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Re:There is no reason to cross the U.S. by train, but I did ... by Aloha on Thursday March 21, 2019 @05:27PM (#19457515)
Amtrak has never run Mixed freight trains, so this must not have been on amtrak.
Re:There is no reason to cross the U.S. by train, but I did ... by TkTech on Thursday March 21, 2019 @08:14PM (#19458594)
That is not true, Amtrak used to run a service called Mail & Express. One of the trains was indeed mixed passenger and freight.

That said, Amtrak engines are also often leased to other freight companies so you can frequently see freight trains being hauled by Amtrak branded engines.

Re:There is no reason to cross the U.S. by train, but I did ... by Kadin on Thursday March 21, 2019 @09:52PM (#19459028)
In case anyone is interested in Mail and Express:

http://utahrails.net/pass/amtrak-mail-express.htm

It stopped in 2004, presumably due to declines in mail volume. (Which I wonder if it would make sense again now, due to more mail-order package shipping.)

Anyway, it's not really "freight" in the sense that most people think of a freight train. It's all Amtrak rolling stock.

They still do offer Express shipping services between some stations. It's a very cheap way to send something between NYC and Washington for same-day arrival, especially if it's a big box. You have to have someone go to the train station on either end to get your stuff, though. They move them around on the passenger trains that have baggage cars (the 'named' trains, typically at least on the East Coast).

Re:There is no reason to cross the U.S. by train, but I did ... by pacala on Friday March 22, 2019 @02:00PM (#19465116)
Alas, the pictures I took were on film, and it's been lost in various relocations. Very likely it was Amtrak, with the "sightseeing car" and all.