Amtrak Bicycle Loading presentation

[jwrushman]

Did anyone else participate in the bicycle loading presentation by Amtrak? I admire the dedication of the presenters.  But a word comes to mind - Sisyphean. All the different bicycle options - eBikes, tandems, recumbents, trikes, children's, fat tire, trailers... And all the different train car and platform configurations. The best I think we can hope for is improved communication/documentation for the question "Can I get from A to B with this gear?"

[ray b]

Did anyone else participate in the bicycle loading presentation by Amtrak? ....

Is this one from the League the one you to which you refer?

https://youtu.be/YE6oJ7quCnM

I agree.

[jwrushman]

Yes

[mobilemail]

I thought the photos in the presentation did a lot to explain what could likely be accommodated.  I think it came down to: If your bike will fit in this rack space, it can go. 
It appears that any unconventional gear like trailers, trikes, LWB 'bents, tandems would need boxed.  Which starts the next discussion - does the box need to be shaped like a standard bike box?  Because the box holding something like a folding trike, or tandem, would be bigger or shaped differently than "standard".
I've been cycling since the early '80s, it's great to finally see more than a passing glance given to bicycle infrastructure and multimodal travel and transportation.

[BikeliciousBabe]

Amtrak owns very little of the route network it operates over.  The Northeast Corridor, Philadelphia to Harrisburg and a short stretch in MI is, I believe, it.  Much of what it uses, like platforms and stations, was created by the railroads Amtrak assumed passanger service for.  With fundig priorities in this country, a lingering hodgepodge is to he expected.  At least Amtrak was able to replace those aging baggage cars that dated back to the 1950s. They were becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and repair.