BARELAS RAILYARD--Albuquerque was a railroad town for a hundred years, and Barelas was the heart of the railroad community. It is impossible to overestimate the passion that this new train is eliciting among certain members of the population. Here two older gentlemen, one wearing an engineer's cap, take close-up pictures of the nameplate of the new engine.
The back end of each car has a little cab from which the train can be driven backwards. I was told by someone that the trains would not be turned around at the end points, but rather would just run in reverse. This compartment is like what the motormen use in the Chicago subway.The downstairs section of the cars also has a few small tab
les. They seem big enough for a laptop, drinks, or a card game. Whether the train will have internet access is another question.Is that Eva Marie Saint sitting at that table? Does this train run North by Northwest?
The bathrooms are large...large enough for wheelchairs. And plenty roomy enough for those of you who need a quiet place to concentrate on your Sudoku puzzle.
Bicycle storage is right near the door. It looks like the wheels get attached with straps near the floor. The Cal-Train that runs from San Francisco to San Jose just uses bungie cords to hold the bikes to the wall. We will have to see how convenient this set-up is.
The best view of the surrounding countryside would have to be from the upstairs seating area. The seats face each other, but there is a lot of footroom.
The decor reminds me somewhat of the streamlined backroom of the 66 Diner. Well, they weren't called "Streamliners" for nothing.
5 comments:
Thanks for posting these, John...they look great and seem to compare favorably to CalTrain
John - thanks for updating those of us who could not attend! Love the pictures!!
- grumble from DCF
Would've been nice if they'd publicized the open house better. Apparently the MRCOG wants to keep Rail Runner activities a state secret. Sure would like to have attended, but one has to know about an event before they can.
-- Pissed in Rio Rancho
This is VERY nice, even compared to the newly delivered cars to the Trinity Railway Express. I love the wood paneling. It's gorgeous!
One note about these cars - the airconditioner is LOUD. One day when I was riding on the TRE, we lost HEP. Without the lights and AC, the ride was so smooth and quiet that it literally felt like we were gliding on ice.
A note about the tables. This is one thing that Bombardier hasn't done anything about. They don't break away in an accident and they can cause serious injury in an accident. Just so y'all know.
Thanks 4 the pictures wish we were there
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