I just completed my first trip (AMTRAK) on the former AT&SF from Chicago to Albuquerque and the former GN from Seattle-St. Paul (and--I presume--on the SOO Line/CP from there to Chicago). Some questions, please:
(1)There was a very long tunnel about an hour west of Whitefish,
Montana. It seemed longer than the 4.75-mile Hoosac Tunnel in
NW Massachusetts. Details, please? (How long? When built?)
(2)We seemed to be on secondary ("stick") rail into Grand Forks,
after smooth welded rail most of the way from Seattle. Does the
ex-BN/GN main line go direct to Fargo, and east to St. Paul from there?
(3)There was an old Budd observation car, with all windows sealed,
sitting at the AMTRAK St. Paul station. Any details on the owner and
original railroad for this car?
(4)What happened to the classic, old original St. Paul/Minneapolis
railroad stations? AMTRAK surely isn't one of them.
(5)The State of New Mexico is reportedly about to buy 260 miles
of former AT&SF/BNSF track from Belen, NM to Raton, NM. What
use will continue for:
(a)The line over Raton Pass, as far as La Junta? Does BNSF
move its Denver-California freight over this line?
(b)The line from La Junta to Newton, which cannot see much
traffic other than AMTRAK #3/4 and a few local freights...
unless there is a disaster somewhere along the Belen Cutoff?
(6)Which route(s) did the original GN "Empire Builder" and NP
"North Coast Limited" use from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Chicago?
Thanks for your replies.
(1)There was a very long tunnel about an hour west of Whitefish,
Montana. It seemed longer than the 4.75-mile Hoosac Tunnel in
NW Massachusetts. Details, please? (How long? When built?)
(2)We seemed to be on secondary ("stick") rail into Grand Forks,
after smooth welded rail most of the way from Seattle. Does the
ex-BN/GN main line go direct to Fargo, and east to St. Paul from there?
(3)There was an old Budd observation car, with all windows sealed,
sitting at the AMTRAK St. Paul station. Any details on the owner and
original railroad for this car?
(4)What happened to the classic, old original St. Paul/Minneapolis
railroad stations? AMTRAK surely isn't one of them.
(5)The State of New Mexico is reportedly about to buy 260 miles
of former AT&SF/BNSF track from Belen, NM to Raton, NM. What
use will continue for:
(a)The line over Raton Pass, as far as La Junta? Does BNSF
move its Denver-California freight over this line?
(b)The line from La Junta to Newton, which cannot see much
traffic other than AMTRAK #3/4 and a few local freights...
unless there is a disaster somewhere along the Belen Cutoff?
(6)Which route(s) did the original GN "Empire Builder" and NP
"North Coast Limited" use from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Chicago?
Thanks for your replies.