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Privately-Owned Rail Cars

amtrak.com

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Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars

#241
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, you're subscriber number one then. Anyone else? I'm completely serious. Private Varnish (ie: private railcars) have always been something I love. It would be a hoot to live in one with my fam for a year (if I can convince them).

I'm all on this for actually helping physically do this (even for loose definitions of physical, like run a website haha, but I'd imagine someone on HN restoring a train carriage could manage a Wix/SquareSpace/etc site by themselves)... I've wanted to build a steam engine since I was a kid, I thought it would be amazing to design a stupidly modern steam engine and break the world records with it, and this, while this…

People are building steam locomotives, they're are several projects in Britain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_locomotives_of_the_21st_...

Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars

#242

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm all on this for actually helping physically do this (even for loose definitions of physical, like run a website haha, but I'd imagine someone on HN restoring a train carriage could manage a Wix/SquareSpace/etc site by themselves)... I've wanted to build a steam engine since I was a kid, I thought it would be amazing to design a stupidly modern steam engine and break the world records with it, and this, while this…

People are building steam locomotives, they're are several projects in Britain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_locomotives_of_the_21st_...

That sort of backs up my point though, the majority (all but one!) of the projects are rebuilding traditional steam engines for heritage/historical reasons. The one advanced/modern project was abandoned for lack of interest and done by a private company.

Also I’m in Western Australia… One of the two Australian projects on that page (based in Victoria) no longer has a functioning web page, which is not a good sign given the cost of a website compared to rent for a workshop big enough for a steam engine. The other project is making slow progress over the last decade building a replica of a late 19th century design which while cool and I hope they eventually finish it, doesn’t stoke the fires of my imagination enough to uproot my entire life to move closer so I can physically help make it happen.

Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars

#243
post #17

This is my "if I won the lottery" dream. Which it would have to be, since everything about it isn't cheap. Purchasing a Pullman car then upgrading it to Amtrak standards will cost at least $300k. Any interior upgrades are on top of that (renovating the galley with modern appliances, adding central air since some cars used block ice for cooling). Amtrak requires you add 480v head-end power (but you will likely want a…

> Personally I wonder why Amtrak doesn't offer a "Presidential" fare they should call it "railforce one"

Cool that you made that connection - the Ferdinand Magellan is an armored rail car that was used by various presidents since FDR, and is on display at a museum near Miami. It's name when the president was on board was "U.S. Car No.1"

The famous "Dewey defeats Truman" newspaper photo was taken on it's platform.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2NNujJKJL4

Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars

#244
post #17

This is my "if I won the lottery" dream. Which it would have to be, since everything about it isn't cheap. Purchasing a Pullman car then upgrading it to Amtrak standards will cost at least $300k. Any interior upgrades are on top of that (renovating the galley with modern appliances, adding central air since some cars used block ice for cooling). Amtrak requires you add 480v head-end power (but you will likely want a…

>For the less than 100 private cars in operation in America, why does Amtrak even offer this service? What are you trying to ask? Don’t you answer this question, below? >Like the first class section on an airliner, it's effectively all profit for them since the train was going there anyway and the extra fuel to haul it & supply power is minimal. Or are you saying, there’s only 100 private cars, why not allow a Presid…

No post body was provided.

Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars

#245
post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Use free software?

I'm absolutely pro-FOSS but also want to point out that just the licence cost comparison here isn't too meaningful. Licence + maintenance cost fould be a much more sensible figure (and much less likely to be zero).

That is true. But paying for commercial software doesn't free you from having to maintain said software. So while some software might be easier to maintain than other, I think it is fair to just compare the license prices if you have no additional insight into the organization and how their IT operates.

Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars

#246
post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've travelled on a few luxury multi-day train trips* and also lived for months out of a bus, camping in forests, etc. Both have felt very safe to me. People are unnecessarily paranoid about camping in forests! The best aspect of the train trips are catered food/drink, not having to drive and otherwise sitting in your cabin with a book. Obviously you don't have the flexibility of stopping, backtracking or deviating a…

How would you compare the luxury multi-day train trips to a (sea) cruise ? I am generally interested in trying out the multi-day train, I done many overnight sleep trains in the UK. I like cruises, (like you said not having to drive siting with a book and watching the next destination get closer).

