Least scenic Amtrak route?

[railgeekteen]

?

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

I'd be assumptive and say the Illini & Saluki. Or possibly the NEC between NYP and PHL. It depends on what you consider as not scenic. To me, vast deserts (Sunset Limited) get boring after a little bit, but I've heard that Europeans love them because no such thing exists in Europe.

 

[Bob Dylan]

IMO,all things considered,I agree that the Sunset/Eagle Route overall takes the prize.

Others include the California Zephyr Route between Chicago and Denver ( with the exception of the Crossing of the Mississippi @ Burlington) and the Chief between Chicago and Raton Pass as the least scenic routes, with honorable mentions to the Heartland Flyer,Lincoln Service Route, Crescent,Meteor and the Starvation.( lots of these have the best scenery in the dark!)

Special mention goes to the San Joaquin routes between Bakersfield and Stockton. ( with the connections to Ambuses for LA contributing)

 

[jis]

Ugliest has got to be Trenton to Philadelphia, unless you are into late 20th Century urban ruins sometimes painted over in gaudy colors in an attempt to put lipstick on the pig.

 

[City of Miami]

Special mention goes to the San Joaquin routes between Bakersfield and Stockton.

Depends on the timing. I have ridden through the valley this time of year when the trees (esp almonds) are blooming and it's spectacular!!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Special mention goes to the San Joaquin routes between Bakersfield and Stockton.

Depends on the timing. I have ridden through the valley this time of year when the trees (esp almonds) are blooming and it's spectacular!!

I haven't got to do that, but it makes it sound much better,thanks!

 

[railiner]

Ugliest has got to be Trenton to Philadelphia, unless you are into late 20th Century urban ruins sometimes painted over in gaudy colors in an attempt to put lipstick on the pig.

That would be me....I love to see the entire "rust belt" in all its past glory....as well as the PRR early 20th century engineering infrastructure....multi tracks, bridges, overhead catenary, flyover's, etc...

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

IMO,all things considered,I agree that the Sunset/Eagle Route overall takes the prize.

Others include the California Zephyr Route between Chicago and Denver ( with the exception of the Crossing of the Mississippi @ Burlington) and the Chief between Chicago and Raton Pass as the least scenic routes, with honorable mentions to the Heartland Flyer,Lincoln Service Route, Crescent,Meteor and the Starvation.( lots of these have the best scenery in the dark!)

Special mention goes to the San Joaquin routes between Bakersfield and Stockton. ( with the connections to Ambuses for LA contributing)

Okay, I do sometimes enjoy fields. Like trundling through southeastern Colorado while eating dinner. That Sunset was nice.

 

[niemi24s]

The least scenic route is the shortest route as the shortest route will have the least amount of scenery - whatever that scenery might be.

 

[jis]

Ugliest has got to be Trenton to Philadelphia, unless you are into late 20th Century urban ruins sometimes painted over in gaudy colors in an attempt to put lipstick on the pig.

That would be me....I love to see the entire "rust belt" in all its past glory....as well as the PRR early 20th century engineering infrastructure....multi tracks, bridges, overhead catenary, flyover's, etc...

I enjoy railroad infrastructure very much, But I don't consider it to be scenery in the sense that normal human beings use the term scenery.

 

[spinnaker]

Why would someone be interested in the least scenic route? Don't want any distractions?

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

New York to Philadelphia. Ugly part of NJ (except for Princeton Junction, but you're going too fast to see it), and unattractive part of PA.

Ironic that the NJ side from just south of Trenton, which you can only see from the light rail, is actually pretty: wetlands, small towns, boats on the water, and a couple of towns where the tracks go down the middle of the main street.

 

[jis]

I think the bridge across the Raritan River at New Brunswick would not be characterized as ugly or non-scenic. But that may just be me. OTOH, I don't see what is so scenic about Princeton Jct. Maybe that is because it was part of my old stomping grounds when I lived down in Monmouth County. Even after that, the NJ-ARP used to regularly meet at a Chinese Restaurant that was just walking distance from the station there, before it went out of business just after the recession. We also met in New Brunswick at various restaurants near the station and also in the Rutgers Club.

 

[Don Newcomb]

Not Amtrak but one of the least scenic sections of rail I've ever ridden is the last bit of the Shinkansen going into Fukuoka on Kyushu. It's all in tunnels with only brief flashes of daylight. Must be a similar experience to transiting the Chunnel.

Probably the most scenic was the Ofoten Line from Narvik to Karuna, altho the narrow-gage line that runs across the north coast of Spain had some nice views. I've never ridden any of the tourist lines in Norway or Switzerland that are famous for their scenery.

 

[jis]

Not Amtrak but one of the least scenic sections of rail I've ever ridden is the last bit of the Shinkansen going into Fukuoka on Kyushu. It's all in tunnels with only brief flashes of daylight. Must be a similar experience to transiting the Chunnel.

Chunnel is exactly one tunnel 20-23 minutes or so. The other darkness is just after leaving St. Pancras in London, pretty much past Stratford. The rest of it is over ground or elevated. So, that Shinkansen experience is very different from the Eurostar experience between London and Paris two and a half hour journey.

