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MACTRAXX, since the new funding was secured, all of the threatned July service cuts will not occur. But I wouldn't be surprised if CTA has another funding crisis again next year, and we're threatned yet again with another round of "doomsday" service cuts...

An interesting topic - compare our MP complaints against the LIRR forum's DM30 complaints - you'd think they're the same locomotive... At least on this forum, there are people like myself and MetraRI that actually like the MP36's, and there are a few positive posts here about them, so there is a li...

On UP's Geneva sub, several midday trains in both directions are scheduled to arrive at College Ave. at either precisely the same time, or within 1-2 minutes of each other. They coordinate their movements so as to not arrive there simultaneously, so normally, the engineer on the EB will initially co...

I wonder, however, if Amtrak is a big enough distraction. While the unrest in Iraq and the social security crisis are indeed more important issues to address, I'm afraid Amtrak isn't nearly a big enough distraction as, say, the Michael Jackson trial, or almost any other form of that ghastly scourge...

Is there any reason why #1251 doesn't go right onto the center track from the start? Under normal conditions, all outbound trains curve onto the Chicago sub on MT 1, entering Union Ave interlocking "B" plant, just east of the Halsted platform. Metra express, as well as Amtrak trains switc...

It may have taken awhile, but the new College Ave station on UP-W is finished. Complete with a brand new waiting room, improved lighting on the platforms, and ramps for the disabled, plus addtional parking spaces. It's a fairly pleasant station now that it's done, and I suppose it counts as an upgra...

Amen.

Anybody know when these cars are going to start earning their keep in revenue service? Or is testing still ongoing? BTW Mike, you're right...
the inside of the cabs do look like an airplane cockpit. Nice pics...

Mike, it's funny you should mention the role that the predecessor railroads played here, because that precise thought came to mind as I was reading the book about classic railroad terminals. The discussion about the 5/1/71 formation of Amtrak and the fact that many train numbers were imported from t...

NS and CSX each currently operate seperate lines in VA between Orange and Charlottesville. Amtrak has trackage rights over both, using NS for the Crescent, and CSX for the Cardinal, or so I understand according to the desktop version of my 2003 North American railroad map. The CSX route goes through...

How exactly, does Metra go about assigning train numbers for revenue trips? Some routes, like BNSF seem to follow a certain logical pattern, most weekday trains are in the 1200 series and the weekend trains are in the 1300 series. The same can be said of UP-NW service, with weekday and weekend servi...

Friday's UP-W train 49 had 4 7700's in its nine-car consist. That's the most I've seen strung together in a while, usually it's only 2 or 3. But they seem to be pretty much down to rush hour appearances on the UP-W line, don't really see them that much on midday trains anymore...

On many Saturdays, I've seen train 1311 (the 2:30 departure from CUS)
run with two locos on the point. Usually two F40PHM-2's, but an MP36 works its way into the combination at times...

I live a few miles south of CNIC's Freeport sub, as it passes through Carol Stream IL. Traffic on this line seems light to moderate, but every train I've seen is heading eastbound. Perhaps it's just a coincidence, but does anyone know if CNIC runs any regular westbound freights along this line?