# Taking the Train from Miami to Alaska!



## Qapla (Aug 15, 2022)

This is a "DownieLive" trip/series - he just posted the first installment. Seems like a fun video


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## zephyr17 (Aug 15, 2022)

Has to be BS. There is no physical rail connection between Alaska and the rest of the North American rail network, let alone passenger service. The closest rail served station to Alaska is Prince Rupert, BC

I hate BS.


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## joelkfla (Aug 16, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> Has to be BS. There is no physical rail connection between Alaska and the rest of the North American rail network, let alone passenger service. The closest rail served station to Alaska is Prince Rupert, BC
> 
> I hate BS.


He mentioned that he'll be taking a ferry to Alaska. I don't recall whether he said from where.

It's not about getting there by the fastest or most direct route. He'll be highlighting interesting and noteworthy railroads. The first episode included Miami Metro as America's southernmost railroad, Brightline, and Acela as the fastest.

The teaser for Episode 2 was America's oldest railroad.


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## zephyr17 (Aug 16, 2022)

joelkfla said:


> He mentioned that he'll be taking a ferry to Alaska. I don't recall whether he said from where.
> 
> It's not about getting there by the fastest or most direct route. He'll be highlighting interesting and noteworthy railroads. The first episode included Miami Metro as America's southernmost railroad, Brightline, and Acela as the fastest.
> 
> The teaser for Episode 2 was America's oldest railroad.


I suppose it reflects a certain narrow mindedness, but I did not watch it because of the inaccuracy of the title, so don't know what was said. That instinct keeps me away from a lot of crap on the net, but it may have a mistake in this case.

As I said, I have a very low BS threshold.


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## jis (Aug 16, 2022)

Oldest railroad is probably B&O as far as they are concerned?


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## pennyk (Aug 16, 2022)

In 2017, I took "trains" from Orlando to Vancouver, then ship/bus to Anchorage, then train to Fairbanks.


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## MARC Rider (Aug 16, 2022)

jis said:


> Oldest railroad is probably B&O as far as they are concerned?


That would be riding the MARC Camden Line from Camden Station to St. Denis, as the rest of the original B&O line west of there serves only freight. That section opened in 1830, connecting Ellicott City with Baltimore. The line didn't reach Point of Rocks until 1832, and didn't get to Harpers Ferry until 1836. The rest of the MARC Camden Line, known to B&O as the Washington Branch and to CSX as the Capital Subdivision, opened in 1835, and was partially funded by the State of Maryland. The Metropolitan Branch, which the Capitol Limited uses between Washington and Point of Rocks, didn't open until after the Civil War, in 1873.


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## 20th Century Rider (Aug 16, 2022)

What pops into mind is Amtrak to Bellingham, then connect with the Alaska Ferry Service to Wittier for the White Pass and Yukon Route, and or Seward for the Alaska RR.


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## Qapla (Aug 16, 2022)

Thanks for moving this to the correct forum - I wasn't sure where to post it.

Yes, he explains using the ferry for part of the trip. That said, he is very enthusiastic about rail travel while still including/mentioning some of the pitfalls of the Amtrak system

All-in-all, I found it to be a fairly entertaining video and look forward to the rest of his series


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## Northwestern (Aug 16, 2022)

zephyr17 said:


> Has to be BS. There is no physical rail connection between Alaska and the rest of the North American rail network, let alone passenger service. The closest rail served station to Alaska is Prince Rupert, BC
> 
> I hate BS.


There has been a proposal, for almost 100 years, to construct a rail line from Alaska to Alberta, Canada. They say that the "A2A" (Alaska to Alberta) would provide the fastest shipping for goods, from the Orient, to North America. The cost, at least to me, doesn't seem extravagant If the A2A does come into being, could a passenger train run on its tracks?









From dream to reality: Proposed railway would connect Alaska to the rest of the continent by rail


For nearly a century there has been talk of connecting Alaska to the lower 48 by rail. Now a company called A-2-A railway is working to make that dream a reality.




is.gd


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## jiml (Aug 17, 2022)

Northwestern said:


> There has been a proposal, for almost 100 years, to construct a rail line from Alaska to Alberta, Canada. They say that the "A2A" (Alaska to Alberta) would provide the fastest shipping for goods, from the Orient, to North America. The cost, at least to me, doesn't seem extravagant If the A2A does come into being, could a passenger train run on its tracks?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


There's a lengthy thread on AU on this very subject when it was revived a couple of years ago. It seemed at the time those proposing construction were grossly underestimating actual costs and operational difficulties.


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## MikefromCrete (Aug 17, 2022)

jis said:


> Oldest railroad is probably B&O as far as they are concerned?


From the preview at the end of the first episode, it looks like he is talking about the Strassburg Railroad as the "oldest" railroad. He's also not talking trains directly across the country as indicated on a map in the episode. He seems to detour to the Durango and Silverton and is not talking a train from L.A. to the Alaska ship. The series isn't a literal train trip from Key West (!) to Alaska, but it looks to be enteraining.


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## jis (Aug 17, 2022)

Strasburg doesn’t even come close to be the oldest railroad. Quaintest yes.


