WOW! ANOTHER 5 STAR GRAB BAG! SKYTOP LOUNGE CAR, BEAUTIFUL ACELA, AND SO MUCH MORE! 7/21/22

[@davelauraphillips8814]

I think that the Skytop was originally Milwaukee Road's Coffee Creek. That's really cool. GREAT CATCH and thanks for sharing!!

[@CR7659]

Yes I am seeing indication it was this car, and the last of the six sleepers, elsewhere online.

[@b-money5133]

You are correct.

[@railfanshorts4792]

Do you know where it was going to/from?

[@b-money5133]

@@railfanshorts4792 it was being ferried to its new owners-the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western in central North Carolina.

[@trainencounters586]

Thanks so much for the grab bags! I look forward to watching them. It helps an armchair guy like me stay in touch with what's happening around the country a bit.

[@rocksreynolds3642]

That first train with the special cars and weird caboose was awesome!

[@roberthuron9160]

That Shedd Aquarium car! Car is based out of Chicago,and they operated Pullman cars at one time,in the past! Interesting operation,and didn't think that was still in use! Thanks for a real rarity!! Thanks again 😊!

[@Andyjoseph8]

aww the little fella at 7:25 cool train at 14:30

[@James_Lee_]

8:58 moment of a lifetime for that railfan. Man I wish I was there for that

[@LouisvilleRails]

That was me ❤

[@johnwalters1341]

At 7:25, an inquisitive male House Sparrow. We called them English Sparrows when I was a kid.

[@HappyHands.]

The Acela really looks the part of a high speed train.

[@charleshagenbuch6078]

The Sparrow says: "hey look at me, I can wave for the camera too!" That's a whole lot of coffee DoDs moving around the horseshoe.😄

[@nnm35]

The Sparrow seems to be of a higher order of intelligence. "I'm looking at you... people!" (-;!

[@Cpr1234]

Fun fact: The passenger cars on the Acela Liberty set can tilt, however the power cars can't. The passenger cars will only tilt if the function is on, otherwise they can't either.

[@poowg2657]

Cool, thanks for the info. Looks like they're taking cues from the Japanese on nose design.

[@harrisonofcolorado8886]

@@poowg2657 I believe they looked at Europe for inspiration of these Avelia Liberty trains.

[@churt6754]

@@harrisonofcolorado8886 A French Company called Alstom is the company making the new Avelia Liberty trains. They also happen to be the company that made the original Acela trains too. Both were made out of their factory in New York.

[@SACWarrior70s]

Tilt cars started here in US wt the Talgo Trains brought in & assembled in Washington St for the Cascades Service. They tilted evan when going 80mph. Fun rides several times to Portland and back to Seattle...still around $43? One way?

[@StefanWithTrains]

The Avelia liberty is build by alstom and is based on the flexible Alstom Avelia platform of high speed trains. These trains use the same design of the avelia horizon trains for the SNCF for the TGV services. And use Pendolino technology for the passenger cars

[@juliegogo2941]

Well you can't see them but, the happy squeals of children seeing a colored liner going by was thrilling " all right all right! " A breath taking veiw in PA to what are we seeing a NS engine pulling a special supersonic stainless steel rocket part to then.. the big blue caboose so it wasn't a space X part at all. Plus more parts! Building subs? Look at all the train activity in New Mexico nice skyline too. NS has a real special delivery in the remote forest looks like Christmas in July with the different train cars. Will study the line! UP has pulled out its neat liners. Oh! Someone has bought a wild wild west red train car! I bet. Good times on amtrak another nostalgic car! A nice blue engine in California that I can't read. NS has pull out a executive line engine without a logo! Nocturnal CSX with mega load of goodies! Looks like the big HERZOG sci-fi construction train ENGINE.... is it pushing the BNSF train around the corner the look the sound chugga chugga..... In Illinois that engineer knew he was pulling the past present line up of BNSF engines ... red switcher et al circa like the army switcher too?.where's the future? That KCS regal engine and the red and gray engine has been running with these BNSF guys for a few days now....... The UP and NS went literally whistling through Kearney... A couple of convoys...a really long mono-convoy and a red cross multi vehicle Convoy. A sparrow who sees his reflection. The nocturnal CSX had the horn wave ... the liners always are super creative. Oklahoma engineers are always consistent. Last but not least the the Mexico city bunch moving all about. Thanks Oh I just found out a family member rode the city of Las Angeles liner... 70 ish years ago!

[@paullindberg9230]

That new Amtrak passenger train being taken to point " I dunno" but looks like it can Breeze!!

[@MyLifesTracks]

I caught the Acela passing through Syracuse, NY. It has such a great smooth sound to it. I like the crowd cheering in Fairport, NY as it passed!

