What do non-Americans really think of USA assets and routes?

[johnmckenzie]

For the record, I love the names as much as anything. Iconic, big, bold, famous, do-anything-go-anywhere names such as Union Pacific and Santa Fe. The Southern Pacific! Rio Grande! Pictures of huge trains with those names proudly on display in picture books as a kid. What a wonderful heritage!

[johnmckenzie]

What I DON'T like about US railroads is how unfair their employment policy is - "Wanted - staff for local railroad. Applicant must have the name Dan Hernandez, others need not apply"...

[Rich_S]

What I DON'T like about US railroads is how unfair their employment policy is - "Wanted - staff for local railroad. Applicant must have the name Dan Hernandez, others need not apply"...

Yes, that is the new hiring policy from the RSC hand book.....

[mrennie]

So did I, Mike!

Wonderful times.

My first job after leaving school was working as an odd job man (boy) in Littlewoods on Princes Street. I'd go out at lunchtime and eat my sandwiches while standing on a bridge in the Gardens watching BR Blue diesels (26, 27, 40) passing underneath, and sometimes venture into the station itself to listen to the 55s.

The thing to do is just to jump in and enjoy - They are ALL fun in their own way!

My feelings exactly!

I even have fun now and then driving an HST on the Bristol to Exeter route, taking an electric on the Woodhead line, or on the NEC. Honestly, there isn't any route or train that I don't enjoy to some degree.

[johnmckenzie]

Ah, those 27 push-pulls and the 40s... I used to watch them every day on my way to and from school. My school was just the other side of the main Edinburgh-Glasgow main line from my parents' house and I used to get lost for hours at Lenzie station or Cadder yard!

[Rich_S]

Sadly, there are a lot of xenophobic people in every country, including in Britain. I see it all the time. People who post (not here, I'm talking about other forums and facebook) about trains as if the only ones worthy of consideration are those from their own country. To me, they just have their eyes (and minds) closed. They need to get out in the world and experience it. I love US routes that show me places I've never been to, so I can admire them as if I were on holiday, visiting somewhere new. I would recommend that Americans adopt the same frame of mind when running along a UK route. Look for the differences and enjoy them!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Mike,
I agree, even though my first love is North American railroading, I've also enjoyed running the many British and German routes in Rail Works. I'm not really a fan of the modern British or German equipment, but that ties in with my age and what I saw during my formative years. On a side note, smoke deflectors were used on steam locomotives here in the United States. A couple of the more famous ones are the UP 844 Northern and UP 3977 Challenger.

I'm curious what your impressions are of a Shay locomotive? Personally I think it is one of the neatest steam locomotives. They were designed to operate on uneven track with steep grades that are typically found in lumber operations. I've had the pleasure of riding in front of / behind the Western Maryland Shay Number 6 at the Cass Scenic Railroad in Cass West Virginia. Here is a video of WM Shay No. 6 at Cass. http://youtu.be/D4n6Sz64uNE

Regards,
Rich S.

[Boldri]

Hi,
here in middle of the Europe are much shorter, lighter and...yes I can say so...usual trains. I see them every day, but I like them from my childhood.
Many years before I discovered good old MS Train Simulator and from that time I'm fascinated by american railroads. You have much much longer, bigger and heavier trains. So exotic for us here. When I'm watching train dvd and someone goes around, they ask: "Why the hell those americans use so many locos on one train?" or "Uhh, waiting on grade crossing in States must be horrible with these long and slow moving trains".:-D.
MSTS kicked me into serious interest in american trains, rolling stock is so different from what I can see here at home.
The second thing I'm fascinated by us railroading is of course the landscape. This is the reason I like midwest and western railroads more, than eastern. On the east coast of the US the scenery isn't so different form the Europe. This is the reason, why I love mountain railroading.

I like fast trains too, so french TGV, german ICE trains and I really like Japanese railways.
To be honest, British trains are ugly for me and I don't run them in game.

[mrennie]

On a side note, smoke deflectors were used on steam locomotives here in the United States. A couple of the more famous ones are the UP 844 Northern and UP 3977 Challenger.

