The next widebody accident!

Master Shake747

What if there was an "Amtrak Airlines?" They would probably crash just as much as their trains derail which reminds me: When was the last time they had a derailment? Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.

LOT 737-300

I don't think they had a major derailment in two years, I'll ask someone who might know. This is funny though, because about a year or so ago, I painted up a AA MD-82 in Amtrak Phase III colors for Flight Sim 2000 (the red white and blue stripe was upside down compared to the real Phase III colors of Amtrak).
Here it is:

Master Shake747

Quote: Originally Posted by LOT 737-300 I don't think they had a major derailment in two years, I'll ask someone who might know. This is funny though, because about a year or so ago, I painted up a AA MD-82 in Amtrak Phase III colors for Flight Sim 2000 (the red white and blue stripe was upside down compared to the real Phase III colors of Amtrak). Here it is:

HAHAHAHA!! That's great!!! Amtrak with wings should make anyone think twice

FIRST JET

"This is you captain speaking; it seams we have lost a wing and we are returning to the airport. If you know how to use a Plasma welder, please push you flight attendant call button, Thank you"

Hapag-Lloyd

Isn´t "Amtrak" the native American word for "delay"?

dylan

I don't know about delays...but it is the ONLY way I will travel up and down the Eastern Seaboard. FU CK flying! Wider seats, more legroom, can use cellphone, quiet, no damn security, can't beat the scenery.

Amtrak Fan.

LOT 737-300

Quote: Originally Posted by dylan I don't know about delays...but it is the ONLY way I will travel up and down the Eastern Seaboard. FU CK flying! Wider seats, more legroom, can use cellphone, quiet, no damn security, can't beat the scenery. Amtrak Fan.

You do have a good point there, the NE Corridor especially is one of the most efficient ways to get around in the NE United States, much better than flying these days.

centaur747

London to Paris in 2 hours and 12 minutes was just tested and will be implemented. Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, China all have high speed train networks in addition to regular train service. Meanwhile the USA is still travelling like it is 1968 with the exception of Wash-NY-Bos. It is a sad statement of lack of infrastructure, lack of funding, lack of creative thinking and a lack of political intelligence.

LOT 737-300

Well, if I remember well, Orlando-Tampa and I think Cape Canaveral was going to have a maglev train that runs between the 3. But after the governor made the voters vote again for it, and convinced them that it would cost waaay too much money than the state was willing to spend, he managed to get voters to change their minds.

Well, first it was a maglev, then it turned into a Bombardier Turbine powered train, now it's not even in the works anymore.

Master Shake747

Quote: Originally Posted by LOT 737-300 Well, if I remember well, Orlando-Tampa and I think Cape Canaveral was going to have a maglev train that runs between the 3. But after the governor made the voters vote again for it, and convinced them that it would cost waaay too much money than the state was willing to spend, he managed to get voters to change their minds. Well, first it was a maglev, then it turned into a Bombardier Turbine powered train, now it's not even in the works anymore.

A Bombardier TURBINE Powered Train? That doesn't sound safe at all...I'd ride it!!!!

D-AIHC

Quote: Originally Posted by centaur747 Meanwhile the USA is still travelling like it is 1968 with the exception of Wash-NY-Bos.

No exception there! Even the with Amtrak's Acela, it's still way behind the high-speed rail transport technology in the countries you have mentioned.

Quote: Originally Posted by centaur747 It is a sad statement of lack of infrastructure, lack of funding, lack of creative thinking and a lack of political intelligence.

...and political will too!

D-AIHC

Quote: Originally Posted by Master Shake747 A Bombardier TURBINE Powered Train?

It's part of Disney World's joy ride!

LOT 737-300

Quote: Originally Posted by Master Shake747 A Bombardier TURBINE Powered Train? That doesn't sound safe at all...I'd ride it!!!!

It's been done already, ever hear of a locomotive called the "Big Blow"? I think Union Pacific was the only company to operate them and they are now retired, one is preserved I think. They actually drove the prototype down here for the media to ooo and ah at.

Union Pacific GTELs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Master Shake747

Quote: Originally Posted by LOT 737-300 It's been done already, ever hear of a locomotive called the "Big Blow"? I think Union Pacific was the only company to operate them and they are now retired, one is preserved I think. They actually drove the prototype down here for the media to ooo and ah at. Union Pacific GTELs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Are you sure you don't mean "Big Boy?" Those machines are massive. I live an hour from where they have one on display close to their Headquaters in Omaha, Nebraska. Good stuff. Aside from being a plane freak I'm also a railfan. Gotta love the trains

LOT 737-300

Quote: Originally Posted by Master Shake747 Are you sure you don't mean "Big Boy?" Those machines are massive. I live an hour from where they have one on display close to their Headquaters in Omaha, Nebraska. Good stuff. Aside from being a plane freak I'm also a railfan. Gotta love the trains

Nope, a Big Boy is a steam locomotive. It is Big Blow, I think the wiki tends to mention it twice in the 2nd generation part. I also recall that Hallmark had some pretty cool XMAS ornaments that were UP Big Blows. If you have Microsoft Train Simulator, someone made a very nice version of this for it, with various colors too.

gospodin

Part of the reason there's no real high-speed rail service in the US is the selfish attitude of most Americans. We would rather die than part with our cars, and to heck with anybody else who can't drive, we're not paying for that expensive train! The distances involved are greater, too. London to Paris is not that far, and driving thru the Chunnel is a nightmare, from what I've read. Much better to have a fast train. Same goes for other European countries where having a car is much more expensive than in the US. Japan has the same problems, mass transit makes sense in that country and in China, where EVERYTHING is government subsidized, and they are willing to show up the West at every opportunity (as with the Super MagLev in Shanghai). The US will always be backwards in societal progress...geez, it's hard to find anywhere that the power lines are buried and out of the way (so you don't have weather disasters disrupting power all the time). It's hard to find power poles in Western Europe or Japan.

jkwan12345

california high speed rail?

Welcome to CA High-Speed Rail Authority

LOT 737-300

Ah, another proposal, wonder if it'll be done. But seeing how California is always trying to outdo the rest of the country in enviromental friendliness, it might actually happen.

Wizz! HA-LPA

You see: in poland we have got only one highway route. In most of the european countries distances are too small for plane (like flight from wroclaw to berlin or paris to lyon). High speed train has sense only when travel people from point A to B (maybe with a few stops). Poland will build high speed line from Warsaw thru Lodz to Wroclaw (with 300 km/h - i don't believe this, when i see polish trains). Than you can travel from Wroclaw to berlin with 220 km/h (with EU43 electric locomotive) and from Warsaw to Moscow with 160 km/h (in Belarus - 120 km/h). This are only plans which could be realized after euro 2012. And the end: if you complain about US trains, did you know that traveling by russian train can take 36 hours from Moscow to Warsaw :-). By express :-D

Moomins