[@jjentertainment6011]

I was there, It was very intense LOL

[@stephenhudson6543]

Former Milwaukee railroad Hiawatha skytop

[@ChaiLatte13]

Even the birbs are waving at the cams and are VRFs now! haha

[@willwozniak2826]

That girl sure got a nice SALUTE from CSX....COOL!!!

[@F40M07]

NO SKYTOP WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU MY QUEEN

[@douglasskaalrud6865]

Prepped for painting.

[@F40M07]

Repainting the Hiawatha scheme?

[@DIYD]

All they need now is that PA. That'll be something to see I tell ya.

[@Horzpwr]

Not the sky top you’re thinking of. The Friends of the 261 own “Cedar Rapids”. This is “Coffee Creek” and is not the same kind of car

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Looks like it is set up for static display. In really bad need of some love and paint.

[@SoCalOCRailfan]

Spectacular grab bag!! Love to see the Fakebonnets, Warbonnet and Coaster locomotives lead with the other H2

[@paullindberg9230]

That train on the opening video on Skybox Looks like a big Pratt &Whitney jet enjine

[@misterflibble6601]

3:20 Nice to see some switching

[@MrBnsftrain]

0:13 Avelia Liberty with locomotives 2110 and 2105 pulled by P42 109, P40 824, and the Pacific bend crew sleeper. I personally think each Avelia Liberty power car should have a nameplate similar to how some high-speed trains are in the UK 1:00 nuclear waste train (correct me if I'm wrong) with the giant caboose 1:44 new Ferromex livery GEVO trailing 2:40 dash 8 and FRA maroon car trailing on a silver service:03 BNSF 7701 leading! That number has been used on a bunch of their company merch, including a luggage tag that I had on my backpack from 2nd grade until it broke off recently. Nine other units trail behind 7701 on this train. 5:00 nice to see the switch being moved. A much bigger mechanism than those on museum lines 5:58 Northern Pacific heritage hopper 6:10 both Ferromex liveries on one train! 6:26 quite a few military Hummers 7:42 Union Pacific's 10-car OCS through Santa Fe Junction's low-level tracks 8:31 WOW! This Milwaukee Road Skytop sleeper-lounge car was in Alamosa for many years until Aberdeen, Carolina, and Western bought it. It was originally named "Coffee Creek" and one of only ten ever built, five or six of them still exist 9:13 New York Central private car on the Surfliner 9:24 warbonnets 799, unknown 600-series, 776, H2 dash 9 5041, and Coaster F40PH 2105 10:18 freshly overhauled NS unit leading a UP train 10:40 one of BNSF's automated inspection cars on the Southwest Chief 11:08 some more military equipment. Bulldozers and Armored Personnel Carriers 12:00 Herzog well train behind the tail DPU 13:10 triclops SD60M in H3, BN green SD40-2, another H3 triclops, and Burlington Junction Railway MP15 13:53 cool boxcar! 14:02 NS 8025 leading a BNSF train, probably a Q-LACNYC 14:26 three F40s and four cars make up this CSX OCS. Note the Sperry car at the right of the screen

[@toddstuppy3923]

Sorry folks its a spent nuclear fuel vessel. The white box on the front end has a radiator assembly powered by a generator on the DODX caboose, hence the underbelly tanks. Uranium is almost as dense as lead and thats why its on a 12 axle flat. They have plenty of these in storage at Mechanicsburg depot, PA

[@thomasboese3793]

Thanks for the update. I knew the 'what', but not the 'how' or 'why' of the white box. I wonder what the inside of the caboose is like?

[@dannymccarty6680]

@@thomasboese3793 They have a stainless steel pool table in that DOD caboose.

[@samuelgreen7274]

So it's not a shake weight for the jolly green giant?

[@Chas70]

@@samuelgreen7274 LOL!

[@thomasboese3793]

@@dannymccarty6680 So I suppose that the balls are depleted U232.

[@davidbrown4823]

I was thinking of CN with the observation car but not sure. thank you.

[@ikonseesmrno7300]

CN bought some of the Creek series Skytop sleepers from the Milwaukee Road in the early '60s & ran them for a few years before retiring them. They wore the black & white paint job under CN ownership.

[@taslimchoudhary1253]

Excellent Video 🌺🥀🇮🇳🌺🥀

[@chief1b]

CosterFan 2105 Leaving San Diego for the California Railroad Museum

[@RandomRailfan828]

Nice grab bag as always mike!

[@paulbergen9114]

Spotting syrup or corn syrup @ Coca Cola. Was with some covered hoppers. They had the salt service look otherwise perfect set honoring National Junk Food Day 7\21.

