What do you think if they could design passenger trains with a retro look?

Question

This could be a pleasing alternative for historical towns.

Answer 1

I gotta agree with Mike on this one.  There is no character left in passenger transportation.  I would think an argument can be made for the return of actual "service" on the nation's nearly nonexistent long distance rail travel.

Economics would be less of a concern.  Those who have the time to travel by rail these days have the cash to do so, if they can travel in grand fashion.  All it takes is for the first yuppie to pay an exorbitant price for first class travel and have something good to say about the experience.  Keeerist,  these people popularized brie!  Didja ever taste that stuff?

But, in towns that were founded by railroad necessity, annual events celebrating their railroad heritage and history are already up and running, both on a grand scale, or in small town fashion.

For the small town experience, it is hard to beat the annual "Railroad Days" celebration in Dunsmuir. California.  The UP brings in equipment, but there is also a display of historical SP locos and rolling stack as well.  Last year had a beautifully restored EMD F7 Black Widow on display stole the show.

But, sorry to say Mike, we're the dinosaurs...........

Answer 2

What I would really like to see is a breakdown of all the mega-mergers, and things were like they used to be when all the railroads had there own pasenger service. I want to see all the better railroads come back. Like ACL, AT&SF,B&O,C&O,N&W, SAL,SP,SR,IC,PRR,NYC, and others I haven't listed. Also, I would very much like to see Amtrak dissolved. The reason I say that is because I hear so more negative comments about it than good comments. Amtrak has been around for more than 30 years. In all that time they never did shape up, so maybe it's time for that flag to be fallen.

Answer 3

If this is the USA you are speaking of, then I would say they all have a retro look anyway except for some on the Northeast Corridor.  Amtrak really still has a 1970's look to me.  This may work in Europe where high taxes and state subsidies can make for any look you want on a train.

Answer 4

Huh? I don't quite get the connection between trains and historical towns, in this sense.

Trains go through towns, but thats not a reason to make the train "fit in". A train is not a permanent fixture - I don't see people in historical towns on a horse & buggy or in Model A Fords either.

Retro trains are unfortunately a thing of the past. The eye pleasing lines of ALCO, Fairbanks-Morse, early EMD's, and early GE locmotives are no more except on a few shortlines or in museums. It would be nice if the new and coming stock of freight and passenger GEVO's and ACe's were styled nicely as the designs of the 30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's, but its just not in the cards.

As the saying goes, that rails and disgruntled railfans like myself, say to the "know-it-all railfan boss" types, "paint doesn't pull trains" and neither does a retro look. So in otherwords, looks are in many ways, irrelevant.