Amtrak Thread

What are Sup Forums's thoughts on America's piss poor attempt at railroad nationalisation that forever ruined passenger train travel in this country?

You would think Americas slave history would help with transporting people as freight

america nationalized passenger trains in the UK?

Was almost hit by one.

Jumped out of the way at the last second. I still have ptsd about it. Will have dreams of a train coming my way and wake up before it hits me frightened.

It was my own dumb fault. I was listening to y headphones while crossing the tracks and for some reason the lights didnt go off so I just casually walked on across until I seen it in the corner of my eyes and fucking jumped for my life. I could feel the force of the train dragging my shirt it was so close.

I'm OPing from an Amtrak train BTW.

wtf I'm several thousand miles away from the UK.

Amtrak is the comfiest way to travel
>roomy seating
>comfy beds
>place to charge phone, electronics
>wireless access
>dining car
>viewing car
it's slower than a plane, but by God is it superior in every other way

kek

Frederick Douglass actually escaped slavery by hoping onto a Baltimore and Ohio passenger train with forged papers.

Most terrifying experience of my life. Spent 26 hours awake with a knife in one hand guarding my backpack. Muggers on the train were digging through sleeping passengers bags or threatening the ones awake with their chimp pack. Kept waiting for me to fall asleep and patrolled in shifts. Will never ride a train again.

True enough.

It's still a hollow shell compared to the luxuries of the trains of old like the Panama Limited or the Powhatan Arrow.

Americas regional airlines do a much better job of passenger transport that trains could, and slow trains are okay for freight. Therefore America isn't missing much by not having as good rail services as other countries.

We invited the plane and then went around and built the 747. Why the fuck would I get on a train?

if we had nice trains they'd be ruined by minorities in a month. Because of all the non whites, we literally can't have nice things

>You will never criss-cross the country in a dome car.

God fucking damnit, Superliner coaches are so fucking ugly. And the paint job gets worse by the year.

Why couldn't we arrange for the the private railroads to keep their unique and luxury passenger services in exchange for government reimbursement?

Next time, don't ride coach if you're staying overnight.

No TSA rape for starters.

Also, the conductors don't give a shit if you light up a bong during smoke stops.

I hope you can get over your own stress about trains because they really are a great way to move product like grains/ lumber / ore

But Amtrak is a fucking joke

I took it from SF to Chicago and back, two people ODd, we stopped in the desert and picked up drug dealers, and it's pretty damned boring after Denver. The bit over the Sierra and through the Colorado was amazing though.

Overall I think getting shipping trucks off the highways and improving freight rail would go a long way toward keeping our transportation budget under control, semis do so much damage to freeways you wouldn't believe. The main issue with Amtrak is that they have to give priority to frieght and there's not enough rail to let them go the speeds they need to go to be viable. Once we get freight shipping economically viable, the infrastructure will improve and passenger tourism rail will be much more doable.

I'm just not going to ride at all.
That train was the closest to Africa I've ever been, and I don't want to go back anytime soon.

>SF to Chicago and back

I assume you were taking the California Zephyr, one of the greatest trains ever to grace this state.

I get fucking triggered by the fact Amtrak doesn't actually have a station in SF.

For Christ's sake, the Coast Daylight was the most profitable passenger line in it's day and it makes no fucking sense that a major American city would not have a train station (Caltrain sucks and doesn't count).

They need to just scrap the Coast Starlate, buy a couple of the old New York Turboliners and Make the Coast Daylight Great Again.

I kind of want to take an Amtrak from New York to Maine or Vermont just to see how nice it is up there in the fall

F40PH! FUCK YEAH!

Reminder that CalTrans has confirmed every decade since the GGB was built that it's 100% strong enough to carry two tracks of modern freight rail on the underdeck

Bring the rail out from Sacramento over 37 or near wine country, then down into SF and the peninsula.

> And then extend it up to Eureka or get rid of the CCC and let us build a damned panamax port

Are you the same autistic /n/ poster that used to spam here every week or so about muh amtrak?

...

>he thinks he survived that day

...

...

This made me laugh harder than it should have

Anyone have the version with omniwheels?

>This made me laugh harder than it should have

this is a typical youtube comment.

No. /n/ sucks the chrome of a '57 Chevy bumper.

kek'd

The F40 wasn't as nice as the bulldog nose locos that preceded it, but it definitely looks better than the Genesis, especially since the Genesis locos all have fucking awful paint jobs.

Amtrak looked half decent in the 70s now all their trains look like abortions on wheels.

#MakeAmtrakUseTheBloodyBulldogNoseAgain

My dad is an Amtrak worker. He says their entire executive board is gay guys.

Also I live in Philadelphia and it's basically an open secret that train from last year that derailed was done so because the engineer's boyfriend broke up with him and he was trying to commit suicide.

Amtrak is gay as fuck.

Amtrak is doing great in cargo stuff.

It's because they use the freight rails like BSNF gets first priority. Now if Amtrack had it's own rails it could be 100% more awesome.

proxyfag?
could have tried to be more interesting

Except the closest connecting railroad to the Golden Gate, the Northwestern Pacific shut down years ago and building the connecting track would easily cost billions and the city of San Fagcisco would be butthurt that their greatest landmark would have its carrying capacity cut in half.

Then again, it's still more feasible than California High Speed Rail.

You're a typical youtube comment

Sounds about right.

Legitimately not a proxy.

AmtrakConnect Wifi is weird man.

>regional airlines do a much better job of passenger transport than trains could
thats cos america rail infrastructure is back in the 60s. just look at high speed rail lines such as in germany, france or japan. faster than flyinng because you dont have to go to an airport

Does this look like the JewK to you?

As a proud American, how do I best utilize this national treasure and maximize my enjoyment out of traveling the land in a comfy as fuck train?

1. Bring a book because wifi is shoddy at best.
2. Bring a camera, you'll see some interesting stuff. For example, the Coast Starlight runs right through AFB Vandenberg and you can see all the launchpads for rockets. I even saw a tractor towing the new X-37 OTV once.
3. Buy first or business class if it's available, especially for overnight trips.
4. Get drunk off your ass if they're doing winetasting.
5. If you're willing to spend a $500+, see if a private rail company like Iowa Pacific Holdings is running a train to your destination. Often, you'll see older and comfy as fuck Streamliner and dome cars coupled to the back of long-distance trains and riding these beats Amtrak any day.

You should time it so you are there about October 4th. Stowe, Vermont is the place to go.

>He isnt autistic about trains

Confirmed for pleb taste

this