# Rough Track



## Squeakz2001 (Jul 9, 2009)

Hubby and I were on the Silver Meteor in June, 2008. I remember the trip northbound from KIS had some really rough track during the night, like somewhere in the Carolinas. I seriously thought I was going to fall out of my bunk!

My brother was on that same trip this April, and without discussing the whole topic, he brought it up. He mentioned that the track he was on during the night was very rough and that he was afraid he'd fall out of the bed.

My question is: Where is the roughest track you've been on while riding an AMTRAK train?


----------



## Bill Haithcoat (Jul 9, 2009)

Squeakz2001 said:


> Hubby and I were on the Silver Meteor in June, 2008. I remember the trip northbound from KIS had some really rough track during the night, like somewhere in the Carolinas. I seriously thought I was going to fall out of my bunk!
> My brother was on that same trip this April, and without discussing the whole topic, he brought it up. He mentioned that the track he was on during the night was very rough and that he was afraid he'd fall out of the bed.
> 
> My question is: Where is the roughest track you've been on while riding an AMTRAK train?


In most recent memory, it is the first couple hundred miles south of Chicago on the City of New Orleans. I was not sure if I could walk from the diner back to my room.

But I think I have heard that there is one very specific place on the Silver Meteor and Silver Stars routes where it is really bad. I do mean one really specific switch or something, maybe closer to

Florida. If Battallion 52 is reading this, he will know what I am talking about, I do believe.


----------



## MrFSS (Jul 9, 2009)

Bill Haithcoat said:


> In most recent memory, it is the first couple hundred miles south of Chicago on the City of New Orleans. I was not sure if I could walk from the diner back to my room.


Bill - I was just on the CONO in June - I didn't experience any problems south of Chicago. They have been working on it so maybe it is fixed. South of Memphis was the bad places for me.


----------



## AAARGH! (Jul 9, 2009)

Squeakz2001 said:


> Hubby and I were on the Silver Meteor in June, 2008. I remember the trip northbound from KIS had some really rough track during the night, like somewhere in the Carolinas. I seriously thought I was going to fall out of my bunk!
> My brother was on that same trip this April, and without discussing the whole topic, he brought it up. He mentioned that the track he was on during the night was very rough and that he was afraid he'd fall out of the bed.
> 
> My question is: Where is the roughest track you've been on while riding an AMTRAK train?


Vermonter - the north section (before they switch engines and head south). SLOW and ROUGH!


----------



## Guest_timetableflagman_* (Jul 9, 2009)

...Sounds like the "infamous" Charleston Subdivision? I think it has heavy freight traffic. It earns its keep.

We've ridden through there on the old SILVER PALM. For those interested in rail equipment characteristics, it can be "fun" watching the doorways bouncing around, in and out of alignment with each other! At 79mph, it's one ride! Porters were having to stop and wait a few seconds before catching a door to get from car to car (I've had to do that on bumpy lines and through turnouts so sharp, they pop equipment off the bulkheads).

For the PALM, back in those days, it was daylight for Train 90 over the Charleston Sub. I see it looks like night for the METEOR, 97 or 98. I wondered how that line might feel for sleeping passengers, or diners.

That's about the roughest track I can remember running over. The line between Fargo and Grand Forks, however, once felt and sounded exactly like going down a gravel road-- and that was from the upper berth of a Superliner!

We've gone down a siding in FL to meet a coal drag on the fly. The rocking was as much as I've ever had on a boat.

It usually seems worse than it really is. Trains can take a lot. I make sure I use the safety net on the upper berth, and keep a hand and foot ready when standing or walking.

...The joys (really!) of rail travel....


----------



## Everydaymatters (Jul 9, 2009)

In April on the CL there were 2 or 3 places where it felt like the train was going to jump the tracks.

While we're on this subject, exactly what causes rough tracks?


----------



## transit54 (Jul 9, 2009)

AAARGH said:


> Squeakz2001 said:
> 
> 
> > Hubby and I were on the Silver Meteor in June, 2008. I remember the trip northbound from KIS had some really rough track during the night, like somewhere in the Carolinas. I seriously thought I was going to fall out of my bunk!
> ...


