Turbo - designs almost finished

[Point353]

There were many prolific Twin cities railfans at that time. If it made it through Minneapolis/St Paul it likely would have been documented.
Not concrete evidence by any means but the lack of photos make me think it went a different way...
Would love to be proven wrong tho

According to the following newspaper story, it did pass through Minneapolis:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1971/08/29/page/132/article/coast-to-coast-turbo-train

Also, photos in AZ, FL and TX:
https://pics-edge.slickpic.com/MTY3MGY1ZDExODc5/20131123/NjY2NDE3OTk4NzE,/p/1400/Turbo2_filtered.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3657/3619244403_cd0e268b99_z.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/rosenberg_old_1971_aug.jpg

[C855B]

According to the following newspaper story, it did pass through Minneapolis:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1971/08/29/page/132/article/coast-to-coast-turbo-train

Also, photos in AZ, FL and TX:
https://pics-edge.slickpic.com/MTY3MGY1ZDExODc5/20131123/NjY2NDE3OTk4NzE,/p/1400/Turbo2_filtered.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3657/3619244403_cd0e268b99_z.jpg
http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/rosenberg_old_1971_aug.jpg

Where in AZ and TX? No discernible location info in the pics. But I'm guessing with this it came into L.A. on the Sunset Route and not ATSF.

This might be just enough to figure out that it was mostly a big circle route - NEC to Miami/St. Pete; west to L.A. through New Orleans, and Houston or DFW; L.A.-San Diego-L.A-PDX; PDX-SEA-PDX; then Chicago via Minneapolis and Milwaukee. There were lots of Chicago trains to NEC cities then, so there were any possible number of ways back to home rails at the time.

So the vast void in the middle of the country held forth even then, "Flyover, USA" before it was even known as that.

[Point353]

Billings, MT: http://www.vistadome.com/postcards/amtrak_rr/ua_turbotrain.jpg
Ann Arbor, MI: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2914/14322581112_8b1630774f_b.jpg
Terre Haute, IN: https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1249/696028188_8e9731b2a3_b.jpg
San Jose, CA: http://wx4.org/to/foam/sp/locos/visitors/id1899turbo.jpg

[C855B]

How are you finding these? My searches for images proximate to "turbotrain" bore little fruit.

That is more confirmation of the circle tour, however. Nice to know. Thanks.

[nkalanaga]

Jagged Ben:  If it came from Portland, and departed to the east, it might have both entered and left Pasco from the south.  If it went east on the old SP&S, which was common practice in the 70s, it would have backed out of the station, then went around the wye, and up the Snake River.

Looking at the PNWR report, I didn't realize that the Flying Scotsman was in Pasco a couple weeks after the Turbo.  Oddly, I remember seeing it, but don't have a single picture.

[C855B]

Houston: http://hobbymeister.tripod.com/taylor/turbo1.jpg

Ah! Here we go, this one blowing the whole "circle route" theory:

Jefferson City, MO: http://condrenrails.com/Amtrak/Amtrak-slides/DOT-50-Jefferson-City-MO-5-24-71-1.jpg

Apparently the tour was extensive.

Then there's this official Amtrak publicity shot: http://history.amtrak.com/archives/service-attendant-and-engineer-with-turboliner-1972/@@images/c5f6d8de-1444-42ac-91bb-5c7fd9758ac7.jpeg

[Missaberoad]

According to the following newspaper story, it did pass through Minneapolis:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1971/08/29/page/132/article/coast-to-coast-turbo-train

Nice, got to love when you're happy to be wrong 

Now to find photos of it... wonder if It went over the arch bridge or the Short line

[C855B]

This might be just enough to figure out that it was mostly a big circle route - NEC to Miami/St. Pete; west to L.A. through New Orleans, and Houston or DFW; L.A.-San Diego-L.A-PDX; PDX-SEA-PDX; then Chicago via Minneapolis and Milwaukee. There were lots of Chicago trains to NEC cities then, so there were any possible number of ways back to home rails at the time.

Incorrect supposition, mostly. I was trying to postulate a possible tour itinerary in the context of modern Amtrak routes. I found an old map on Amtrak's history site, and the network in 1971 was an incohesive mess. Anyway, from the pictures found so far, it appears it toured the entire network, or nearly so. Which would make sense since it was probably the best promotion for "the future of passenger trains" they had at the time, given the dogeared fleet they inherited from the RRs.

I would, however, like to find a picture of it traversing Cajon. Found several shots of the Rohr turbo over the Pass in '76, but not the UA version.

[coosvalley]

Then there's this official Amtrak publicity shot: http://history.amtrak.com/archives/service-attendant-and-engineer-with-turboliner-1972/@@images/c5f6d8de-1444-42ac-91bb-5c7fd9758ac7.jpeg

  Is that the official Turbo Train superhero?

[Cajonpassfan]

I was on it in Chicago Union Station IIRC in late '71 or early '72. Pretty sure I still have the large post card photos they were handing out on the tour. It was pretty cool to see in person, like nothing else!
Rick

Cool! Do you remember what it sounded like? This thing looks like it needs a sound decoder...
Otto K.

[Point353]

Ah! Here we go, this one blowing the whole "circle route" theory:
Jefferson City, MO: http://condrenrails.com/Amtrak/Amtrak-slides/DOT-50-Jefferson-City-MO-5-24-71-1.jpg

The circle tour occurred during in August '71.

The photo in MO was taken in late May '71.
One of the Turbotrains made a separate trip west in mid-May for the dedication of the new DOT test track in Pueblo, CO.
That Jefferson City stop was likely on the trip heading back east.
 

[C855B]

Thanks for the confirmation. I thought the May date was out of whack with the rest, but settled on the idea the tour itinerary may have been fragmented.

That blows the "coulda been anywhere" concept I personally needed to justify running the tour trainset on my layout. I'm good for the era, but for the 1500 miles of major railroad I'm more or less paraphrasing in fits and starts, none of it apparently saw the UA Turbotrain. I'll get one anyway, but... damn!.

[peteski]

Cool! Do you remember what it sounded like? This thing looks like it needs a sound decoder...
Otto K.

Didn't the H0 version include a sound decoder?  It must have had the correct sound file.

[nickelplate759]

Back to the original topic (in case you've forgotten, it's the near-completion of the design of Rapido's N-scale model of Turbo),
I'm curious as to what the resolution of the wheel size issue was.  Hopefully it's not the double-drive-wheels that appear on the CAD drawing at the beginning of this thread!

[Missaberoad]

Didn't the H0 version include a sound decoder?  It must have had the correct sound file.

/>
Edit: and a low speed video of the prototype... hard to find a video not overdubbed with 70's music