I'm in the middle of building UP844

I'm curious what your impressions are of a Shay locomotive? Personally I think it is one of the neatest steam locomotives. They were designed to operate on uneven track with steep grades that are typically found in lumber operations. I've had the pleasure of riding in front of / behind the Western Maryland Shay Number 6 at the Cass Scenic Railroad in Cass West Virginia.

I discovered Shay locomotives when I was researching the Lima Consolidation. They are indeed very unusual with their geared drivers, but that makes them all the more interesting. I saw that Dick Cowen has made some models of those. I'd love to visit Cass.

[BNSFdude]

Our " deltics" would have to be the FPA-4s. They are elegant looking beasts, however the sound is vastly different.

[SuperChief]

I'm not a fan of the European Diesels and Electric Locos But I Do love the steam Locos From both Countries and The fact that most European Countries used steam up until the last few years make it a testament to the True power of steam.. The us Locos remind me of a team of draft Horses Pulling a full wagon of Goods. the us routes are some of the Steepest in the world and they make for a great challenge.

[CSX2057]

Wish they still had steam like UK does. I like the Steam Mallard and Flying Scotsman. To bad they had to salvage all steam engines and UK didn't.

[mrennie]

Wish they still had steam like UK does. I like the Steam Mallard and Flying Scotsman. To bad they had to salvage all steam engines and UK didn't.

Union Pacific have been operating the FEF-3 4-8-4 #844 continuously ever since it was built in 1944. There are also many heritage railroads in the USA that operate steam locomotives.

I think almost all of the steam locos operating in the UK have been salvaged (many were purchased from British Railways or from the scrapyard in Barry, Wales, by enthusiasts in the 1960s). There's even one, Tornado, which was built recently, entirely from scratch (but with adjustments for the modern era, such as a welded, instead of riveted, boiler).

The problem is that it costs a huge amount to operate and maintain steam locos. Flying Scotsman brought about the financial ruin of at least two millionaires that owned it at various times, before it eventually went to the National Railway Museum.

[GSkid]

Hi,
here in middle of the Europe are much shorter, lighter and...yes I can say so...usual trains. I see them every day, but I like them from my childhood.
Many years before I discovered good old MS Train Simulator and from that time I'm fascinated by american railroads. You have much much longer, bigger and heavier trains. So exotic for us here. When I'm watching train dvd and someone goes around, they ask: "Why the hell those americans use so many locos on one train?" or "Uhh, waiting on grade crossing in States must be horrible with these long and slow moving trains".:-D.
MSTS kicked me into serious interest in american trains, rolling stock is so different from what I can see here at home.
The second thing I'm fascinated by us railroading is of course the landscape. This is the reason I like midwest and western railroads more, than eastern. On the east coast of the US the scenery isn't so different form the Europe. This is the reason, why I love mountain railroading.

I like fast trains too, so french TGV, german ICE trains and I really like Japanese railways.
To be honest, British trains are ugly for me and I don't run them in game.

I'm not sure what era the DVD was from, but just look at trains going up grades in the 1970s and 1980s on youtube. Tehachapi Loops is a good place to start. That era had even MORE engines on a train then newer generation trains. That's because the horsepower averaged 3000hp-3600hp then and they needed more locos then todays high HP trains.

Here's a Santa Fe example from 1989 with 10 locos in full dynamics coming down the Techachapi Loop.....




Also... when I said ALCO had engines that sound like a British Deltic...... the ALCO RSD-1 comes to mind. Listen to the way it CHIRPS and putts a lot like a Deltic.....

[hertsbob]

I think you might be getting your Deltics mixed up with your Class 40s...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9awQZKc-y0I

(1:30 he finally gets it started)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG91fYHcm-k

[mrennie]

I think you might be getting your Deltics mixed up with your Class 40s...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9awQZKc-y0I

(1:30 he finally gets it started)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG91fYHcm-k

Exactly. Deltics don't chirp and putt, they boom!