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Achaemenid HGW XX/7 from Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1 Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
HGW XX/7
#1: Aug 26th 2013 at 1:55:45 PM

Howdy,

I thought I'd make a thread for tropers to discuss that most wonderful of conveyances, the railway. This will be a thread for tropers to discuss trains, rail news, their uses, rail routes, and anything in between. So if you've got an experience of trains to share, or want travel advice for any journeys, or just want to ask a few questions, here is the place.

I thought I'd start with a wee icebreaker. I'm going to list:

  • My favourite train route: Tied between the East Coast Main Line and the West Highland Line (both UK). I've had the joy of riding both lines all the way.
  • My favourite train: The Awesome Yet Practical Union-Pacific Big Boy. Built in the 1940s to haul stuff over the Wasatch mountains, the Big Boy still runs.
  • The route I'd most like to travel on: Tied between Beijing-Kwangchow in China and Moscow-Pyongyang.

What about you guys?

Train news:

Former British Chancellor warns HS2 high-speed rail could mean total nightmare for the UK. I'm torn about this: on one hand, I don't want a bad experience with HS2 to prevent any HSR project being set up, on the other, I loathe NIMB Yism and want to see this succeed.

Deutsch Bahn is to test anti-graffiti drones to ward off pesky kids.

China's former rail minister has been given a suspended death sentence. Serious business, coruption.

Edinburgh City's idiotic tram project set to cost as much as a Saturn V.

Schild und Schwert der Partei
Quag15 Since: Mar, 2012
#2: Aug 26th 2013 at 3:03:11 PM

Preferred train: Alfa-Pendular (Portugal);

Would like to check: the various European railways. Essentially doing an Inter-Rail.

It's still too expensive, but I think there will be more power sockets in most trains, since more people wanting to use their computer for long travels.

There are my current thoughts on trains and so forth.

[up]How expensive are your train tickets? For the sake of comparing. For the Alfa, I usually pay around 30 Euros, while in the Inter-Cities, I pay 20-24 Euros (depending on the place and the student discount).

edited 26th Aug '13 3:23:14 PM by Quag15

Demetrios Lord of the Jungle from Des Plaines, Illinois (unfortunately) Since: Oct, 2009 Relationship Status: I'm just a hunk-a, hunk-a burnin' love
Lord of the Jungle
#3: Aug 26th 2013 at 3:08:43 PM

Having done the research on it for my short story, I'd like to take a ride on the Rovos Rail. :)

I also remember the video I saw of a tour through Canada by way of train. That one looked like a lot of fun. [tup]

Heaven is a tropical rainforest.
RainbowMatt Prettiest Pony :3 from the cave of unspeakable naughtiness Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Prettiest Pony :3
#4: Aug 26th 2013 at 3:12:56 PM

They are talking about running a line from central Iowa to Chicago and then eventually running it all the way to Ohio. It would be Amtrack. I guess that would be kinda cool. Wouldn't have to drive to Chicago anymore for planes and such. The part they are doing now is almost completely funded. Only needs one more years of funding and it will be a done deal. As it is now it could be stopped at the border with Iowa and Illinois if funding dries up the next year, but I am thinking they already gave to it 2 yrs, they prolly will the last.

Devypu's~ Big Pony :3
MikuruFan from Away Since: Nov, 2012
#5: Aug 26th 2013 at 3:46:53 PM

I'm interested in planning transportation lines for a living, especially railroads.

I would support a widespread network of conventional rail run by various companies. I don't believe that high speed rail bs.

RainbowMatt Prettiest Pony :3 from the cave of unspeakable naughtiness Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Prettiest Pony :3
#6: Aug 26th 2013 at 3:53:27 PM

Yeah, what they are doing here will be just be the one that goes like 75 mph I think. But that is still as fast as driving there, if not faster if you completely obeyed the speed limit. I just wonder what the ticket costs will be though :/

Devypu's~ Big Pony :3
TAPETRVE from The city of Vlurxtrznbnaxl Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: She's holding a very large knife
#7: Aug 26th 2013 at 3:58:42 PM

I love riding trains. One of many reasons why I never got a driver's license and still refuse to get one.

Fear the cinnamon sugar swirl. By the Gods, fear it, Laurence.
MikuruFan from Away Since: Nov, 2012
#8: Aug 26th 2013 at 4:07:49 PM

75 mph sounds reasonable.

What I mean is the completely dense and frequent service one would expect in Europe or Japan.

RainbowMatt Prettiest Pony :3 from the cave of unspeakable naughtiness Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Prettiest Pony :3
#9: Aug 26th 2013 at 4:11:45 PM

Yeah, that would never happen nationwide here. Too much open space first of all, and too many people just prefer driving.

Devypu's~ Big Pony :3
MikuruFan from Away Since: Nov, 2012
#10: Aug 26th 2013 at 4:13:59 PM

I mean there are already railroads. Some of the ones that just go through small towns can have only two trains a day. There are more than one railroads that run between major cities, so those could be developed.

It makes more sense in the East Coast and southern Canada, which are denser.

RainbowMatt Prettiest Pony :3 from the cave of unspeakable naughtiness Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Prettiest Pony :3
#11: Aug 26th 2013 at 4:18:01 PM

Yes.. that's true. We should be utilizing rail more, no doubt about it. If the price was right I would use it sometimes. Little mini-vacations and such over the weekend.

