On Monday, January 29, 2018 at 11:52:24 AM UTC-5, Peter T. Daniels wrote:   
      
   > Just once I went by train between New York and Chicago (my mother did it   
   > regularly, often twice a year, but I don't see how anyone who didn't have   
   > to would try it more than once), and Boston cars were attached/detached   
   > at Albany.   
      
   The Central and Pennsy managed to run their premium trains over   
   that route in 16 hours.  But it was costly to do so: any freights   
   or locals in the way--and there were--had to be moved out of the   
   way well in advance to ensure the premium trains got only green   
   signals the whole way.  Today, a lot of the multiple tracks that   
   made that possible have been eliminated, and there is no way   
   the freight lines would spend the money on special switching moves   
   to ensure an open track.  Further, the premium trains carried   
   enough people so few intermediate stops were needed.  That too   
   is longer the case.   
      
   Ironically, if they had the track capacity and some on-line   
   support facilities, they probably could  make the run in 15   
   hours with a high speed diesel today running at 90-100 (though   
   I haven't worked the numbers.)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)