When my family took the Southwest Chief around 2002, I remember them saying they were adding freight cars to the train in KC. Recently I was wondering if I was exaggerating that and it was just a couple baggage cars. Glad to see it was imagining at the time was actually accurate.
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
Absolutely! I remember many times coming into Chicago, they would make us passengers wait while they removed these mail and express cars BEFORE continuing into the station to let us de-train. It was a huge operation.
@jasonervoes1326
Жыл бұрын
Hello @MichaelfromtheGraves. Hope all is well with you and your family too. I'm doing awesome. Now that you just got my attention. About that passenger train you rode on. They said they added some freight cars in the back. My question is. Did they put a caboose at the end? One Amtrak train I rode on years ago. They added some freight cars. A string of box cars and a string of flat cars with trailers on top of them and a silver Amtrak caboose at the end.
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
@@jasonervoes1326 I have never seen a caboose on an Amtrak train personally. That doesn't mean it has never happened.
@jasonervoes1326
Жыл бұрын
@@RailWeeklyHello. Hope all is well with you and your family too. I'm doing great. Good point. I remember watching the Amtrak leave. Then a silver Amtrak engine with red and blue stripes. Backed up onto the main track and the crew coupled it to those freight cars I mentioned also like the video. A string of boxcars and a string of flat cars with trailers on top of them and that silver Amtrak caboose at the end. That was totally awesome. A freight sêrvice mixed in. It's a shame that you don't see that anymore.
@johnhblaubachea5156
5 ай бұрын
A novel idea, but it diverted limited from and jeopardized their primary business, which resulted in missed connections, crew overtime, bad relations with the Class 1s, and legal expenses. Many of the old express boxcars are still in storage on the Santa Maria Railroad.
@anonymousperson9610
Жыл бұрын
It would be great if Amtrak would go back to carrying freight if the class 1s wouldn’t bitch about it because seeing all those trailers and boxcar on the rear of those trains looks so badass to bone
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
I agree. Would be cool if they found a way to bring some of this business back!
@jfturner73
Жыл бұрын
Amtrak had their "freight" business completely priced backwards at that time. They underpiced eastbound high demand traffic and overpriced westbound backhaul traffic so they rarely had freight to go back. They incurred a lot of empty unpaid miles. Shippers took advantage of it, the competitors (JB Hunt, Schneider, Hub Group) crushed them, and the taxpayer subsidized the losses. UP wasn't the only one who filed a lawsuit. I know, I lived it.
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
There certainly were a lot of problems. And you are correct… UP was just one of the many legal challengers. Wonder if any of this will ever be tried again.
@jasonervoes1326
Жыл бұрын
Thát's so awesome. I heard thế Amtraks with passenger cars and freight cars had an Amtrak silver caboose at the end.
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
Not sure if I’ve ever seen that, but that would be cool! Haha. Thanks for watching!
@trainjack16
11 ай бұрын
I like the fact Amtrak carried mail and express behind their trains. I wish I could have seen them do it. I have HO Scale Amtrak express boxcars, MHC, and RoadRailers so I can model them.
@RailWeekly
10 ай бұрын
Very cool! I used to have some HO material handling cars as well.
@iatif1995
Жыл бұрын
Amtrak still uses their “Auto-Train” which is the longest amtrak train and has lots of autoracks carrying cars. So not all of it is gone technically!
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
Yes! I guess that would be freight wouldn’t it!? This is definitely a train I would like to do a video on in the future. The auto train was my first overnight train ride ever!
@sernajrlouis
Жыл бұрын
Great video and channel just subscribed
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the sub!
@kadenrobinson7067
Жыл бұрын
So this was an ad and I clicked it and I just subscribed lol
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
Haha! Thank you, Kaden!
@torquetrain8963
Жыл бұрын
Amtrak was going POSTAL!!!
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
A great 90s expression and a missed opportunity on my part! Haha. Thank you for watching!
