Chicago Odyssey Volume2 Part2

[Amtrak1194]

Has anyone watching ever rode on one of the original Amtrak trains?

[BenAliGtor]

@Amtrak1194 Rode the Panama Limited from 1972 on quite regularly, and took a trip east on the George Washington, CHI-DC, I also took a few trips north of Chicago on the old Empire Builder.

The equipment was railfan interesting back then, but always crowded, lots of malfunctioning, and the crews were lazy and surly. Amtrak now is a VAST improvement over those "good old days", in my opinion. Remember, Nixon initiated Railpax to kill intercity rail travel, but Amtrak became a modern railroad.

[BNforever2009]

would be nice if Amtrak resurrected this train but even the City of New Orleans train now is not getting enough riders.

[howardkevinm]

@BNforever2009 they cant. well not directly. significent sections of the original line are long long long gone. the train had horrible on-time performance. on average the train was late 10hrs each day.

[BenAliGtor]

@BNforever2009 I rode the Panama (Amtrak) several times. Even though I'd only travel as far as Mattoon, I'd always book a roomette, because the coaches were so scummy.College kids to Kankakee, Champaign and Carbondale, as well as enlisted military going to Rantoul---well worth the price (about ten bucks or so) for a little peace, quiet .and privacy.

[Dakotajohnboy]

0:18 The IC's only SD45! Wow I have only seen one picture of this unit! Wish i could have seen it in action. Great catch. Sad to see the IC fall to CN. Slowly they are taking over all the railroads i hold dear. IC, EJ&E, DM&I. Now all i have to look at is the Bloomer line to see what it must have been like in those days with slow moving GP's. Even KB&S replaced the ALCO's with GP's. Sad these changing times.

[Amtrak1194]

what other railroads didn't join the Amtrak merger?

[DjFreemode]

@Amtrak1194 the rock island was one that did not join amtrak when it started in 1971.

[Amtrak1194]

@DjFreemode right

i think there were a few other passenger carriers that didn't either but I'm trying to research them

[rsynth75]

@Amtrak1194 Southern...Denver & Rio Grande Western

[howardkevinm]

21st street doesnt still have that U shape anymore i take it? i think that was the alignment to central station in chicago.?

[rando4038]

the ic e9 #2040 is a former florida east coast loco aquired in the late 1960's

[LotusbandicootRR]

Passenger trains were a LOT longer back then!

[LotusbandicootRR]

Also, it's strange seeing the Sears Tower not being fully constructed around 8:20!

[Amtrak1194]

@LotusbandicootRR they weren't as full as they are today though!

But today most are Superliners which have two levels so although there isn't much passenger seating area on the lower level, they still can make up for 2-3 cars on an Amtrak train.

[ronthecyborg]

4:26 - interesting horn. You don't hear stuff like that on todays diesels.

[rando4038]

don't think that is the actual horn sound of the IC's e9's, these videos were filmed with a 8mm silent movie cameras more than likely, the sounds you here were added digitally, the IC used nathan & leslie 5 chime air horns on ther e units

[ronthecyborg]

I'm aware that this isn't "live" sound. however, the sounds used were obviously recorded during that time period. I was just stating that you probably won't hear a horn like that on a modern-day diesel.

[BNforever2009]

That Panama Ltd was awesome. I never got to see that when i was little. Wonder if Amtrak will bring that back in the future?

[rando4038]

the panama limited is still around just not in name , amtrak renamed the panama lmtd. the city of new orleans , ressurecting the name of the daytime all coach train, the panama lmtd was a all pullman sleeping car train up until december 1968

[BNforever2009]

the 3rd unit on that IC piggyback is a rare GP-40X #3075. That was destroyed in a wreck later on, short lived.

[ConrailSD80MAC]

I'm a bit confused. The 3075 was the prototype GP40 if I'm not mistaken. When you say GP40X, I'm thinking of the type that Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, and others had that were the prototypes for the GP50 series which also had flared radiators. I guess #3075 also went by GP40X, but not the same type I'm thinking of.

[WC7495]

2:05: Clearly not Cicero at all...Pennsy Position Lights are not part of CB&Q! We are south of 21st Street interlocking somewhere on the Pennsy...maybe by Comisky?

[bigvan98]

1:07 is really where the cta orange line ashland stop stands today. at 1:52 the orange sign on the left is holsum bread which was just knocked down a year ago. there is a a building in front of that enterprise paints and that too is abondoned

[bigvan98]

8:21 sears tower being built. how could they call it willis tower?

[mbwolf61]

I really miss the days before thug vandals spray- painted trains and some people actually consider it art.