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## AmtrakBlue (Aug 17, 2022)

Maybe they meant "... America’s oldest continuously operating railroad"









History | Strasburg Rail Road


Discover the history of the Strasburg Rail Road that started back in 1832 and how it reopened in 1958. Book your ticket today to discover for yourself.




www.strasburgrailroad.com


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## MikefromCrete (Aug 17, 2022)

I don't think he's letting facts get in the way of an entertaining presentation.


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## joelkfla (Aug 20, 2022)

Strasburg it is!


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## MikefromCrete (Aug 21, 2022)

From a look at the map on this latest episode, it looks like he's heading to the Mount Washington cog railway in New Hapshire, the Durango and Silverton and the Texas Eagle/Sunset from Chicago to L.A., and will then catch the Alaska Marine Highway ship in Washington. So, it's not a direct train ride from Miami to Alaska. The guy sure seems to enjoy riding trains.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Aug 22, 2022)

MikefromCrete said:


> I don't think he's letting facts get in the way of an entertaining presentation.



Exactly! 

When I want facts, I watch Simply Railway or Jeb Brooks videos.

When I need something to motivate me to get off the couch and start moving, I watch Michael Downie. He did a series across Canada, stopping in every province, that was very enjoyable. I watch him with a grain of salt and to just enjoy being entertained and maybe, if I’m lucky, absorb some of that energy!


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## Qapla (Aug 27, 2022)




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## wrowland (Aug 28, 2022)

Qapla said:


>



Loved watching the old cog railway! Mike is a great guy! Seeing that young man working on the cars in the workshop, you could see the passion and pride in his eyes and demeanor.

Great series so far! Texas Eagle up next right?


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## Qapla (Aug 28, 2022)

wrowland said:


> Texas Eagle up next right?



That's what he said ...


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## Mystic River Dragon (Aug 28, 2022)

I love seeing a combination of trains I have been on (like brightline) and some I won’t ever go on but wish I could (like the Cog Railway—I’m terrified of heights).

(I am looking forward to new prescription reading glasses coming in soon so I can watch these all the way through —at the moment, I’m relying on distance glasses for everything, so am allowing myself just a snippet here and there to avoid eye strain.)

I keep planning to go back and look at some of his Canada videos, but then he comes along with something new like this and I get caught up in his next adventure!


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## joelkfla (Aug 28, 2022)

I'm getting a bit fed up with him saying, "For only $5 a month more, you can see the rest of the video!" The shop tour should've been in the main video; it's not "behind the scenes."


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 28, 2022)

wrowland said:


> Loved watching the old cog railway! Mike is a great guy! Seeing that young man working on the cars in the workshop, you could see the passion and pride in his eyes and demeanor.
> 
> Great series so far! Texas Eagle up next right?


And what a Sad Sight it is now compared to what it used to be and the other Western LD Trains!


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## Mystic River Dragon (Aug 28, 2022)

Bob Dylan said:


> And what a Sad Sight it is now compared to what it used to be and the other Western LD Trains!



Hey Jim,

I’ll bet you a coffee when I see you next (Gathering in the East? Or maybe before?) that this kid will find something to be cheerful about even on the Eaglet!

I’d make it lunch, but know I’ll win so don’t want to take advantage!


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## Bob Dylan (Aug 29, 2022)

Mystic River Dragon said:


> Hey Jim,
> 
> I’ll bet you a coffee when I see you next (Gathering in the East? Or maybe before?) that this kid will find something to be cheerful about even on the Eaglet!
> 
> I’d make it lunch, but know I’ll win so don’t want to take advantage!


I know you Patty, and you would try to like the Eaglete, but I guarantee you'll dislike more than you like due to what they've done to my Train!

You're on for a Lunch!( Taco Bell has a Good Value Menu!)


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## MARC Rider (Aug 30, 2022)

Bob Dylan said:


> I know you Patty, and you would try to like the Eaglete, but I guarantee you'll dislike more than you like due to what they've done to my Train!
> 
> You're on for a Lunch!( Taco Bell has a Good Value Menu!)


The Eaglette might be tolerable under the current reduced consist if (1) they allowed passengers to use the CCC as a lounge car. (This worked very nicely for me on the Capitol Limited last fall.) (2) They had enough staff so that they could serve sleeper passengers their flex meals and also keep the cafe car open at the same time for coach passengers.


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## Anderson (Aug 30, 2022)

Minor nit to pick: He said he was on the oldest railroad in the US, but that would have involved taking the Camden Line Washington-Baltimore. [Amusingly, he could've patched the Camden-Balto Penn connection with _another _train...)


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## MARC Rider (Aug 30, 2022)

Anderson said:


> Minor nit to pick: He said he was on the oldest railroad in the US, but that would have involved taking the Camden Line Washington-Baltimore. [Amusingly, he could've patched the Camden-Balto Penn connection with _another _train...)


To really pick nits, the oldest mile of commercial railroad on the B&O that can be ridden today is at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore.