Yeah, the NECR is pretty rough, but they've added a surprising amount of continuously welded rail. By surprising amount, I mean about two dozen miles, so not all that much. They've also fixed up a lot of their jointed track in the last year or so. But there's still some very rough patches. For jointed track, though, I don't think it's all that bad...either that, or I get used to it (which is probably more likely - I'm always blown away at the smoothness when I actually get to ride on well maintained CWR.


----------



## pennyk (Jul 9, 2009)

I ride the Silver Meteor quite often from Orlando to Washington or New York (most recently in June 2009). I have never "almost fallen out of bed," but the ride seemed worse on my last trip. On that trip, the sleeper cars were in the rear of the train (when in the past there were up front). I noticed that the ride is smoother in the front of the train. (on the same trip, I took the LSL from NYP to CHI and the sleepers were in the rear and it was awful - I would much rather hear the whistle than have a really rough ride).


----------



## transit54 (Jul 9, 2009)

Everydaymatters said:


> In April on the CL there were 2 or 3 places where it felt like the train was going to jump the tracks.
> While we're on this subject, exactly what causes rough tracks?


Well, there's two types of track - jointed (or "stick") rail and continuously welded rail (CWR). I really don't know what causes roughness on CWR, other than passing over switches and such (though someone else will likely chime in with the answer). But on jointed track, you have (approx) 60 foot pieces of track that are connected with joints. You can see an image of this here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_tracks#Jointed_track

Now, what happens over time is that the track bed shifts (due to trains passing over it, the land shifting under it, freezing/thawing, etc) and the connection between the two pieces of track loosens. This creates a gap and causes the rough feeling as the wheel of the train hits it.


----------



## PetalumaLoco (Jul 9, 2009)

rnizlek said:


> Everydaymatters said:
> 
> 
> > In April on the CL there were 2 or 3 places where it felt like the train was going to jump the tracks.
> ...


----------



## WhoozOn1st (Jul 9, 2009)

On January 20, 2005 the Silver Meteor I rode from D.C. to Jacksonville, FL was likely the roughest ride in my Amtrak experience. On the occasion of the 2nd inauguration of president George W. Bush, WAS was even more congested than usual. Then there was a derailment in the station on top of that, which put a halt to anything arriving from or departing for points north for much of the day.

The time required for clearing the backlog of arrivals and departures (there were also some cancellations) resulted in the Meteor departing WAS about 90 minutes late. The first couple hours of the trip were uneventful, and the Meteor remained behind schedule by about the same amount of time as far as Richmond, VA, where I was kinda surprised to find snow on the ground.

After RVR the train started making up time. Oh man. The Meteor was going like a bat outta hell, which of course magnified the impact of the really rough track. It was more like a wooden rollercoaster than a train ride. In addition, who knew there were so many grade crossings in the middle of nowhere in the South? With the rocking, rolling, bucking, and horn action, I seriously doubt anybody on that train got so much as a wink of sleep that night. Walking into the diner for breakfast the next morning (first one there) I remarked to the crew there that we'd made up some serious time overnight. Their responses made it pretty clear that they hadn't slept either.

The train was only 15 minutes late at JAX. No doubt some passengers were not exactly pleased with the overnight experience, but as a railfan with a serious need for speed, for me it had been one of the coolest rides of all time.

Some stretches out here might give the Silver Meteor a run for its money on the rough track front. Two Coast Starlight segments in California leap to mind: At the edge of the Salinas Valley between Salinas and Paso Robles there's some pretty bad track. The train doesn't generally run very fast there, so not much bucking, but those Superliners do some major to-and-fro swaying over some sections.

On a southbound starlight just north of Santa Barbara in 2008 the train was also making up time. Due to rough track, instead of passengers being asked to gather their belongings and be ready to detrain at SBA, everybody was told to remain in their seats until the train came to a stop. It was indeed quite a ride, though much shorter than the Silver Meteor's marathon rodeo.


----------



## had8ley (Jul 9, 2009)

rnizlek said:


> Everydaymatters said:
> 
> 
> > In April on the CL there were 2 or 3 places where it felt like the train was going to jump the tracks.
> ...


Jointed rail and wooden cross ties are becoming less common that in the good ole days. Heat and water are two major factors in track alignment in addition to the tonnage run over them. Heat will kink rail and water will mis-align the track.