[@paulwarner5395]

Great grab bag. One of the best for a while.

[@lubzeN]

Nice catch

[@Doug6410]

I can’t wait to see that new Amtrak

[@christopherescott6787]

08:40 Ex Milwaukee Road? CN ran them back in the 70's

[@Greatdome99]

CN got them from the Milw after the Olympian Hiawatha was discontinued.

[@johnsmart3587]

Ready for the close up! Thanks.

[@albertcyphers1532]

That red car looked like a movie prop

[@railfan711]

Where those led lights on the NS in Tucson I've never seen any headlights that white and bright?

[@TheMetGuy]

You have some great grab bags

[@shed66215]

Skytop Lounge was ACWR ex MILW 15 'Coffee Creek', heading to North Platte, NE

[@davelauraphillips8814]

I missed your comment first time through and came to the same conclusion about the identity!

[@Greatdome99]

Observation sleeper, not full lounge. Five bedrooms up front. Built especially for the Olympian Hiawathas. The Afternoon Hi's had parlor observations which had a different floorplan and less "skytop."

[@ikonseesmrno7300]

Why North Platte?

[@solarusthelonghaulerrailfa3226]

A super neon battery 🔋 at the curve 😁

[@railfanandweathermanblake529]

Nice grab bag

[@agonecrescent6189]

Great grab bag

[@tylerbrobston4265]

Nice UP Train

[@nnm35]

Trying to figure the directionality of the Elkhart train at 6:24 with all the Humvees. It is filmed at 19:59, the post in front would be casting its shadow to the north, so the train is moving West? I haven't ever had to figure this sort of thing out before. Doah! And 15:24 "This BUD's for BNSF", very funny! Great grab bag, thanks!

[@CR7659]

Elkhart confuses me too. I had to look at it on the map to understand the cam on the station faces north, and trains going to the left are going west.

[@germantanker131johnny2]

oooooooh long armored caboose!

[@pablorobertodurso8892]

At minute 3:36 to 3:49 we see the Haiawatha parlor coach ??? Hope they will restore it like the original

[@myesenc]

If they are using 10 locomotives, how long is the train? Wow!

[@geofferywickline4846]

Amtrak 10020 is the Pacific Bend sleeping car. The Acela 2 or Avelia Libertys passenger cars can tilt the powercars not so much.

[@RAILROADfreestyle]

@ 3:15 are those EX BNSF locomotives?. They are spray painted out

[@jacksonsdrones]

That Lounge Car (Not the Same One) is Used on the New River Train/Autumn Colors Express in West Virginia! But I think the one they use is the Milwaukie Road, Something Like That. Anyway Great Video Man!

[@thomasboese3793]

8:40 RIP MILW Hiawatha Skytop...

[@CR7659]

@@thomasboese3793 Car was sold to the Aberdeen Carolina and Western who bought it to restore and use.

[@jacksonsdrones]

@@CR7659 Wait, Was that the Milwaukee Car? Or was thar just a car that looks like the Milwaukee car and there restoring it.

[@thomasboese3793]

@@CR7659 Yes, in an earlier post I placed the photo roster of the ACWR passenger cars. Sad to see Coffee Creek without her 'Hiawatha' tail plate.

[@CR7659]

@@jacksonsdrones This was Milwaukee 15, one of six sleeper-lounge-obs which were sold to CN in 1964. Four returned to the US in the late 1970s. Two exist as bare shells and this is the only one anywhere close to decent. It was a victim of the Iowa Pacific bankruptcy.

[@jollygreengiant7070]

Always love seeing those DOD cabooses. 👍 I wonder what the jet turbine/engine is going into..

[@mjsdean]

That "jet engine" is a spent nuclear fuel transport container.

[@HappyHands.]

Shinnyest casket i have ever seen!

[@Greatdome99]

You can't carry turbine/jet engines on trains. The vibration ruins the ball bearings (flat spots).

[@dannymccarty6680]

@@Greatdome99 That’s amazing. Never heard that before. Verified by a retired Air Force maintenance chief! 👍

[@dannymccarty6680]

14:30 Sure is an abbreviated CSX OCS! Where are the other 30 or 40 cars it usually has?

[@unionpacificrailfan1943]

The Acela was a nice catch they are heading to the north east corridor

[@geofferywickline4846]

NS AC44C6M 4531 has LED headlights and ditchlights.

[@couldyourepeatthat7182]

I wonder what the Skytop would be

[@KCRX3]

Saw the Dover Harbor private car today on Amtrak 51

[@Jackcouldnotgethisrevenge]

I wonder when there will be more Acela Express service on the Northeast Corridor

[@mauricejones8976]

I really like the horn in the intro, very musical. It’s almost like I’ve never heard it anywhere else before. Where did you find the recording?

