Last Train in America - Rio Grande Zephyr

[@epol6471]

Nice to hear you're recovering well, and yes your voice is great. The possibility of this complication also won't stop me from undergoing the same, transitioning is such a relief :-)

[@bigmoodenergy]

complication is rare and could happen with any intubation, I'd 100% do it again!

[@quentin2776]

Really enjoy these stories. As someone who only knows the broad strokes of American rail’s history, hearing these more specific bits is really cool. Looking forward to part three. And congratulations on your surgery! Happy to see and hear you back on video.

[@bigmoodenergy]

thank you!

[@spewmuffin]

This is a highly entertaining series of our railroading past that is rarely covered. Thank you very much, and your voice is still as lovely as ever!

[@Shen986]

Loving these histories! Having one carrier like Amtrak makes things less confusing for gravel planning, but we also get a lack of progress, it seems.

[@thetrainhopper8992]

I'm glad that you're back up and running. I'm also liking the mini series. I think more people like us should be making videos that talk about the history of the older routes.

[@henrytifft8985]

hi

[@strega-nil]

the intubation leading to fucked up vocal chords is so scary! I'm really happy it seems to have worked out

[@robertmoir5695]

I enjoy your videos It was tough for me in the early 1970s when commercial passenger trains were removed from service

[@osmanjeffrey]

So glad I happened upon your channel. I enjoy your presentation. Cheers.

[@AngelaChang]

Glad you have recovered your voice. It sounds great!

[@johnwest901]

Another great and informative video. Great to see you back!

[@coolwoof2700]

When the world needed her most she returned with a new video

[@nedvb6676]

Congratulations on your surgery! Love these videos sm good to see your back up and running.

[@AngelaChang]

Great video on the history of train travel!

[@baronjutter]

I'm not really that into railroad history but it's fun and soothing to listen to you tell me about them. I like the little set you've created, seems to be a good recording space too! Good length videos too for the subject without getting into drawn out lengthy lists of dry details, just the interesting overview level.

[@kevinb9327]

I think your voice sounds miraculous! 😇 🎶

[@cadethomas5686]

You sound great! Please keep up the fantastic work you do.

[@michaelgmoore5708]

We will always love your voice and pray for you sweetie!

[@BuckeyeNationRailroader]

The Rio Grande Zephyr was the last Intercity Streamliner train in the United States, and the last remnant we had of the original California Zephyr. It was a shame to see it go.

[@jean-francoiscaron5706]

I like how every video this channel looks more and more like ContraPoints.

[@Alevuss92]

As someone who knows nothing about the rise of amtrak, this little miniseries has been so interesting! Also loving the set design!

[@BuckeyeNationRailroader]

If you wanna know what happened. In the 1960s and 1970s, the railroad industry in the United States was in trouble. Due to the rising Automobile force and Federal Restrictions dating back to the 1860s and the Federal takeover from World War I and World War II, the entire industry was on the verge of collapse. After the bankruptcy of the Penn Central in 1970, under US President Richard Nixon, the United States Government dramatically loosened the restrictions on the industry. The United States Government essentially gave the railroad companies an offer, and in simple terms, the US Government said they were gonna take passenger operations off the hands of the railroad companies. The railroad companies agreed to the proposition, and so they signed on. In 1971, Amtrak officially started operation, taking over the remaining passenger rail service and mail service in the United States, and that is your history of how we got to Amtrak. This however would not be the final time the US Government has interfered in the railroad business to try and salvage it.

[@rockym9981]

One of the California Zephyr observation cars is on display in my hometown of Maricopa in Pinal County, Arizona. It used to be at the Amtrak station but they recently moved it a few blocks east

[@d1p]

I'm glad your back! I love your infrastructure videos.

[@katherinenessel1218]

Amazing video as always!!

[@mparis130]

Aw so sorry to hear about your surgery complications! The only issue I hear is that the audio only comes out one side louder than the other. But I love your content and love watching anyway!

[@osmanjeffrey]

I hope you will present a film on the Rock Island, too. Thanks for your good work.

[@torikicklighter1191]

Excellent presentation-well done…being a huge passenger train advocate I find this quite informative

[@TravisAmiel]

amazing and fantastic video! i adored this! thank you! audio was good and i could hear just fine ◡̈

[@elgreco75]

A very interesting history on these old railroad lines. Also Im glad you made a recovery.