----------



## Grandma B (Jul 9, 2009)

Squeakz2001 said:


> Hubby and I were on the Silver Meteor in June, 2008. I remember the trip northbound from KIS had some really rough track during the night, like somewhere in the Carolinas. I seriously thought I was going to fall out of my bunk!
> My brother was on that same trip this April, and without discussing the whole topic, he brought it up. He mentioned that the track he was on during the night was very rough and that he was afraid he'd fall out of the bed.
> 
> My question is: Where is the roughest track you've been on while riding an AMTRAK train?


We were on the Silver Meteor in 2007 and yes, there is some really rough track in the Carolinas. But, coming back from Florida, there was a stretch of track that was as smooth as silk. Leaving today on the Meteor and will be prepared for the rough track in the middle of the night! :lol:


----------



## Grandma B (Jul 9, 2009)

pennyk said:


> I ride the Silver Meteor quite often from Orlando to Washington or New York (most recently in June 2009). I have never "almost fallen out of bed," but the ride seemed worse on my last trip. On that trip, the sleeper cars were in the rear of the train (when in the past there were up front). I noticed that the ride is smoother in the front of the train. (on the same trip, I took the LSL from NYP to CHI and the sleepers were in the rear and it was awful - I would much rather hear the whistle than have a really rough ride).


Guess I'm in for a real experience with the sleepers now in the rear (NYP-WPB)!  In 2007 they were up front. I too, love hearing the train whistle. I never knew there were that many country crossings down south.


----------



## Ispolkom (Jul 9, 2009)

When I first rode the Empire Builder in the early 1980s, sections between St. Paul and Chicago were remarkably rough, the result, I suppose of years (decades?) of deferred maintenance by the Milwaukee Road.


----------



## sky12065 (Jul 9, 2009)

Grandma B said:


> pennyk said:
> 
> 
> > I ride the Silver Meteor quite often from Orlando to Washington or New York (most recently in June 2009). I have never "almost fallen out of bed," but the ride seemed worse on my last trip. On that trip, the sleeper cars were in the rear of the train (when in the past there were up front). I noticed that the ride is smoother in the front of the train. (on the same trip, I took the LSL from NYP to CHI and the sleepers were in the rear and it was awful - I would much rather hear the whistle than have a really rough ride).
> ...


The sleepers have been moved up from the rear of the LSL. When I boarded west bound on June 26th the first sleeper was right off the elevator that takes you down to the platform. In a few more days I'll be boarding east bound out of CHI and will check in that direction... if I remember that is! :unsure:


----------



## printman2000 (Jul 9, 2009)

Southwest Chief between La Junta and Newton. Very bad.


----------



## creddick (Jul 9, 2009)

Western Minnesota/eastern North Dakota on the EB.


----------



## George Harris (Jul 9, 2009)

Standard rail lengths for many years was 39 feet. Now most is rolled in either 78 feet or longer lengths and then welded up. Roughness in welded rail has many causes. Sun kinks are not one of them if the line is still in service. They will derail a train. that is what derailed the autotrain a few years back.

Why 39 feet? Because they would fit in a 40 feet long freight car. Why 78 feet? Becuase a lot of the plants that were set up to weld up rail when it was still produced in 39 ft lengths could work 78 ft rail without having to rearrange the various shearing and grinding points in the layout.

60 feet was and so far as I know is the standard length of a rail stick in the UK.


----------



## cpamtfan (Jul 9, 2009)

sky12065 said:


> Grandma B said:
> 
> 
> > pennyk said:
> ...



You might have been in the Boston sleeper, or the trains hadn't been connected 49/449 yet, so the sleeper was right by the elevator. As long as you're not in the xx20 car, it'll be a short walk.

I think there are so many privately owned crossings in the South (for the farms, cotton fields, etc.). I guess CSX is lacking in the trackwork department of the South if they aren't trying to fix the problem, and hopefully there won't be another Auto Train type disaster (which by the way was on the same decrepid tracks in that region!).

cpamtfan-Peter


----------



## transit54 (Jul 9, 2009)

George Harris said:


> 60 feet was and so far as I know is the standard length of a rail stick in the UK.


