Passenger Trains > Greensboro NC - Piedmont = Southwest Airlines on rails

I haven't been out to try to capture the northbound Crescent due to wanting to keep warm under the covers at my friend's house.  But I do try to walk off some of the great food that I have been consuming which ranges from homecooked Thai to Thanksgiving turkey.  I brought a freakin bag of Cretors all the way across the country in a car and then to Caswell Beach NC (between Myrtle Beach and Wilmington NC) which is still unopened!  No trains to speak of around here on Oak Island, but here is what I captured on November 26, 2021 in Greensboro.  I like this location due to a slight curve from the south and one curve way up at the north end of visiblility.  The alignment is roughly north-south which makes photography possible depending on time of day and season.  I think I've been coming here often enough to experience all seasons except for winter.

I happened to take my walk in time to see Piedmont train 75 head southbound towards HIgh Point with unfavorable sun.  Next, a few minutes later was Piedmont train 74 towards GSO.

I like these paint schemes.  They remind me of Southwest Airlines with the same colors.  It's a nice touch with the large white star on the locomotive nose and the red, white and blue ones towards the rear of the car body connected by the yellow stripe.

1) telephoto shot of 74 with 1984, City of Kannapolis, pulling hard and fast.

2) cropped pic of the whold consist at MacKay Road.

3) aldo cropped, locomotive 1797, City of Ashville, bringing up the rear.

Terrapin Station

"Tons of Steel" by the Grateful Dead.  Studio album version with sound effects courtesy of Cal-Train.  Scroll down towards the bottom for info.

"I know these rails we're on like I know my lady's smile,
We see a dozen dreams in every passing mile.
Can't begin to count the trips she and I have made,
But I wish I had a dollar for each time we've both been down this grade.
..."

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Impressive!

Very  nice, Shows  what  can  be  done  with  older  equipmenr!!

Nice work! It's great to see those nostalgic trains running on the Piedmonts. We all should enjoy them as much as possible while they are around as eventually Amtrak and NCDOT will want to replace those heritage cars and the motive power.

cutboy1958 Wrote:
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> Very  nice, Shows  what  can  be  done  with
>  older  equipment!!
Very true and Amtrak could have and should have rebuilt most of their quality "Heritage" passenger cars, especially many domes.  But you all know how our government can waste our tax dollars.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

NCDOT's rebuilt cars and rebuilt locomotives have been very successful, but NCDOT can't wait to replace them with new equipment.

I bet they do a better job making sure all their trains are ready to go everyday compared to Amtrak!

We will have to see what NCDOT decides to do for replacing the Piedmonts. In a few years if possible, I would love to make a trip down to Charlotte after the brand new station opens up-right now early 2023. I hope to be able to ride in the Piedmont equipment before it's replaced. I have some friends who live in Charlotte and Atlanta but some of my Atlanta friends are in Charlotte a lot-a visit to them would be an incentive to take a train ride down there from NJ.

At least the windows are clean…..

Posted from iPhone

Drknow Wrote:
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> At least the windows are clean…..
>
> Posted from iPhone

Getting home in April, I took the Carolinean from High Point to Raleigh, thence bus to RDU, Southwest to Long Beach CA.  Train windows were dirty.

Here's one of the Piedmont train 74.  It was kicking up lots of leaves at speed.  Question:  Where did they get names for these coaches?  The first coach on this consist was named "Plott Hound".  One on the other train was called "Box Turtle".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/21 15:51 by TerrapinStation.

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Note that the trains in the photos have at least six cars (four has been the standard).  
NCDOT is adding additional cars over Thanksgiving - something Amtrak used to do
Andy

All these pictures are of clean locomotives and coaches. 🤷‍♂️

Posted from iPhone

TerrapinStation Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Drknow Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > At least the windows are clean…..
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> Getting home in April, I took the Carolinean from
> High Point to Raleigh, thence bus to RDU,
> Southwest to Long Beach CA.  Train windows were
> dirty.
>
> Here's one of the Piedmont train 74.  It was
> kicking up lots of leaves at speed.  Question: 
> Where did they get names for these coaches?  The
> first coach on this consist was named "Plott
> Hound".  One on the other train was called "Box
> Turtle".
They are named after North Carolina state landmarks or symbols

Correct. The coaches are (or were) Cardinal, Dogwood, Honey Bee, Long Leaf Pine, Scotch Bonnet, Plott Hound, Channel Bass, Gray Squirrel, Emerald, Box Turtle, Granite, Carolina Lily, Frazer Fir, Sweet Potato, Strawberry, and Venus Flytrap. Lounge cars are (or were) the Sounds (Albemarle, Pamlico, Core, Currituck, and Bogue) and the Rivers (Yadkin and Haw). The RBBX coaches would have been assigned names of counties. https://on-track-on-line.com/amtk-roster-cars.shtml (scroll down to NCDOT).

