Fantastical Thread

[Jeff Smith]

LMAO^. He's like any other politician; it's local, and it's know your audience and how rare they like their red meat.

[andegold]

How about a completely underground high speed route Boston - Montauk - NY? Follow that with a direct routing through PA to Pittsburgh skipping most of NJ and all of SE Pennsylvania. Then to top it off run a tunnel from NY to Atlantic City. Rather than running it deep do it just shallow enough to create a bump just off shore to provide some sort of sand reclamation buffer for the beaches along the way.

[rr503]

...Then to top it off run a tunnel from NY to Atlantic City. Rather than running it deep do it just shallow enough to create a bump just off shore to provide some sort of sand reclamation buffer for the beaches along the way.

NO!
Reactivate the CNJ Southern division, electrify it, and watch the foam explode!

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Train from California to Hawaii (a really long bridge!)

The (intercity) train industry would be like the plane/bus industry where competition exists rather than the "monopoly" that exists now...

[STrRedWolf]

Amtrak (through a DoD grant) procures some exotic transportation technology from a little known research group.

Testing takes place on stub tracks built at New Orleans, Tallahasse, and Orlando. Special trains are built "to protect passengers".

Trial runs show that travel times decreased dramatically to mere minutes between stations. This is causes Amtrak to reclassify all routes as "Scenic" and to apply the technology to the Accella DC-BAL-PHL-NYP route. Travel time shrinks from 3 hours to 30 minutes.

Airline react and start lobbying Congress, but the damage is already done. Amtrak profits explode, and other railroads are paid to expand to allow for more service. Honolulu service is created as the Fire Chief Express; Anchorage service gets the Polar Express after negotiations with a movie company (Tom Hanks gets a lifetime golden ticket).

[Greg Moore]

With such technology I'm envisioning a Master Sergeant calling out as chevrons on a portal at the starting point are engaged.
With the use of additional chevrons, train travel can continue to such planets as Abydos.

Unfortunately, the power requirements to get beyond our galaxy are deemed too high and only very rare trips to such are made.

Detour trips though become quite interesting as you may be routed from Miami to Chulak to LAX.

[gokeefe]

An Amtrak excursion fleet of equipment from the "rainbow" era including a restored E-8.

Everything in working condition, steam mechanical and all.

Wow.....

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

A joint Amtrak/VIA LD from San Francisco to Anchorage via that vaporware Alaska Railroad-Yukon mainland connector that the 2 countries have been talking about for decades.


Oh, come on...you know you'd be stoked for that, and that enough Congresscritters will be pork-motivated enough to fund a few guilty calories on the side for it.

[east point]

Dudley:: Add to your Alaska. Continue the route on to Siberia under the Bering strait. Run a once a week passenger train to Peking and another to Moscow.
The run many container trains as well.
Get locos reliable enough to cover the whole distance ?

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

Dudley:: Add to your Alaska continue the route on to Siberia under the Bering strait. Run a once a week train to Peking and another to Moscow.
The run many container trains as well.

Better: dual-gauge Superliner III trucks coasting over the break-in-gauge.

[David Benton]

Recreate Paul Thoreaux's old Patagonia express journey, Amtrak all the way to Argentina.
Not sure how it will get through the wall though .

[Greg Moore]

Recreate Paul Thoreaux's old Patagonia express journey, Amtrak all the way to Argentina.
Not sure how it will get through the wall though .

Reminds me, I need to read that. I have a copy here.

[David Benton]

Recreate Paul Thoreaux's old Patagonia express journey, Amtrak all the way to Argentina.
Not sure how it will get through the wall though .

Reminds me, I need to read that. I have a copy here.

If I remember correctly, The Amtrak train here takes to the Mexican border is the Interamerican.

[Backshophoss]

The term is "was" the Interamerican,this route has been discontinued for years.......

[MACTRAXX]

An Amtrak excursion fleet of equipment from the "rainbow" era including a restored E-8.

Everything in working condition, steam mechanical and all.

Wow.....

GO and Everyone:

I would go a little further here - and go for Amtrak's best from the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2010s decade...

Examples: 70s: 1979 HEP equipment as used on the Broadway Limited and Lake Shore Limited.
80s: AEM7 with Metroliner Service trainset.
2000s: Acela Express trainset(s)

I like that 70s trainset example from the Rainbow Era but to me Amtrak came into its own in the late 70s with
the Heritage Fleet rebuilding project introducing HEP along with the then-new 492 strong Amfleet One car fleet...

We can all post our Amtrak favorites by decade here - or start a new topic if it can be deemed more appropriate...

MACTRAXX