You know, I seemed to recall it was about 40 feet, and then Wikipedied it and subsequently edited my post to 60, figuring I was confused. Most have been written by someone over in the UK. Thanks for the clarification, George.


----------



## EB_OBS (Jul 9, 2009)

creddick said:


> Western Minnesota/eastern North Dakota on the EB.



Yep, that's a very rough area. Between about 11pm and 1am on train #8 and around 6am in the morning on train #7.

One of the worst track I've been on was through White Rock, in Canada. The really bad track combined with the pendulum action of the Talgo trainsets made for a crazy rocking back and forth motion that was extreme.


----------



## JayPea (Jul 9, 2009)

Granted, I haven't had much basis for comparison but the worst I recall was in March, in a stretch between Grand Junction and Green River on the CZ. There were a couple of places I was half expecting the train to derail. And on that same trip, I took the CONO from Champaign to Chicago. At one point I was walking back to my seat in coach with a hot cup of coffee and we hit a particularly rough spot on the tracks. I don't know yet how I managed to not spill coffee all over the poor unsuspecting young man I was walking past at the time. :blink:


----------



## creddick (Jul 9, 2009)

ez223 said:


> creddick said:
> 
> 
> > Western Minnesota/eastern North Dakota on the EB.
> ...


Oh yes, a very bad stretch.


----------



## had8ley (Jul 9, 2009)

George Harris said:


> Standard rail lengths for many years was 39 feet. Now most is rolled in either 78 feet or longer lengths and then welded up. Roughness in welded rail has many causes. Sun kinks are not one of them if the line is still in service. They will derail a train. that is what derailed the autotrain a few years back.
> Why 39 feet? Because they would fit in a 40 feet long freight car. Why 78 feet? Becuase a lot of the plants that were set up to weld up rail when it was still produced in 39 ft lengths could work 78 ft rail without having to rearrange the various shearing and grinding points in the layout.
> 
> 60 feet was and so far as I know is the standard length of a rail stick in the UK.


George;

I'm not in this for an argument but I've drug a train over a sun kink at night and never realized how bad it really was. The roadmaster said he didn't see how we stayed on the track. Sure most trains derail but I have had fellow engineers pull light power and a caboose over them and stay on the rail. Naturally, the track is pulled out of service once the defect is detected but sometimes that only happens when a train discovers it running down the rails. Most do NOT set red blocks unless they break a bonding wire.


----------



## jis (Jul 9, 2009)

sky12065 said:


> The sleepers have been moved up from the rear of the LSL. When I boarded west bound on June 26th the first sleeper was right off the elevator that takes you down to the platform. In a few more days I'll be boarding east bound out of CHI and will check in that direction... if I remember that is! :unsure:


Only the Boston Sleeper (the xx20 car) is in the front. The New York sleepers (xx11 and xx12) are in the back just ahead of the New York baggage car, and just behind the Amfleet II Diner-Lite or whatever it is called.


----------



## rogers55 (Jul 9, 2009)

I had a neighbor who was a retired Santa Fe engineer. He traveled by train for free of course but he always said the he was embarrassed by the state of the track. It would not have been tolerated in his day.

My contention has always been that the best single thing we could do to improve service is to fix the track so trains don't have to run at reduced speeds.


----------



## taking the cars (Jul 10, 2009)

Anywhere in the southern half of Mississippi on the CONO this past January.


----------



## Guest_timetableflagman_* (Jul 10, 2009)

The old Hoosier Line seemed pretty rough about two years ago. I think it's jointed. The dinette on the CARDINAL did a hula dance going down it!

Our VIEWLINER on the CARDINAL seemed to be bottoming out on a truck, at least at one end, at most switches or dips on two separate trips with two different cars. It reminded me of air-ride suspension giving out.

I've gotten slammed into the bulkhead on a highballing BUILDER, mostly at switches, I think it was where others have noted rough track. I hope that problem has been fixed.

I've been on excursions where, as a rail-riding friend once described it, the coal car "tap-danced on the track". That was in the Appalachians in the '70s. I think re-built track from previous coal derailments was the cause there.


----------



## railiner (Jul 10, 2009)

printman2000 said:


> Southwest Chief between La Junta and Newton. Very bad.


