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Re: GE Transportation pressing for Amtrak deal

 by rhallanger ¦  Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:01 am ¦  Forum: Amtrak ¦  Topic: GE Transportation pressing for Amtrak deal ¦  Replies: 134 ¦  Views: 15411

http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=22333 Infrastructure upgrades, PTC and new rolling stock on Amtrak's 2010 agenda With major projects and new initiatives on tap to rebuild infrastructure, increase service and revitalize the nation’s intercity passenger railroad, Amtrak is an...

Santa Fe in Western Merced/Fresno Co, California

 by rhallanger ¦  Sat Aug 08, 2009 12:03 am ¦  Forum: Western Railfan ¦  Topic: Santa Fe in Western Merced/Fresno Co, California ¦  Replies: 0 ¦  Views: 2233

I have been looking at Google Maps and see that there is a road in western Merced/Fresno county between Newman-Los Banos-Dos Palos-Firebaugh-Mendota that is called "Santa Fe Grade". I do not see any reference to ATSF ever having a line in the Western side of the county in this area, rather...

Fresno - Shorter UP Trains?

 by rhallanger ¦  Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:52 pm ¦  Forum: Union Pacific ¦  Topic: Fresno - Shorter UP Trains? ¦  Replies: 2 ¦  Views: 1309

Purely anecdotal, but it seems to me the manifest trains I see in the Fresno area are MUCH shorter. Just about every manifest I see looks like about 60 cars with two locomotives on the head end and sometimes one on the rear of the train. I was used to seeing 100 car trains. Are the trains, in fact, ...

Re: Madera Flyer

 by rhallanger ¦  Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 pm ¦  Forum: Union Pacific ¦  Topic: Madera Flyer ¦  Replies: 2 ¦  Views: 1326

Did anyone notice the taggers already put grafitti on that caboose. Nice to see the caboose back. I see it being used all the time here in Fresno.

Re: If 1 new Amtrak route was to be added, what should it be?

 by rhallanger ¦  Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:25 pm ¦  Forum: Amtrak ¦  Topic: If 1 new Amtrak route was to be added, what should it be? ¦  Replies: 100 ¦  Views: 9502

My favorites for add in rank order are based on defunct Amtrak routes - the top 5 are listed in order, but I added some add'l long distance trains discontinued by Amtrak for info. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Amtrak_routes #1) The Desert Wind (LAX-LAS-SLC) #2) The Pioneer (SEA/PDX-SL...

Donner Pass, Caltrans and Prop 1B

 by rhallanger ¦  Sat Jul 26, 2008 7:36 pm ¦  Forum: Union Pacific ¦  Topic: Donner Pass, Caltrans and Prop 1B ¦  Replies: 0 ¦  Views: 1308

In 1993 SP removed Track 1 from over the summit of Donner Pass between Norden and Eder (Shed 47) and track 2 between Switch 9 and Cisco. The reason I heard was to reallocate the valuable 133/136# rail to the more heavily used Sunset Corridor for track expansion and to keep costs down. (Is it true th...

Re: When did the AT&SF reach Raton Pass?

 by rhallanger ¦  Thu Oct 04, 2007 10:38 pm ¦  Forum: BNSF Railway (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) ¦  Topic: When did the AT&SF reach Raton Pass? ¦  Replies: 2 ¦  Views: 1771

According to Donald B. Robertson's book, Encylcopedia of Western Railroad History, The Desert States, P. 189, he says that the line was opened from Trinidad, CO - NM state line on 12/7/78. And then they continued south from CO/NM stateline and opened the line to Las Vegas, NM on 07/4/79 (funny how t...

Official Railway Guide "Coupon Station"

 by rhallanger ¦  Wed Aug 29, 2007 11:53 pm ¦  Forum: General Discussion: Fallen Flags, Trolleys, and Interurbans ¦  Topic: Official Railway Guide "Coupon Station" ¦  Replies: 5 ¦  Views: 14179

I was looking at an old Official Railway Guide and several locations have a "+" next to the location. It says "coupon" station. What did that mean. On older ORG's I also saw that there were several that had a special symbol for telegraph office. Why was that worthy of noting in t...

 by rhallanger ¦  Sat Jun 16, 2007 8:44 pm ¦  Forum: Union Pacific ¦  Topic: Locomotives on Both Ends of Train ¦  Replies: 11 ¦  Views: 4091

Distributed power (DP) allows for longer trains, a productivity issue. It also has the effect of reducing horsepower/trailing ton, which is more fuel effficient. Look for more of this on UP as time goes on. Thanks, with a little google search I was able to look up "DP" a little more in-de...

Locomotives on Both Ends of Train

 by rhallanger ¦  Sat Jun 16, 2007 7:52 pm ¦  Forum: Union Pacific ¦  Topic: Locomotives on Both Ends of Train ¦  Replies: 11 ¦  Views: 4091

Over the last several months I've noticed the train configurations are consistently different than I've seen in the past here on the UP in Fresno, CA. I now see locomotives on the head-end of the train, but virtually every train has locomotives also in the rear 4/5ths of the train or on the very tai...

Re: Railroad Ghost Towns

 by rhallanger ¦  Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:42 am ¦  Forum: General Discussion: Fallen Flags, Trolleys, and Interurbans ¦  Topic: Railroad Ghost Towns ¦  Replies: 73 ¦  Views: 56620

What are some of the biggest railroad ghost towns in the U.S? I am referring to towns that have lost all of their railroad service. Xenia, OH would be my best choice. It once had SEVEN lines trasversing it, and today nothing remains except some ballast and telephone poles. I have a book about railr...

Re: City of San Francisco, ca. 1966

 by rhallanger ¦  Sat Oct 21, 2006 10:44 am ¦  Forum: Union Pacific ¦  Topic: City of San Francisco, ca. 1966 ¦  Replies: 3 ¦  Views: 1637

According to the April 26, 1964 Official Railway Guide, which probably remained unchanged in 1966. Train #101, the City of San Francisco, was scheduled to arrive at Ogden, UT from the Union Pacific at 6:40 P.M. At Ogden, the crew shifted from a UP to an SP one for the remainder of its journey, leavi...

Re: SURFLINER

 by rhallanger ¦  Sat Oct 21, 2006 10:25 am ¦  Forum: Gaming & Simulations ¦  Topic: SURFLINER ¦  Replies: 10 ¦  Views: 4686

This is hands down the bestt add-on I've got for the program. The tracks are modeled VERY accurately. I've you've taken the line, you'll recognize places. The locomotive sound is VERY real sounding, up to the K5LA horn and engine throttle. The scenarios are awesome. You'll even hear radio/scanner tr...

 by rhallanger ¦  Fri Oct 20, 2006 10:26 pm ¦  Forum: Union Pacific ¦  Topic: Double-stacks over Donner? ¦  Replies: 3 ¦  Views: 1928

I heard a rumor 5-10 years back that UP was able to drop an inch or two in tunnel clearances over Donner by using steel or plastic crossties. Any truth to that? The original # 1 from Norden to eder, and the section in the gap' ( switch 9 - shed 10 ) could handle twin stacks and autoracks. the #1, th...

Re: UP train service questions

 by rhallanger ¦  Thu Oct 19, 2006 10:41 pm ¦  Forum: Employment ¦  Topic: UP train service questions ¦  Replies: 12 ¦  Views: 1869

The below link to PDF is excellent. Explains the trip rates, progression of pay, probation, etc. Especially useful for Northern California UP hires (Roseville Hub). This would be nice if every UTU Local made something like this. http://www.utu492.org/new%20Hire%20Survival%20Kit.pdf Well I recieved a...