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The Wikipedia page for the Silver Line claims that trolley wires aren't allowed over Interstate highways, but it's tagged citation needed. I do wonder what the maximum speed is for a trolley pole. Although the TWT is usually pretty slow there are times when traffic is moving pretty fast.

There are still some regional "unreserved" trains where you don't buy a ticket for a specific train, just for a route. These can have more riders than seats.

The problem with Starlink is it requires a clear view of the sky, so cuts, trees, and tunnels are a problem. Another issue is keeping a satellite lock. Airline satellite has issues in turbulence. It would take a heroic effort to keep a lock from a bouncing, swaying railcar.

I know they've used them in the past. I'm certain I've seen them in the Superliner diners. The advantage is there's no grounds to deal with and coffee sitting that has to be dumped. It also has a hot water spigot. The disadvantage, at least in my opinion, is the ones I've had taste lousy.

Found a pic of the Viewliner II coffee station. It's just an insulated carafe which I assume they fill in the diner or cafe. There are outlets for a coffee maker but aren't being used, Here's the Superliner urn.

The Superliners have classic coffee urns that brew with coffee grounds. It's been a while since I've been on a Viewliner but I believe the coffee maker was a Douwe Egberts machine that uses liquid coffee concentrate that's mixed with hot water.

Thinking about it, if you were going to build a new connection back to the main line, it would be better on the west side of town, along the Gila River to Gila Bend. This would mean a much shorter leg to need maintenance compared to the existing ROW but a brand new ROW is incredibly unlikely. I...

I'll be the one to ask. Why is it Dallas Union Terminal if the tracks don't terminate?

No. Plastic producers like so say they could be recycled but in practice the only significant plastic that is recycled is plastic bottles (water, soda, milk).

I was curious when passenger service ended to Maricopa by SP. Looks like 1957. The Argonaut (New Orleans-Los Angeles) followed the line through Maricopa rather than Phoenix. It discontinued service west of El Paso in 1957 and was dropped completely in 1958. The old station building is now in...

Not a lot else. They had a meeting to discuss it. There's also a proposal for a Tucson to Phoenix train. The actual planning won't start until next year. I think it's certain that Maricopa will be dropped if it reroutes to Phoenix.

Small update in the Arizona Republic. Planning work is ongoing and has funding, but no timeline for service. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2024/09/10/amtrak-arizona-department-transportation-working-plans-expand-az-passenger-rail/74982656007/

#4 waited for #3 in ABQ. One of #3's engines was switched to #4, which left with it and a BNSF engine. #3 went to Winslow with a single engine. A BNSF engine was added there.

It was swiped from #3 which also had a freight loco added at Winslow. I assume both engines on #4 broke down so they needed one for head-end power.

Thanks for the correction, teaches me to rely on Wikipedia. It does make a triple level train even more impossible.

Current Superliners are Plate H, 20' 2" high. For a 6' 6" high ceiling that leaves only 8 inches for space above the rail, and four floor/ceilings. That's not nearly enough and 6' 6" is probably the bare minimum you could get away with. You can't really go higher than that due to the freights...

Here are some pictures of the former Indio station. It looks like the original SP station was torn down and replaced after Amtrak took over. The former station is now a UP office. There's a small platform remnant on the north track. There's something that looks like an older longer platform to...

The problem is the rules are unrealistically restrictive if they're going to allow pets at all, so people will try to work around them. Limiting time to 8 hours is unrealistic for long distance trains, and expecting the pet to stay in a carrier for all that time is also unreasonable. They...

My guess is Amtrak is showing its consistency in applying their rules. 🙄 Someone is going to encounter a conductor that enforces the rules as written on a second leg and will get stranded.

PSR is all about minimizing expenses: running trains using fewer crews. Very long trains that don't fit in sidings is a big consequence.