Thanks for the replies.  I noticed more of the car names this morning.  Initially, I read that the Crescent was late again and went to get some photos of it.  Didn't get much.  However, I managed to get Piedmont train 75 at my favorite xing.  After that, I was out of position when Piedmont 74 came by.  I also heard a NS train in the distance and was able to capture that.

Terrapin Station

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ClubCar Wrote:
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> Very true and Amtrak could have and should have
> rebuilt most of their quality "Heritage" passenger
> cars, especially many domes.  But you all know
> how our government can waste our tax dollars.
> John in White Marsh, Maryland



You have to remember what the POLITICAL situation was at the time. YOUR Elected Congress Critters were DEMANDING that Amtrak make a PROFIT.!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember TrainOrdorders super MOCKED. "Glidepath to Profitability"? Nevermind how much damage that caused Amtrak in the long run. It allowed Amtrak to SURVIVE to fight another day.

Who do you VOTE for? How many of you have communicated your opinions of Amtrak with the politicians that You Elected?????

Crickets as usual!

Brian

choodude Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ClubCar Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Very true and Amtrak could have and should have
> > rebuilt most of their quality "Heritage"
> passenger
> > cars, especially many domes.  But you all know
> > how our government can waste our tax dollars.
> > John in White Marsh, Maryland
>
>
>
> You have to remember what the POLITICAL situation
> was at the time. YOUR Elected Congress Critters
> were DEMANDING that Amtrak make a
> PROFIT.!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> Remember TrainOrdorders super MOCKED. "Glidepath
> to Profitability"? Nevermind how much damage
> that caused Amtrak in the long run. It allowed
> Amtrak to SURVIVE to fight another day.
>
> Who do you VOTE for? How many of you have
> communicated your opinions of Amtrak with the
> politicians that You Elected?????
>
> Crickets as usual!
>
> Brian

What makes the North Carolina (NC) equipment so special? Well, similiar to the VIA Heritage equipment..... Appears that NC maintained, refreshed, repaired, cared for, and refurbished a the equipment a few times in the past 20+ years and it has served in the Piedmont service very well. NC even bought additional Heritage passenger cars in the course of the last 20 years to put into service OR keep in reserve (the Circus cars). So somehow they got happy with said equipment, rather than trying to buy new. Those are all key words - maintained, refreshed, repaired, cared for, etc. - that I am not sure Amtrak fully understands. NC had the perfect excuse to pitch - in order to get new equipment. But that seems to have not happened. Again, over the years they purchased more of what Amtrak would classify as "Heritage equipment" and renewed what cars they had. Seems to have worked well. Amtrak on the other hand - couldn't get rid of their Heritage equipment fast enough starting in the mid-1990s. There were options they could have pursued, and solutions to problems that could have been done. 

As for the "Glidepath to Profitability?" As quickly as Warrington exited and Gunn came in, the DOT knew their was only one Glidepath Amtrak was on - to bankruptcy if they didn't come up with some sort of emergency appropriation. DOT quickly cobbled together some money to loan Amtrak - twice in a short period of time after Gunn laid out the facts and debunked the fallacies (explaining to the ramifications if the NEC came to a screeching halt).

Amtrak decided to standardize their equipment - which is fine. But they should have held on to some of the more differentiated equipment - in the Heritage equipment line. They could have used it to build a specific product line. Only the Pacific Parlor Car on the Coast Starlight came close. Rocky turned old CN-Dayniter coaches into single level viewing cars (now called Silver Leaf). VIA turned ex-CP stainless steel Budd cars (Chateau Sleepers) into Prestige Class Sleeper cars and Park/Dome Cars. Or  added a premium car (of Heritage origin) to create a "Touring Class" that could charge more money for. All these former "Heritage" cars did. Amtrak could have even standardized the Heritage fleet they held onto if they wanted to. Another key word - wanted to. Instead Amtrak kept neglecting and looking......hoping for replacements. Certainly 50 Viewliner Sleepers that Amtrak used to replace the Heritage sleepers weren't nearly enough - and quickly were labeled as "junk." Even the Amtrak performance reports of 2008 modelled out how the Cardinal could benefit (revenue wise) if it had a short dome in the consist from Washington DC to Chicago.............  

This morning, Tuesday, I decided to do video today of Piedmont 74 and 75 at the closest crossing to where I'm staying in Greensboro.  It's a leisurely 25 minute walk with some uphill terrain.  The trains meet within a few minutes of one another which is also handy.  It seems that traffic dies for a few hours after these run by.  I know nothing of when NS runs through here other than hearing them when I'm not trackside or accidentally encountering one.  Other than driving to Pomona Yard and asking a NS employee, how would one find out what's moving and when?

Thanks to the above members for thoughtful responses to my photos with interesting information and links.  I could pick off a number of the car names as mentioned above in my videos.  I appreciate the analysis of the state of NC taking care of their investment in this service and equipment compared to Amtrak.  I would use the Piedmont if I could, but my flight out of Charlotte late next week is in conflict with train arrival.

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