I haven't done a sea cruise, other than on a freighter from Shanghai to Hong Kong back in the early 90s: not luxury! I've also done overnight trains through Asia/India/etc which are a great experience, but nothing luxury about them (triple storey bunks, people sleeping in the aisles).

The train/cruise trips I linked have been free/contra as I'm a photographer, but in each case I've largely had the same experience as a passenger, just without feeling a need to measure my enjoyment against the cost. The Kimberley trip with Coral Expeditions is comfortably at the top - you're in and out of inlets and amongst islands so the views are always interesting and changing, the landings via Zodiacs are to beautiful/historic places. Catered meals, drinks with views, cloudless weather every day, adventurous and interesting people to meet and eat with at meals. The optional afternoon lectures might be about exploration history, indigenous art, animals and environments, by seriously experienced guides. There's more variety in strolling the ship - bridge and engine room tours as well. And 100pax is a great size because you know everyone by name by the end, unless you've tried to avoid it you've had a meal with everyone including the captain, etc.

Of the Journey Beyond trips, Great Southern is the best of the two I've done. Same train as The Ghan, but it's a newer trip so the off-train wine/dine is ramped up and impressive (we photographed the second-ever trip and had the designer of the route/locations along with us). The food and drink is relentless - you eat and drink at wineries, lunch in an old gaol, out beside the beach, amongst mountains, etc. On train, you're typically in the dining carriage (2-4 person tables), the bar/lounge where you can meet other passengers, or in your small room. The base cabin is a couch which turned into a top/bottom bunk; higher class option has a queen murphy bed. On those trains, not a single window in the passenger areas is openable, so it's a bit stuffier.

The cruise rooms were far larger, king-size beds, excellent en suites, a completely comfortable and usable desk, balcony, etc. Lying on the bed with a book or working at the desk with the balcony doors open to the breeze and passing ocean was just serene. At meals, there were tables for 4-10 people and you'd just ask to join any available spots; even for an introvert, you inevitably meet interesting people. The sorts of people who are on a $1k/night expedition cruise are typically well-travelled, have interesting jobs, etc. Over 60 meals, even the dullest people I sat with were a decent, friendly couple who I was happy to talk with.

The rail trips are great, but feel a bit more contained and herded. 2-3 nights feels like it's over quite quickly too. Both formats typically attract older clientele, though there were solo 40-50s on our trips, and I find all ages fun to engage with anyway. Meals on the rail trip were probably better; The Ghan actually does a nice thing where the meals are relevant to the area you're passing through. So as you leave South Australia you're eating seafood but by the time you're in the Northern Territory, it's barramundi, macadamias, mango, buffalo, etc.

Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars

#247
post #235
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes that's true. They try to put private cars at the front or rear of a train, but sometimes they aren't able to. So you may have the public walking through as you eat dinner. Comes with the territory {shrug}. Train crew (conductors) always have the right to walk through the car. If your train goes into Tampa Florida for example, the train has to reverse out of the station to a wye so it can turn around. If you are t…

> The new trainsets that Amtrak just ordered from Siemens Mobility come with cab cars, so the crew can use that to control the train and not be out in the weather So basically a caboose? Albeit more sophisticated.

No, it is a passenger car with a full driving cab hooked into the multiple unit control lines to operate the locomotive at the other end.

Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars

#248

Quoted post unavailable.

I mean just to devil's advocate this — why is it more ridiculous than a private RV? Feels like something that could have been completely normalized in a different timeline with more common train transit.

Because we have a lot of roads and car infrastructure.

We don't have many trains or much rail infrastructure.

Re: Privately-Owned Rail Cars

#250
post #17

This is my "if I won the lottery" dream. Which it would have to be, since everything about it isn't cheap. Purchasing a Pullman car then upgrading it to Amtrak standards will cost at least $300k. Any interior upgrades are on top of that (renovating the galley with modern appliances, adding central air since some cars used block ice for cooling). Amtrak requires you add 480v head-end power (but you will likely want a…

Too late to add this to my original post, but a video popped up where an AAPRCO member and car owner allowed a Youtuber to travel on his private car while it and several other cars were being positioned from Chicago to West Virginia for a charter trip. Includes the stunning Cedar Rapids observation car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSkysFOkupI

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