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When the Altamont Corridor Express was inaugurated the UP publicity department informed the media that it was the first UP passenger service to operate over Altamont Pass -- technically correct, but forgetting (or not knowing) that the CZ operated over the WP from 1949 to 1970(?) on tracks later acq...

With joint through trains so operated I'm sure that was all coordinated in advance; it happened every year in season, and the need came as no surprise. Of course in those days there was a lot of equipment on hand for such occasions.

I can't imagine what container line would consider calling at both Halifax and Portland on the same voyage; containerships are so expensive to operate that the emphasis is to make as few port calls as possible to keep the ships moving. It's been frequently commented that no vessel earns money while ...

Another unique feature apparently now gone: The FA's were equipped with air horns scratch-made from drawings .found in Roseville, apparently used on Interurban Electric and Pacific Electric interurbans dating from the early 20th century (maybe also NWP?). The line is largely side-of-road with many g...

I wonder whether anyone got a photo of the large concrete bumping block (at least as high and wide as a coach or RDC) at the end of at least one of the stub tracks at Newark Broad St., displaying a rectangular blue sign reading "END OF BLOCK."

The Class I railroads are all private companies, but their employees are subject to the Railway Labor Act; in fact all railroads were private companies when the RLA was enacted. Even Conrail employees were not Government employees when Conrail was owned by the Government. AUTOCORRECT ALERT: It wants...

There was a report at the time that the truck driver, as he was helped from his cab after the crash, was heard to mutter that he "didn't know it was the fast one." I think it was found that he drove around the lowered gates.

In many cases the installation of high platforms has been accompanied by a do-over of the entire station, including a rather substantial station building and of course ADA. I don't know what the selection criteria are -- maybe ridership? Trivia question: what was the earliest station in SEPTA territ...

That's a calculation often omitted: gazillions of dollars, but divided by how many passengers a day over the life of the project?

For sleepers that should be a given -- no fair having coach passengers subsidize sleepers. As to food service, not so easy. In theory, a passenger making a 2- or 3-hour trip can easily get something at the origin station, but some people, possibly many, have a really full day and hardly have time to...

And I thought it was because of so many cars sidelined awaiting repairs. Maybe both?

As long as first class covers its costs to the same extent as coach, why not give people a choice? And if it yields more than coach, so much the better.

On the PRR, if cab signals also had automatic speed control, each signal indication was associated with a maximum speed; i.e., Approach Medium = 45 mph, Approach = 30 mph, Restricting = 15 mph. At an intermediate point in each block there was a code change point that would drop the cab signal from A...

From Amtrak's point of view, I don't thnk parlor cars would pay for themselves. At ~28 seats per car plus an attendant in a white coat, whiskbroom in hand (put aside to help you on with your coat), I don't think they ever did. It's just something that was "done." Actually, I suppose you c...

Then how is it different from cab-signal systems that have been in effect for decades? They protect against rear-enders in exactly that way, including overrunning stop signals -- as long as you stay under 15 mph you can keep going until you hit something. I thought the whole point of PTC was that it...