Train Rides | B&O Railroad Museum


Ride along the nation’s first mile of commercial railroad




www.borail.org





The original B&O started at Mount Clare Depot (the site of the current museum), located several blocks west of today's Camden Station, which wasn't built until the 1850s. (The B&O started construction in 1828 and originally went to Ellicott City.) If you take a MARC Camden Line train, its route eventually joins up with the original B&O route, but at Relay, MD, south of the city, it diverges on the Washington Branch (now known as CSX Capital Subdivision) to continue on the Washington. The Washington Branch opened in 1835.

It looks like they've redone the place considerably since the last time I was there in the 1980s. I may have to go downtown and take a look. Maybe a suitable destination for a "mini-Gathering" of mid-Atlantic AU'ers? We could follow it up with a ride on the Camden Line into Washington.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Aug 30, 2022)

Somehow I don’t think we’re Mike’s target audience. By the time we’ve dissected everything he got wrong in one episode, he will have wrapped up several more as he zips across the country, gleefully heedless of getting all the details right.


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## thully (Sep 3, 2022)

Latest video is now out - it is in fact about the Texas Eagle from Chicago to LA.



He brings his dad on this portion of the journey, which he did on some of his previous videos on Canadian trains (the Rocky Mountaineer and the Churchill route). In the video, the inferiority of the flexible dining (and the lack of the lounge car) is definitely highlighted, as they look forward to having the full diner and lounge after San Antonio. In San Antonio, they walk around Riverwalk a bit during the layover, and get burritos from the Burrito Lady in El Paso.

I do see where the title of the series is a bit misleading - this is more of a trip across America to ride trains as opposed to riding trains across America. Even if you accept that they won’t be able to ride a train all the way to Alaska, at this point they're not doing anything resembling a direct route - the Texas Eagle takes them much further south than they need to be. Also, the next episode will be on the Rocky Mountaineer US route, which is nowhere near where they are or will end up.

Regardless, this was an entertaining video - I generally like the ones that focus on the train ride more than the ones that focus on other attractions. I wouldn’t choose the Texas Eagle in its current state to travel end to end (the Southwest Chief goes Chicago-LA and has a lounge/traditional dining the whole trip), though it is the longest train ride in the US. I’m definitely interested to see his take on the US Rocky Mountaineer, as his video about the Canadian Rocky Mountaineer was pretty good. Just don’t take the title too literally…


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## Qapla (Sep 4, 2022)

It was pretty cool that, at 8:59 we got to see one of the new Brightline trains while it was enroute to Florida.


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## Steel City Don (Sep 9, 2022)

Would be one hell of a long trip!


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## Qapla (Sep 10, 2022)

Episode 5 is up


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## Qapla (Sep 17, 2022)

Episode 6


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## Mystic River Dragon (Sep 18, 2022)

I can watch and enjoy these now, since I got my new adjusted glasses prescription and have finally gotten used to it.

I’m way behind the rest of you since I got a late start—just watched the Brightline and Silver Star one and enjoyed seeing trains I’ve been on and scenery I recognize.


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## Qapla (Sep 24, 2022)

Episode 7 - Colorado


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## crescent-zephyr (Sep 30, 2022)

jis said:


> Strasburg doesn’t even come close to be the oldest railroad. Quaintest yes.





Anderson said:


> Minor nit to pick: He said he was on the oldest railroad in the US, but that would have involved taking the Camden Line Washington-Baltimore. [Amusingly, he could've patched the Camden-Balto Penn connection with _another _train...)


Strasburg is the oldest operating under its original charter. So it’s correct in a way. 

I took a train to Alaska as well…. Amtrak to Seattle and then a cruise to the white pass and Yukon and then all of the Alaska railroad! 

I don’t count it as click-bait. It’s a fun idea for a series!


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## Qapla (Oct 1, 2022)

One thing's for sure - the train may not be as fast as a plane ... but you also can't ride on an outside rear deck on the plane


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## Mystic River Dragon (Oct 4, 2022)

Bob Dylan said:


> I know you Patty, and you would try to like the Eaglete, but I guarantee you'll dislike more than you like due to what they've done to my Train!
> 
> You're on for a Lunch!( Taco Bell has a Good Value Menu!)



Hey, Jim—I lose my bet and I owe you a lunch when you’re out east next. You were absolutely right—even Mike Downie and his even more (if that’s possible) optimistic and cheerful Dad couldn’t find anything to really like on that poor little Eaglette.

I lost count of the number of times Mike said “I’m really looking forward to tomorrow, when we get a real dining car.”

I just finished episode 5. I enjoyed that—nice luxurious Rocky Mountaineer—although I wish he had said where they stay overnight and shown more of the hotel.

But even more, I wish he would stop sticking his head out of the train—tunnel walls, mountains in his face, sheer drops to nowhere right outside the window—to say nothing of his partners in crime going up Mount Washington and standing outside on the front of the train.

I enjoy watching his videos, but I would never go anywhere with him myself!


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## Qapla (Oct 8, 2022)

He's getting closer - latest video premiers later today


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## Qapla (Oct 15, 2022)

This trip series reaches its end



His comment at 13:50 sums it all up

"Experiences like this - you can only get on the train"


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