Devypu's~ Big Pony :3
MikuruFan from Away Since: Nov, 2012
#12: Aug 26th 2013 at 4:22:30 PM

One of my few experiences with Amtrak was poor. There was a creepy guy seated behind me who noticed I was writing something on the computer and told me to write a story about a kid who got bullied. He kept leaning over to talk to me.

When I came out of the bathroom, he was there. I went back in, but I can hear him telling me not to be afraid of him. It wasn't until he tripped and fell on a little boy, whose mother repeatedly cried out about it, that he was taken elsewhere. Turns out he was drunk.

Later, one of the tracks broke from the extreme cold in the night. The train had to pass slowly. The train just stopped often at sidings and such. Why is it that such frequently used track still has only one track and no electric wires?

edited 26th Aug '13 4:22:36 PM by MikuruFan

PhysicalStamina so i made a new avatar from Who's askin'? Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
so i made a new avatar
#13: Aug 26th 2013 at 4:22:51 PM

The standout steam locomotives for me are the Norfolk and Western 611, Frisco 1522 and 1530 (which I can't find pictures of), Nickel Plate Road 765, and these narrow gauge steam engines.

[up]I rode the Acela from here to Baltimore only once, and it was a smooth ride.

edited 26th Aug '13 4:25:08 PM by PhysicalStamina

MikuruFan from Away Since: Nov, 2012
#14: Aug 26th 2013 at 4:28:12 PM

What we need are cards like the Tap card, but work on multiple operators across multiple modes of transport. Even taxis. T Money or Cash Bee are equivalents in South Korea.

Lemurian from Touhou fanboy attic Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Buried in snow, waiting for spring
#15: Aug 26th 2013 at 4:30:53 PM

My favourite train route: The Bergen Railway, going Oslo-Bergen. After leaving the plains of Eastern Norway, crossing Hardangervidda and descending into the fjord valleys of Western Norway gives a magnificent view, no matter what season. And near the end of the journey, I can see my parents' home. Yes, I'm terribly biased, but I love this train trip.

The route I'd most like to travel on: Perhaps somewhat cliché, but as an Agatha Christie fan, it's the Orient Express. I'd also love to try the Trans-Siberian.

edited 26th Aug '13 4:36:38 PM by Lemurian

Join us in our quest to play all RPG video games! Moving on to disc 2 of Grandia!
MikuruFan from Away Since: Nov, 2012
#16: Aug 26th 2013 at 4:33:57 PM

I really want to try the Tōkaido Shinkansen sometime.

MikuruFan from Away Since: Nov, 2012
#17: Aug 27th 2013 at 11:18:15 AM

I'm toying with the idea of having freight railroads run passenger trains again, running redundant lines for competition, but with how they feel about passenger trains it seems unlikely.

PhysicalStamina so i made a new avatar from Who's askin'? Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
so i made a new avatar
#18: Aug 27th 2013 at 11:18:57 AM

[up]Aren't there Burlington Northern passenger trains? I think Norfolk Southern has them too.

MikuruFan from Away Since: Nov, 2012
#19: Aug 27th 2013 at 11:20:37 AM

I should try those sometime.

PhysicalStamina so i made a new avatar from Who's askin'? Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
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#20: Aug 27th 2013 at 11:24:07 AM

I'm actually not sure now. I know both had them at some point, but the may not run anymore seeing as I can't find any information on Google about them.

MikuruFan from Away Since: Nov, 2012
#21: Aug 27th 2013 at 11:25:53 AM

Aww.

We're so behind on rail transportation. We still use single tracked non electrified lines even for major corridors.

RainbowMatt Prettiest Pony :3 from the cave of unspeakable naughtiness Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
Prettiest Pony :3
#22: Aug 27th 2013 at 11:37:52 AM

I was just down in Norfolk on vacation last week! Well technically Va. Beach proper, but we did go to Norfolk. Saw the Battle ship Wisconsin and walked around downtown and ate at a really good Italian Restaurant who's name I have forgotten.

edited 27th Aug '13 11:39:12 AM by RainbowMatt

Devypu's~ Big Pony :3
PhysicalStamina so i made a new avatar from Who's askin'? Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: It's so nice to be turned on again
so i made a new avatar
#23: Aug 27th 2013 at 12:01:42 PM

You didn't happen to see any non-Amtrak passenger trains, did you?

Catfish42 Bloody Fossil from world´s favourite country. Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Bloody Fossil
#24: Aug 27th 2013 at 12:09:51 PM

Favourite train/engine: German Baureihe 01 express engine, either with the large Wagner wind deflectors or in 01.5 rebuild form. Followed closely by various 30ies - 40ies streamlined engines from the US.

I also have to say, the idea of a long train journey fascinates me, something like the Indian Pacific all the way across Australia.

edited 27th Aug '13 12:10:00 PM by Catfish42

A different shape every step I take A different mind every step of the line
Achaemenid HGW XX/7 from Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1 Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
HGW XX/7
#25: Aug 27th 2013 at 12:55:04 PM

How expensive are your train tickets? For the sake of comparing. For the Alfa, I usually pay around 30 Euros, while in the Inter-Cities, I pay 20-24 Euros (depending on the place and the student discount).

A lot depends on when you book and buy them. I've got a Railcard, so I can walk into a station and get a two part return for the Edinburgh Glasgow train - about 40 miles in half an hour - for around £13, which is roughly 17 euros-ish. If you book far enough in advance, you can get a train ticket from Edinburgh to London on the East Coast Main Line for around £45, but that's well in advance.

Schild und Schwert der Partei

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