@daviansorcia9737
Жыл бұрын
In 2022 they had amtrak atouracks
@brucehueg4443
Жыл бұрын
There are too many inaccurate comments here, to point them out!
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
Haha! It was definitely a complicated time period for Amtrak.
@grandtrunk5416
Жыл бұрын
Interesting intro tranistions
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
Thank you very much!
@cryorig_transit05
2 ай бұрын
Amtrak should bring back freight. The private companies (which I highly despise) can cry about it
@michaelbruchas6663
6 ай бұрын
I knew about the MHC cars but had never seen “reefers” on Amtrak trains before! I believe that are incorrect on the Fast Mail - it had a passenger coach or two - with a few passengers and very few stops. Had friends ride from DC to NYC. When Amtrak ran their package express service - I shipped videotapes from DC to NYC with clients picking them up at Penn Station.
@RailWeekly
6 ай бұрын
I completely believe you, I just never saw the fast mail run with a coach. That would have been a very unique experience!
@maiyo8518
2 ай бұрын
If it’s a world of talking trains, the Amtrak will hate pulling freight. The Amtrak will say ughhhhhhhh. The Amtrak will say can you bring my passenger coaches please? And the shunter will say nope! No can do, it’s a must do. The Amtrak will say grrrrr.
@joshmusic9766
Жыл бұрын
I would think that you it would be difficult to drop off passengers and then back track and switch rails to drop off freight trains. Seems like a headache.
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
It definitely was! I remember on some trains, especially in Chicago, they would deal with the mail and express FIRST and the passengers had to wait before getting off the train. It was particularly annoying if the train was late to begin with.
@robbyfranks8619
Жыл бұрын
Mail and Parcels are hauled by JB Hunt, Shnieder, and other trucking company trailers and travel cross country on piggyback cars
@packr72
Жыл бұрын
Union Pacific of course lost the case.
@whiteknightcat
Жыл бұрын
But won the war. Today UP prioritizes rock trains, empty coal trains, whatever over Amtrak with no consequences, resulting in abysmal on-time performance.
@stinkyroadhog1347
Жыл бұрын
@@whiteknightcat Though it's illegal for they to do this, Amtrak can do nothing because they have no power to sue
@whiteknightcat
Жыл бұрын
@@stinkyroadhog1347 Amtrak may not be able to seek legal relief, but they could bring these concerns up with the STB which can order enforcement.
@trivialinsignific
Жыл бұрын
hey ! if you want to go somewhere, and get about 1/3 of the way there and pay out your as5 for it, AMTRACK !!!!!
@SocialistDistancing
Жыл бұрын
I forgot about the amtrak box cars.
@atshinkansen7439
Жыл бұрын
Mail and express freight is nothing new for passenger trains. It was quite common during the classic era of US railroading.
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
Very true! It used to be a huge part of the revenue for all railroads. I have been thinking of doing a video on Railway Post Office cars. TBD
@Elliottblancher
Жыл бұрын
Technically the Auto train still makes them a freight railroad since it uses autoracks
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
I suppose you’re right!
@genepoon8905
Жыл бұрын
Amtrak did not "let the Postal contract expire." That sounds too innocent. Actually, Amtrak abrogated the contract...unilaterally cancelled the service in violation of the contract.
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
Interesting! My source for that information was an article from the early 2000s in Trains Magazine which said exactly that. Would love to learn more.
@packr72
Жыл бұрын
The Post Office should’ve committed to a longer contract then. Gunn knew what he was doing.
@brucehueg4443
Жыл бұрын
There was a renewal contract proposed, to extend the EXPIRING contract. Gunn refused to allow it to be presented to the Postal Service..
@davidstewart5694
Жыл бұрын
Amtrak needs to drop long distance junk and focus on nec and regional trains.
@RailWeekly
Жыл бұрын
You would be surprised how many people rely on the long-distance network! Although many more regional routes would be great, David. You’re right!
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