Railroad Forums 

  • Transcon or Race Track? Which do you like the best?

  • Discussion related to BNSF operations. Official site: BNSF.COM
Discussion related to BNSF operations. Official site: BNSF.COM

Moderator: Komachi

 #168061  by Amtrak31
 
It's a no brainer....Transcon :-D but what do you guys think? I feel that a lot more trains run on the Transcon and there is more variety. I like how fast the trains go on the Transcon. No better sound than hearing an intermodal fly by 70 MPH! :-)

 #168062  by AmtrakFan
 
RaceTrack all the way more variety, Lots of Trains 240 last I counted, the new logos get delievered there in most cases, more variety etc.

 #168069  by Amtrak31
 
240? :-o Busiest location in the Chicagoland Area is Dolton Junction (180-185)

I got to disagree with you that the Race Track gets more variety. Transcon gets BNSF, BN, SF, IAIS, CSX, NS, UP, IC, GT, CN, I've seen quite a few KCS, Metra, Amtrak, and too many more railways to count. Now both lines see slow days. I've seen slow days on the Race Track when I have been there, and I've also seen some slow days on the Transcon. During rush hour on the Race Track, it's all Metra. Got to mix some freight in there. During the Transcon's rush hour at Joliet, they allow freight to go through there. I'm not dissing the Race Track or Metra in any way. I live 10 minutes from Joliet Union Station on the Transcon, so it's quite convenient to get there in that short of time. In my appearances to the Transcon and the Race Track, I have seen more variety on the Transcon.

 #168070  by Amtrak31
 
When you say 240, I'm assuming that is including the Metra rush hour. The freight that run down the Transcon make up for the amount of Metra that doesn't run down the Transcon. :-)

 #168074  by AmtrakFan
 
Amtrak31 wrote:When you say 240, I'm assuming that is including the Metra rush hour. The freight that run down the Transcon make up for the amount of Metra that doesn't run down the Transcon. :-)
Well Yes I am but I didn't count Yard Movements which would push it up to 300 or so. Oh Yes it isn't all Metra anymore there is a fair amount of freight during rush hour now they dumped the freight curfew recently.

 #168083  by Amtrak31
 
AmtrakFan wrote:Well Yes I am but I didn't count Yard Movements which would push it up to 300 or so.
Yeah but all the freight that run down the Transcon makes up for the yard movements that the Transcon doesn't get.

 #168084  by Amtrak31
 
Actually, the Transcon does get yard movements. We have the Intermodal Yard in Willow Springs, and Channahon. Lots of movements down there.

 #168367  by Joe
 
Racetrack!

Transcon!

BN!

ATSF!

BNSF!

BNSF!

Oh wait, those last two are the same. What's the point?
 #168413  by Komachi
 
What's the point?

Ford, General Motors or Mopar? (Or "imports?")

John Deere, Oliver, CaseIH, Farmall or Ford?

Harley-Davidson, Suzuki, Yamaha or BMW?

Freighliner or Peterbuilt?

EMD, GE, ALCo., BLH or FM?

BNSF, UP, CSX or NS?

Tastes great! Less filling!

Need I go on? Spirited debates like this used to break out in my high school's cafeteria and it was interesting to listen to the guys debate why the Camaro was better than the Mustang, or GTO over the Charger, etc.

So why not debate the superiority of the Transcon vs. the Racetrack? Why not toss out another line that you think is better than the two choices? (Whenever the Ford vs. Chevy arguments broke out I'd always toss out "AMC" just to get a rise out of the guys.)

So, if you wish to toss another BNSF route into the mix, feel free to do so.

Just remember, I want a clean fight. (Sound of boxing ring bell)

 #168447  by doepack
 
For me, it has to be the racetrack. It's got the right combination of accessibility and variety, plus it runs through some of the more picturesque sections of suburban Hinsdale and Lisle, which makes for some excellent photography oppurtunities under the right conditions. Not to mention the rich and storied history of this line as well, after all, this was once the route of the Zephyrs, as well as those venerable E units that began life as a second-generation diesel units in cross-country passenger service for one railroad, and ran commuter service for two railroads plus two different agencies, but were ultimately destined to proudly wear the green and white of the Burlington Northern until the end. All of that, and then some... happened here. So whether you call it the Q, BN, BNSF, or the racetrack, you're still talking about one of the most amazing railways in the country, as vibrant, vital, and relevant today as it was yesterday, and will continue to be even more so in the future as its endless saga continues through its varying degrees of evolution. Quite simply, the racetrack, forever. May it always be thus...

 #168735  by AmtrakFan
 
I like the Racetrack alot because it is more accessable, better angles, lots of history and more interasting places to shoot from. The Dome Car started in Aurora, The Streamliners started here, this was the beginning of what the Q called everywhere west. This line was the nucles of what formed some of American Greatest Railroads the CB&Q and the BN. The line has gone thru changes but it is big time Midwestern Railroading now as it was in 1950. Always the Racetrack for me the Transcon can't come close to matching it.

 #168738  by Amtrak31
 
I must say all the angles on the Race Track are the same, except for a few bridges. In a lot of spots, it's just straight track. On the Transcon, we have a lot of curves, LOTS of bridges with lots of beautiful scenery. The towns which have less than 100 people in each of them is so quiet, all you can hear are the crickets chirping and train horns coming from over 5 miles away. You can see the trains coming for 5 miles on the Transcon. I'm positive that you can't see that on the Race Track. As far as history goes, the Rock Island originated in Chicago (which is the Transcon). That just makes it better right there. :-) I will admit that the Race Track has some nice locations but they just aren't better than what the Transcon has. ;-)
Last edited by Amtrak31 on Tue Sep 20, 2005 9:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 #168742  by AmtrakFan
 
Remember the BN Line had SP run on it for many years which brought lots of SP Power all dirty, clean which was like once in a 400 Units, lots of leased Power, Amtrak's 800 series ran their 1st trips on the RaceTrack, We have the IHB crossing over it which has some interasting shots. With the SP running on the Racetrack my Dad loved SP even though he grew up as a Milwaukee Road Fan.