This may be the case today, but when I rode over that line back around 1970, the Super Chief/El Capitan rolled over it at 90 miles per hour, and even though it was (still is?), jointed rail, the ride was superb, even up in the Hilevel chair cars.

Now that we've heard about some rough spots, where is the smoothest rail line?


----------



## jackal (Jul 10, 2009)

George Harris said:


> Standard rail lengths for many years was 39 feet. Now most is rolled in either 78 feet or longer lengths and then welded up. Roughness in welded rail has many causes. Sun kinks are not one of them if the line is still in service. They will derail a train. that is what derailed the autotrain a few years back.
> Why 39 feet? Because they would fit in a 40 feet long freight car. Why 78 feet? Becuase a lot of the plants that were set up to weld up rail when it was still produced in 39 ft lengths could work 78 ft rail without having to rearrange the various shearing and grinding points in the layout.
> 
> 60 feet was and so far as I know is the standard length of a rail stick in the UK.


Thanks for confirming I wasn't going senile. When I read rnizlek's post, I was thinking to myself, "I'm pretty sure they're 39 feet long!" Then I started second-guessing myself until your post. 



rnizlek said:


> George Harris said:
> 
> 
> > 60 feet was and so far as I know is the standard length of a rail stick in the UK.
> ...


Shoulda gone with your gut! 

I've edited the Wikipedia article to reflect George's information. (I thought about including the info about why--to fit in a 40-foot rail car--but unless I can find an official source to confirm that, it's probably too apocryphal for an encyclopedia. If someone else wants to work it in, you're of course more than welcome to.)


----------



## DET63 (Jul 10, 2009)

The only rough track I specifically recall (probably for having ridden over it several times) was at a switch or something in Kalama, WA, between Vancouver and Kelso. I've seen a video of the _Cascades_ Talgo going over a crossing in which the trailing NPCU seemed to nearly bounce off the track. I don't know if it was at the exact same location, however.

Here's the video of the _Cascades_:


----------



## Larry H. (Jul 10, 2009)

Agreed that for me the really worst ride ever has been as mentioned during the night after leaving Wisconsin on the Empire Builder. I can't even guess why with all the other fine track the Great Northern has that they have allowed those to awful stretches to remain?

Also in agreement with the fact that on the CZ last year there were places which were quite startling that made one wonder if the cars were indeed going to stay on the track.. Violent jolts that swerved the cars severely. I was very surprised that those existed and as mentioned they were in a number of spots from Denver though to San Francisco.

I live along the CN route and ride it fairly frequently at least 5 hours south of Chicago. There are some grade crossings mostly that cause a lurching effect when your crossing them, but nothing in comparison to the EB or what I experienced on the CZ.

I would also think that standards for passenger rail have slipped greatly over the years and would never have been tolerated by the premier passenger companies, the others never did care.


----------



## anir dendroica (Jul 10, 2009)

creddick said:


> ez223 said:
> 
> 
> > creddick said:
> ...



The EB follows the busy, smooth BNSF northern transcon between Portland/Seattle and Minneapolis (but still a bit bouncy on the frequent crossovers and switches) except for the line between Minot and Fargo. Here nearly all freights take the Surrey Cutoff, bypassing all population centers, while the EB follows a less-used, jointed-rail track through Stanley, Rugby, Devils Lake, and Grand Forks. That is the rough part, as I remember. From Minneapolis to Fargo is smooth, fast, and nearly all double track.


----------



## jphjaxfl (Jul 10, 2009)

Larry H. said:


> Agreed that for me the really worst ride ever has been as mentioned during the night after leaving Wisconsin on the Empire Builder. I can't even guess why with all the other fine track the Great Northern has that they have allowed those to awful stretches to remain?


 The Empire Builder uses the former NP doubletracked route from Minneapolis to Fargo which is also heavily used by frieghts. As another poster stated, it goes back to the former GN line at Fargo north to Grand Forks and west to Minot. Most of the freights travel from Fargo to Minot through New Rockford which is a more direct route. GN actually had two lines between Minneapolis and Fargo with one being via Willmar and Breckenridge which was used by the Empire Builder until around 1979 and the second being via St. Cloud and Alexandria. All 3 lines from Minneapolis to Fargo had passenger service immediately before Amtrak started in 1971. Occasionally the Empire Builder would used the Alexandria line as a reroute in the early and mid 1970s. Its too bad they don't dedicate one of the 3 routes to Amtrak.