[@lowellvillerailfanproductions]

So rare to see a dash 8 in amtrak I'm going to be very sad when the stop using them :(

[@planebois]

Come to Chicago if you want to see them all before they go.

[@geofferywickline4846]

I will own them in g scale at Mountain View Elementary Middle School in Union West Virginia.

[@planebois]

@@geofferywickline4846 G scale? That’s cool!

[@lowellvillerailfanproductions]

@@planebois tbh I think they might still be used in work trains for amtak

[@planebois]

@@lowellvillerailfanproductions they are already

[@tylerbrobston4265]

I think you're right.

[@ivertranes2516]

14:00 It's a crying shame to tag such a beautiful paint job!

[@poowg2657]

Jet turbine for a ship? Wonder if the DOD crummy has pop up RAIL gun turrets. That electric switch machine is obviously fake, it looks nothing like an Atlas one. My dad was friends with Brooks Stevens, designer of the Skytop obs and both are probably rolling in their graves to see it like that. Excelent video.

[@oldsharkie3786]

not a jet turbine, it is a spent nuclear fuel containment cask,

[@poowg2657]

Wow, had no clue. They can't leave that stuff in pools at reactor sites forever. Gonna have to find a permanet site pretty soon.

[@thomasboese3793]

@@poowg2657 Funny stuff uranium, when 'spent' it's still way too hot to handle, yet way too 'cool' to do useful work (as we humans currently define it).

[@JonathanColemanTrains]

Between the Amtrak locomotive and the Acela was an old Amtrak passenger car

[@JuanSanchezGuerra]

Does anyone know how many of the new Acelas have been delivered?

[@fostrailphotos]

No

[@fostrailphotos]

Its weird

[@geofferywickline4846]

4 new Acela IIs on Avelia Liberty.

[@geofferywickline4846]

Or Avelia Liberties.

[@IowaTrainGay]

Neat! Time stamps would be very helpful too

[@BossSpringsteen69]

Seriously?, a single unit for a nuclear load? So now the unit breaks down and now the guard and crew are left stranded.

[@wlejohn4326]

Would it really take too long to show the entire consist of AMTRAK trains 15:50. Surely another 5 seconds wouldn''t be too much.

[@ZachTheRailfannerYT]

For some reason the shape/curve of the front of lounge car reminds me of the shape of a MPXpress Cab lol!

[@nicoosuca8627]

VA LIKE AMIGO VIAJE TREN

[@geofferywickline4846]

Was that Coaster F40PH-2C 2101?

[@tylerbrobston4265]

Nice acela

[@fennectherailfanfurry7511]

9:32 i know what that F40PH is! that is Coaster F40 no.2105!

[@drgwnut]

I don't understand the eastbound in Parkville @ 12:51 laying on the horn at 5:14 in the morning. Yikes!

[@johnsiders7819]

1:27 a nukkie and armored caboose what about the locomotive should be too !!!

[@fxynq1830]

What was Amtrak thinking with the design of the new Acela, where the shape of the locomotives is nothing like the shape of the passenger cars? The difference in designs seems like a way to increase wind-resistance.

[@CR7659]

They didn't design it. ABB or whoever currently owns that company likely did.

[@Zarni-fv2fj]

I'm sure the designers did aerodynamic modeling/testing. It looks like other high-speed trains around the world.

[@fxynq1830]

@@Zarni-fv2fj No, it does not look like every other high speed train. If you look at the Shinkansen or the TGV, the exterior is as smooth and aerodynamic as the designers can make it.

[@abpsd73]

Interesting to see NS 4531 has LED headlights and ditch lights.

[@TheWilmingtonRailfan]

And that they don't alternate

[@gloria6229]

LED headlights and ditchlights should alternate back to back.

[@TheWilmingtonRailfan]

@@gloria6229 what does that even mean?

[@santafewarbonnetproductions]

8:41 imgine if instead of the "f.r.e.d." at the end of the train they used the gyro light on the car

[@NorthAtlanticRails]

Avelia Set 4 is on the way.

[@mohawkvalleyrailfaner6446]

The first train is Amtrak’s test train

[@danburch9989]

7:18 Another railfan waving at the camera.

[@MrTenor-ch5gs]

Can someone help me what’s the difference between the ge dash 9 the es44ac and the ac4400cw I always see them and they all look similar

[@darrylrailfans]

8:54 i never seen this car before

[@len-zeplin480]

8-40BW SD40 High Fans SD40 Low Fans.

[@TrainGuy765]

Cool

[@tylerbrobston4265]

ACWR

[@whyAwesome8287]

First

[@CSXSD70MAC_Productions]

Nice grab bag