's Moffat Tunnel and Glenwood Springs Subdivisions.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/21 06:18 by cozephyr.

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Amtrak could learn a thing or two from these guys with regard to making a train appealing.

Nice looking train.

Right, at $1200+ per on-way ticket...it's a joke and will be as sucessful at the AOE and others...

And it is most likely SOLD OUT....

Indeed the inagural west bound trip is sold out. Remember the $1,200 includes a nights hotel stay and two meals. Take away the hotel cost and that's not that much for a day and a half train journey.

bert14 Wrote:
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> And it is most likely SOLD OUT....

Last I looked the First Run is either sold-out or nearly sold out in First "Plus" Class, but there's still space in Second "Silver Leaf" Class. RM will only go down the famous Crane Creek Branch about 20 miles terminating at "7 Mile", well before the scenic wonders of that branchline which hauls phosphate and nuclear dirty-dirt trains. Some differences I have been checking out between RM with Amtrak are: RM includes "gourmet" meals prepared off train. In comparison, Amtrak"s awful meals are extra but they are also prepared off train. Some RM cars have ceiling windows and only "Plus" cars have bars. Amtrak has an all-glass, double-deck "dome" lounge. RM does the ex-DRGW route in two days, Amtrak does the same route in less than one day--except the 20 miles on the Crane Creek Branch. RM tickets are around $1500+/- and includes a hotel/motel stop in Glenwood Springs--good luck renting a car! Amtrak's tickets are about $50, unless of course you take a sleeper missing 1/2 of the scenery. "You pays your money and takes your choice". Good luck RM! 



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/21 17:47 by RRBaron.

Rent a car?  Why would anyone want to rent a car for a quick overnight stop?  It's not like the train spends 2 days in Glenwood Springs.

Consist:RMRX2013RMRX2007RMRX2008RMRX5726RMRX2009RMRX2010RMRX2011RMRX2012RMRX3039RMRX2015RMRX2016RMRX3030RMRX5716RMRX9272

Train29 Wrote:
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> Indeed the inagural west bound trip is sold out.
> Remember the $1,200 includes a nights hotel stay
> and two meals. Take away the hotel cost and that's
> not that much for a day and a half train journey.

They've actually added dates in November because they hit sell out rates. I think this has LOTS of possibilities for Rocky - which is finally a well-funded company trying to capture the US Western Tour Market by rail. The fact that UP has agreed to host them - I think that also speaks volumes. Amtrak could easily establish a separte division and try to do top class tour programs at a profit to subsidize "money losing Amtrak" - but that would still be a little complicated in government hands. Hence why Rocky Mountaineer was formed. But they keep their profits!

RM's fare is a bargain compared to Bezos, Musk and Branson's fare plans.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> First time these CN cars have ever entered the
> States since the pe-Amtrak CN/GT International
> service to Chicago ? 

Pretty good chance some were used on the Atlantic across Maine between Montreal and Halifax after VIA took over in October 1979.

Ppl, amazingly enough, will pay a lot to be taken care of.   Any while it seems like a lot for a 2 day trip....probably not that much different than what it costs to take a cruise on a 400 person ship.

Problem with Amtk, IMHO, is that it is still "public transportation".  You'd think they would make sure 1st class passengers were really taken care of, but the quasi public amtrak does not have the ability to hire and fire based on a persons ability to work with people and keep passengers happy.

Amtk's top brass, IMHO, continues to be political appointees with political connections...who just take the job to increase their retirement payday.
They know the political system...dont make waves, get your check, go home.   Theres no incentive to shake things up at amtk and make it successful...other than Richard Anderson...but unfortunately, his vision short haul transportation, and to discontinue the long haul "liesure" trains, as he saw the liesure biz as just money loser that he had no love for.   If he had spun off "Amtk liesure" aa a separate amtk division, to someone who really wanted to tackle it, everyone probably would have loved him.

Lurch_in_ABQ Wrote:
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> RM's fare is a bargain compared to Bezos, Musk and
> Branson's fare plans.

There is a slight difference between leaving Earth for 20 minutes or several days vs a train ride around the Rocky's but I get what you're saying.. others might not. 

 I think this has LOTS of > possibilities for Rocky - which is finally a
> well-funded company trying to capture the US
> Western Tour Market by rail. The fact that UP has
> agreed to host them - I think that also speaks
> volumes. Amtrak could easily establish a separate
> division and try to do top class tour programs at
> a profit to subsidize "money losing Amtrak" - but
> that would still be a little complicated in
> government hands. 

Well, UP "speaks volumes" because RM paid volumes! 
Amtrak DID have a top touring train--it WAS called the Coast Starlight, but the negative blow-back to other Amtrak operations caused the company to knock the CS out of the First Class semi-posh market by eliminating its unique Pacific Parlour Car and not replacing it with something at least as good. I know, I worked for Amtrak and witnessed such "train-envy" all the time. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/21 23:01 by RRBaron.

sums007 Wrote:
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> Rent a car?  Why would anyone want to rent a car
> for a quick overnight stop?  It's not like the
> train spends 2 days in Glenwood Springs.

Rent a car, after the RM's summer 3PM arrival, to go the extra hour+ along the old DRGW Aspen Branch to Aspen and the Maroon Belles--one of the top US Rocky Mountain view points, rather spend the afternoon in a sweaty steam bath! God forbid I should have to spend 2 days in Glenwood Springs!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/21 18:15 by RRBaron.

Indeed, when one of the computer moguls travels by train, they usually rent a railroad's business car fleet, and we pay their fare because they don't pay their fair share of taxes. Bill Gates, on occasion, rented the entire Royal Canadian Pacific business car train when he was in the neighborhood. At times he still rents the cars from corporate. Anyone know why the RCP was really killed? I rode it several times on different routes and it even topped my Orient Express trips. Although arriving in Venice or Istanbul was more riveting than "Head Smashed-In Buffalo Jump." 



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/21 22:37 by RRBaron.

They don't pay their share? How much more should they pay?

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