----------



## jphjaxfl (Jul 10, 2009)

The worst track I experienced on Amtrak is from Kankakee, Ill to Indianpolis and Indianapolis to Louisville on the South Wind later Floridian. There were frequent slow orders for 10MPH. Often the train would take 12 to 14 hours to cross Indiana which has a lot to do with the train being discontinued. Amtrak brought back the KY Cardinal on the Indianapolis Louisville section for a while but nothing was done to improve the tracks.

I don't know how the Dining Car waiters did it with the track being so bad. You knew better than to more than half fill your coffee cup. The sad thing is only 5 years prior to Amtrak in 1966, the Southwind made it from Chicago Union Station to Louisville Union Station via Logansport and Indianapolis in just 6 1/2 hours with 3 intermediate stops and 2 flag stops and no slow orders.


----------



## Guest_timetableflagman_* (Jul 10, 2009)

Some of the smoothest track I've ridden was on NS's on the _CAROLINIAN/PALMETTO_ route. I remember BNSF's EMPIRE BUILDER route (GN) as having mostly smooth track except for the occassional rough spots mentioned. It seems that some switches caused most of the jolts, and most were what I'd consider normal, minor jiggles.

I've noticed that even welded rail can have seemingly un-explainable rough spots, even where there is no visible sign of anything but smoothness. I guess it's just one of those things. It doesn't take much to cause noticeable roughness. Yet, some places where it's a visible mystery how a train can run on the track; there's nothing noticeable from how it rides over it.

Highways have some similar characteristics. It does seem that someone in charge could simply run over a rough spot and inspect to see what little could be done to smooth it out. An otherwise invisible defect in surface probably doesn't need much to smooth it. Curves, even gentle ones, or amount of superelevation, grades and such can appear to have subtle, yet profound, compounding effects on otherwise un-noticeable irregularities.


----------



## volkris (Jul 10, 2009)

You know, I bet that rough track doesn't feel so rough.... in a Turboliner


----------



## George Harris (Jul 10, 2009)

had8ley said:


> George Harris said:
> 
> 
> > Standard rail lengths for many years was 39 feet. Now most is rolled in either 78 feet or longer lengths and then welded up. Roughness in welded rail has many causes. Sun kinks are not one of them if the line is still in service. They will derail a train. that is what derailed the autotrain a few years back.
> ...


Sometimes it is amazing what does stay on the rail. Usually if it is a little one the front part will make it, and maybe even the whole train if going slow, but usually if a small one the sideways forces of the wheels going through it will make it larger with each passing wheel until either a wheel climbs the rail or the rail breaks. Light power and a caboose going slow I can definitely believe.

Back in my railroad survey days, we were doing a survey for replacement of a about 10 to 12 bent wood trestle on an 8 degree curve on a 25 mph branch. Speed board said 10 mph over the bridge. Of course one of the twice a day trains comes along when we were about mid bridge. Flagmen? track time? at that time and place it was assumed the we had enough smarts to not be hit by a train when it came, so we never had track time granted. Anyway, we grabbed instrument and walked quick to the end, down the bank and under the bridge. When the engine hit the bridge the pile dropped about 6 inches. Looking along the bridge the whole thing was moving up and down with each truck. We did not know whether it was best to stay under it to avoid being hit by cars in case the train derailed, or run out into the briars so as to not be under the bridge in case in collapsed.


----------



## MikeM (Jul 10, 2009)

volkris said:


> You know, I bet that rough track doesn't feel so rough.... in a Turboliner


Oh, you're just a glutton for abuse! :blink:


----------



## Green Maned Lion (Jul 10, 2009)

One time on the Auto Train he hit something involving the track- I have no idea what- and I was just about to walk out of the diner. We jolted so hard I almost fell- and I'm a seasoned subway rider who hates holding on to things. I don't fall easily. And then for one brief moment, I was looking at the end-light of the right side rearof the Superliner sleeper in front of me. The little shade thingies they pull up had knocked off of each other and rolled themselves up. I was half expecting to hear us go into emergancy, it was so bad. But that was the last I heard of the incident. I have no idea what caused that, but that is for sure the roughest amtrak ride I've ever had.