[@AndrewPfannkuche]

You sound great and every viewer is rooting for your vocal cord! The video is entertaining and informative, as usual! Congratulations on the gender-afferming surgery as well!

[@peterahrens3594]

Alexandria, Love Trains and Femininity! So Beautiful and so Divine! ❤❤❤❤

[@IamTheHolypumpkin]

I generally enable subtitles on because I'm not a native English speaker. How good I understand the narration comes down to the dialect. But your voice is certainly very pleasant to listen to. But to Trains! The glorious time when taking the Train was the real event of your Journey (in a positive way). Oneday I want to take Amtrak from the east coast to the west cost (and maybe back via Canada by Train) but Flying over to the USA is a lot of CO2 emissions, I want to avoid :(. Maybe I take the Trans-Siberian Railway first.

[@josephmiele2277]

This was the last privately-run intercity passenger service in the US for about 35 years until Brightline begun operations in South Florida in 2018. However, it is still the last to operate in more than one state

[@concorde2003]

Video of last runs of the Rio Grande Zephyr: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4u9YmWsmadjfrs

[@joshplaysdrums2143]

Love the video! Also really love the editing, set, and music you use

[@johnnyjames7139]

I rode the RGZ several times just for fun, even flying to Denver and I hate flying.

[@robertmoir5695]

Yes the Rio Grande was the last commercial passenger train to April 23rd 1983

[@tommythomason6187]

From what I've read, I think Southern Railway System and Denver and Rio Grande Western thought Amtrak, itself, would be dead in the five years' time the ICC mandated private carriers to continue operating their passenger trains. Meaning, those roads who stayed out of Amtrak. Didn't work that way. Rock Island Line continued to operate their two trains, "The Peorian," and, "The Quad Cities," because they were so financially woebegone that they couldn't afford the Amtrak Entrance Fee.

[@BuckeyeNationRailroader]

Actually no. The Southern Railway System and the Denver and the Rio Grande were profiting off their passenger trains and didn't want to willingly hand them over to Amtrak. Unfortunately, they didn't have a choice and had to do so under federal mandate, and after a while of bickering, the mandate then went into effect. The Rock Island Railroad wasn't that impoverished at the time when Amtrak was created. What happened was that Amtrak didn't want to take over the operation of the Quad Cities, Peorian, and Commuter Service. The Rock Island had already discontinued most of its passenger trains by this point, so there wasn't much really to hand over. So essentially, the Rock Island simply fought to keep them, and they got their wish until they were abolished years later.

[@henrytifft8985]

You do realize that the rock island (a mighty good road) had kept its passenger service post amtrak but gave it up 2 months before southern right?

[@bigmoodenergy]

Yes but it was a state subsidized semi-commuter so I left it out of the series Mr. Smartie

[@henrytifft8985]

Oh okay

[@davidl6558]

You do realize that mushroom is the best pizza topping?

[@weetikissa]

You do realize that it's not actually always sunny in Philadelphia, right?

[@ClaudiaNW]

Great video, as always. And I would love to have a voice as pretty as yours. (I'm a trans girl who has not begun transition irl)

[@ladyjenna9814]

Do you think we'll ever get a high speed rail? China has us beat on that.

[@qjtvaddict]

Some crazy banker needs to get into that game

[@PK1312]

These vids are great, but please, please please invest in a lapel mic, lol. The audio is so rough it makes it hard to pay attention.

[@qjtvaddict]

Did you have COVID?

[@peterahrens3594]

Could You Do Some Videos on Being Transgender! Such Beautiful aura! Thank-You! ❤❤❤

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Wasn't the first train to bear the name, "Zephyr," the Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad's, EMD/Budd, streamlined Zephyr from the mid 1930s?

[@bigmoodenergy]

That's correct! There are a bunch of unrelated Zephyrs from the CBQ. I guess I should have been more specific that it was the first Chicago-SF Zephyr

[@bigmoodenergy]

Also love the DC6, love propliners

[@WAL_DC-6B]

@@bigmoodenergy I got my interest in propliners from having lived as a kid near Chicago's O'Hare Field in the 1960s.

[@randommodnar7141]

Oh hey I'm the first one here