And like railner, if one is into rail infrastructure, there is actually quite a bit to see inside the Chunnel, since if you know what to look for, you can see the two crossover caverns, and also you can see the periodic doors to the escape cross-connects.

 

[railiner]

I think the bridge across the Raritan River at New Brunswick would not be characterized as ugly or non-scenic. But that may just be me. OTOH, I don't see what is so scenic about Princeton Jct. Maybe that is because it was part of my old stomping grounds when I lived down in Monmouth County. Even after that, the NJ-ARP used to regularly meet at a Chinese Restaurant that was just walking distance from the station there, before it went out of business just after the recession. We also met in New Brunswick at various restaurants near the station and also in the Rutgers Club.

And I think the Dock bridge over the Passaic at Newark is rather beautiful....but....that's probably just me...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jag9889/16390674101

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

jis--

I just looked up a picture of the Raritan River bridge, and it is pretty. I will look out the window next time and look for it.

You're right about Princeton Junction from the train, of course. I was thinking more of being there, with the Dinky. And of course people would get to see me waving at all the trains as I wait there for the routinely late NJT!

Someone rescued the Chinese restaurant (if it's the one by the tracks) and changed it into Asian Fusion. Also, I think NJ-ARP met once or twice in a restaurant in my town. Unfortunately, it was the same day as the Iris Festival, so I went to that instead (I didn't have my priorities straight in those days).

Sending you a PM about the restaurant, since it's a bit off-topic here.

 

[jis]

I think the Dock bridge is remarkable too. I also think that the Raritan River Bridge and the Delaware River Bridge are very interesting too. I also think that the flying junction between the NEC and the NJCL at Rahway is a remarkable piece of engineering for its time. I also generally like all of the NJ Speedway between Metuchen (CP Lincoln) and Trenton-Hamilton (CP Ham).

Speaking of otherwise ugly places that I find interesting - the railroad adjacent to Sunnyside Yard comes to mind. That is an area I visit each time when I visit New York, just to see the progress on the Amtrak duck unders and the general connection to East Side Access. All those new Control points and transfer of part of what used to be under LIRR control, to PSCC remote control fascinates me.

Similarly at the Philly end Zoo interlockings (now they are multiple CPs) still fascinates me, but it is probably pretty ugly otherwise - except perhaps the view from the Schuylkill River Bridge (between CP Girard and CP Mantua these days), which BTW is also a beautiful Bridge in its own right.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

And the Philly skyline is lovely--I forgot all about that.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The Silver trains don't offer a lot of scenery outside of Florida. Not that the Florida line is overly scenic but the swamps and orange groves in between the towns are nice. Always fun to spot a gator from the train.

 

[the_traveler]

people would get to see me waving at all the trains as I wait there for the routinely late NJT!

Would that make it the least scenic - or scariest?

 

[Don Newcomb]

And I think the Dock bridge over the Passaic at Newark is rather beautiful....but....that's probably just me...

One of those structures that only an engineer could love.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

I agree--that Dock Bridge looks like it needs a good cleaning!

And Dave, it's only scary at Princeton Junction when I start talking to the trains as well as waving at them!

 

[railiner]

I think the Dock bridge is remarkable too. I also think that the Raritan River Bridge and the Delaware River Bridge are very interesting too. I also think that the flying junction between the NEC and the NJCL at Rahway is a remarkable piece of engineering for its time. I also generally like all of the NJ Speedway between Metuchen (CP Lincoln) and Trenton-Hamilton (CP Ham).

Speaking of otherwise ugly places that I find interesting - the railroad adjacent to Sunnyside Yard comes to mind. That is an area I visit each time when I visit New York, just to see the progress on the Amtrak duck unders and the general connection to East Side Access. All those new Control points and transfer of part of what used to be under LIRR control, to PSCC remote control fascinates me.

Similarly at the Philly end Zoo interlockings (now they are multiple CPs) still fascinates me, but it is probably pretty ugly otherwise - except perhaps the view from the Schuylkill River Bridge (between CP Girard and CP Mantua these days), which BTW is also a beautiful Bridge in its own right.

Now you're talkin'!

What I miss are the old position light signals, the owl-faced MP-54's, the GG-1's, the E-44 Rectifier's, and....even the original MU Metroliner's in the later years....oh, and the brick towers, that have been removed...and of course the keystone logo's everywhere....

Since you like Sunnyside and vicinity....have you ever gotten a chance to ride a train all the way around the loop? That's a great way to see it...Some friendly crew might let you....

 

[Chey]

IMO,all things considered,I agree that the Sunset/Eagle Route overall takes the prize.

Others include the California Zephyr Route between Chicago and Denver ( with the exception of the Crossing of the Mississippi @ Burlington) and the Chief between Chicago and Raton Pass as the least scenic routes, with honorable mentions to the Heartland Flyer,Lincoln Service Route, Crescent,Meteor and the Starvation.( lots of these have the best scenery in the dark!)

Special mention goes to the San Joaquin routes between Bakersfield and Stockton. ( with the connections to Ambuses for LA contributing)

Being from the south plains - the llano estacado - I thought the Crescent was lovely, at least between NOL and ALX. Admittedly I rode in the summer, the leaves on the trees and all that. Also admittedly I was surprised to see all that Kudzu in Virginia.