----------



## Railroad Bill (Jul 11, 2009)

My two votes for roughest track we have been on.

The Texas Eagle in Arkansas. What a rough night trying to sleep through that!! :angry:

Next is the SWChief eastern Colorado and across western and central Kansas. Another nearly sleepless night!


----------



## rile42 (Jul 12, 2009)

A couple of years ago, there was such a bad "bump" in the Elkart region that the diner car attendants warned everyone in the car to be prepared for the bump. In fact, if I recall correctly, everyone in the dining car found a seat to sit in before hitting it. Oh the other hand, I might have that confused with being in emergency braking one time.

One of the worst sections of track I've experienced was the track between Harrisburg and Philly. I think that has all been fixed though by now.


----------



## Gord (Jul 12, 2009)

Maple Leaf anywhere around Niagara Falls NY, particularly once you come off the CSX main to get on the connecting track to Niagara Falls, Canada.

39' foot jointed rail, battered rail ends, low joints, minimal maintenance... Good thing they only do 10 mph through this section.

Gord


----------



## sky12065 (Jul 13, 2009)

jis said:


> sky12065 said:
> 
> 
> > The sleepers have been moved up from the rear of the LSL. When I boarded west bound on June 26th the first sleeper was right off the elevator that takes you down to the platform. In a few more days I'll be boarding east bound out of CHI and will check in that direction... if I remember that is! :unsure:
> ...


jis & Peter,

On Jun 26th I boarded the NY sleeper 4910 westbound and it was just slightly to the right (toward front of train) when we got off the elevator. Last year when I boarded it was way up in the front.

On Jul 12 (yesterday or I should say Friday) I boarded the Boston 4820 east bound and it was the third car on the consist behind the engine and baggage car. (see my full story of the LSL Boarding elsewhere in this topic)


----------



## Guest_timetableflagman_* (Jul 13, 2009)

Actually, the best sleep I've had on a train was when the sleeping car was rocking. I actually am more likely to wake up at stops or when it's smooth. ...Sort of the cradle effect, I guess. I know children can be rocked to sleep by the train's motion.


----------



## DET63 (Jul 15, 2009)

Video of CZ #6 in Iowa. Looks like it was running over some rather rough track:


----------



## George Harris (Jul 15, 2009)

Guest_timetableflagman_* said:


> Some of the smoothest track I've ridden was on NS's on the _CAROLINIAN/PALMETTO_ route.


The state of North Carolina has spent quite a bit of money to get the ex Southern branch between Greensboro and Raleigh up to a 79 mph railroad.


----------



## Shawn (Jul 16, 2009)

***Yes this is one, but the best track to eat a wall is at the Toutle River Bridge, Main 2...CP Toutle I believe it is. OUCH!



DET63 said:


> The only rough track I specifically recall (probably for having ridden over it several times) was at a switch or something in Kalama, WA, between Vancouver and Kelso. I've seen a video of the _Cascades_ Talgo going over a crossing in which the trailing NPCU seemed to nearly bounce off the track. I don't know if it was at the exact same location, however.
> Here's the video of the _Cascades_:


----------



## Shawn (Jul 16, 2009)

Anyone else ever notice that on the CP portion of the EB, every grade crossing seems to have a sharp bump at each side of the crossing? It is enough to jam your head...it sucks!


----------



## George Harris (Jul 16, 2009)

Shawn said:


> Anyone else ever notice that on the CP portion of the EB, every grade crossing seems to have a sharp bump at each side of the crossing? It is enough to jam your head...it sucks!


Illinois Central and L&N used to both be bad for this. Southern almost never was. The reason is relatively simple. Crossings get mud in the ballast on each side fairly quickly and track in the crossing itself can get muddy and "pump" (that is, movve up and down) more than the track on either side, OR, when the mud dries out be stiffer than the adjacent track. Also, many times when tamping and lining the track the crossings are skipped because it requires removing the road panels to tamp the track through the crossing, thus sometimes the track on either side of the crossing may be a couple inches higer than the track through the crossing with a rather short ramp down qnd ramp up, making for a significant bump if the train is running at any speed.


----------

