How does one get to ride in the locomotive cab?

[AlanB]

As noted by Eric, none exist where Acela goes 150 MPH.

Amtrak at present has no plans to eliminate the remaining crossings. The first, Miners Road scene of a fatal accident between Acela & a car, is such a small road that it simply doesn't pay to build a bridge for the 4 or 5 houses that are served by the road.

The 3 crossings in downtown New London could only be closed by totally rerouting the tracks some place else or elevating the tracks through town. Building a road bridge is impossible, as there is no place to ramp down prior to landing in the bay. Digging a tunnel would also be a nightmare that close to the shoreline. Either plan would also require building a new station too.

There is one crossing in Mystic that perhaps one day could be considered for closure, especially if the population were to increase dramatically.

After that, the remaining crossings again are simply too small with too little traffic to warrant the expense. The only way Amtrak might ever consider closing them, is if they can somehow raise the speeds in that area over 125 MPH, as then it would pay from their point of view to be able to go faster. I rather doubt however that Amtrak can find a way to increase speeds to the point where it would pay to close.

 

[wayne mitchell]

hi my name s wayne Mitchell I just turnd 65 and im a train freek sincei was 8yrs old when I got my first train set, my dream was to take a ride in the cab of the enigen, It would make my day before I pass on its my dream,, can u help me? my e-mail is mr.cleen62 at yahoo.com. Please let me know ,,thank you.

 

[chakk]

Cab rides are still available for purchase on many excursion railroads. And at some, like the Portola RR Museum in Portola, California you will even be given lessons in how to operate the diesel locomotive.

I don't believe it is possible to obtain a cab ride in an Amtrak train any more, due to insurance and liability issues.

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

The New Hope and IVY in Penn. Has a cab ride in the steamer for 15 more that the reg. fare, only one guess which I did.

 

[FriskyFL]

My DW has a faded color snapshot of herself and her younger sister, alongside their grandpa, standing in front of a CB&Q yard switcher in Galesburg; they had just gotten a REAL choo choo ride from their engineer grandpa!

 

[jis]

No grade crossing whatsoever are permitted at speeds 125+ mph. They are essentially prohibited 110-125mph as well (to the best of my knowledge none of the "impenetrable barriers" FRA requires for those speeds have been developed and put into place). So, for all intents and purposes, grade crossings only exists where rail speeds do not exceed 110mph.

Technically, the barriers used at the entrance to secure area of airports where part of the road comes upto about 4' high blocking the way would be acceptable to FRA. However, no one in their right mind would fund such a venture on a road. Also if a car fails to stop the damage would be almost as spectacular as if it hit a train. but the good thing is that there would be no train damaged in the process.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

It's not right. It's not wrong. And it certainly makes no sense. But It's the American way, and we are going to do it.

 

[the_traveler]

NOTE THAT ALL POSTS PRIOR TO POST #52 WERE MADE IN 2012

 

[dmclement]

Last time I was in England we were in 1st on a London - Oxford train. One of the crew members invited me into the cab. Only it was the rear facing cab, but still a neat experience. He also let me shoot out an open cab window at 90 MPH.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nic4lX3hKIw

That must've been about 20 years ago. I doubt you'd get the same "welcome" these days.

 

[PaulM]

I don't know how I managed it, but a few years ago I snagged a Führerstandsmitfahrt in a local between Ötztal Bahnhof and Innsbruck in western Austria. With me speaking poor German and the lokfahrer not quite as bad English, he would get carried away and once in a while have to lunge for the controls when we needed to stop at a station or signal.

 

[KVG_DC]

I fell asleep on a MARC train from Baltimore to WAS once. Woke up a good 10 minutes after the train had emptied and started running to the front looking for an open door since I was worried about ending up in a trainyard for the night or something.

At the front, the only open door was the engine and the guys were just chatting there and waived me through. Train wasn't running but I got to walk right past the chair and all the levers and dials!

 

[xyzzy]

Reminds me that when I was involved in Southern's steam excursion program, everybody wanted a cab ride.

Experienced railroader: No, you really don't want to.

Foamer: Yes, I sure do!

Experienced railroader: It's loud, it's unbearably hot, there are scalding pipes, there is nowhere to sit and almost nowhere to stand, it's difficult to keep your balance while standing, there are 101 other ways to get hurt up there, you can't see much outside, and in the case of hand-fired engines it's very dirty.

Foamer: I don't care!

Experienced railroader: Oh but you will.

Foamer: I still want to!

And after a few minutes the foamer would realize that he'd made a big mistake and he knew never to ask for a cab ride in a steam locomotive again.

 

[FormerOBS]

Best way to get a cab ride is to hire out and take the training.

Tom

 

[neroden]

Best way is to ride on a driverless EMU like Docklands Light Rail. Front and rear windows are just plain available to stare out of.