Jackdude101 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Where are your favorite places to ride trains for recreational purposes (including those outside of theme parks)? Where are your favorite places to see old historical trains on static display? Which upcoming or in-progress railroad-related project are you most excited about? Also...steam vs. diesel vs. electric vs. maglev...which is the one true "ultimate" type of train? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcjp Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 I actually used to be quite a train enthusiast (and still have something left). My first dream job was a train driver, but not any train, it had to be this one: which is the fastest/best train we have here in Portugal (no TGV). I also remember how when I was a kid and my grandmother used to travel by train to the village where she works I would do lots of trips with her and sometimes the driver would let me sit next to him! The train was no big deal, it wasn't massive and wasn't electric. Well, anyway, I still enjoy travelling in a good fast train and am quite interested by the Maglev ones. Just a shame they are still very expensive and rather rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackdude101 Posted September 18, 2014 Author Share Posted September 18, 2014 Based on a special spreadsheet I made, the ultimate steam railroad operation in the English-speaking world appears to be the Queensland Rail Heritage Fleet, based near Brisbane, Australia. The best ones in the US are the two surviving narrow gauge lines originally built by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in the 1880s: the Cumbres & Toltec and the Durango & Silverton. Those are located in southern Colorado/northern New Mexico. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanM64 Posted September 21, 2014 Share Posted September 21, 2014 Diesel all the way!! I actually am an engineer. Worked 7 years for the Union Pacific until I left them to work for my current employer- Metra (Chicago commuter railroad). I've been an engineer at Metra since I started there January. I currently work the Rock Island and Southwest Service Metra lines. I don't railfan too much, but I enjoy all old diesel equipment. The old CB&Q/D&RGW/WP California Zephyr is my favorite train. Here are a couple trains I was running taken by local railfans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackdude101 Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 ^^^You would probably love the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois. They have like more railroad rolling stock than any other museum in the country and between two and three dozen of their diesel locos are working. They have a huge array of classic electric streetcars, as well as a modest steam program. It's not a big place of interest for me, since I am a steam buff, but for a classic diesel fan, that's the place to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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