Reilly Hamilton
@reillydotcom.com
Full-stack Engineer & Pub Quiz host based in Augsburg/Munich. On the hunt for good IPAs in 🇩🇪. PNW born and raised. RPI '12, lover of ice hockey, Mariners, sports car racing, trains/transit, and more. 🏳️🌈
Are the Midwest photos yours? What did you think? I took the Wolverine from Chicago to Detroit a couple weeks ago and was really surprised. I expected something like the RailJets (which I love). But they already seemed quite beat up, lighting way too bright, sad corridors, and commuter-level seats.
October 26, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Are the Midwest photos yours? What did you think? I took the Wolverine from Chicago to Detroit a couple weeks ago and was really surprised. I expected something like the RailJets (which I love). But they already seemed quite beat up, lighting way too bright, sad corridors, and commuter-level seats.
Ah okay, I guess the destination sign rationale makes some sense. I couldn't find any photo evidence of what the actual Midwest cab car looks like (maybe not delivered yet?), but there are supposed to be three owned by Wisconsin for the Hiawatha service. Maybe they can still fix the livery.
October 26, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Ah okay, I guess the destination sign rationale makes some sense. I couldn't find any photo evidence of what the actual Midwest cab car looks like (maybe not delivered yet?), but there are supposed to be three owned by Wisconsin for the Hiawatha service. Maybe they can still fix the livery.
What a beaut. Looks so much better than the Vectron end on the ÖBB RailJet cab cars we have here, or the horrid Venture cab car for Amtrak California (and maybe Amtrak Midwest?).
October 26, 2025 at 6:32 PM
What a beaut. Looks so much better than the Vectron end on the ÖBB RailJet cab cars we have here, or the horrid Venture cab car for Amtrak California (and maybe Amtrak Midwest?).
Wow, and this Puckman has the classic 80s "Bullet" logo rather than the fauxback version that has been skating around disgracing the ice for the last few years!
August 12, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Wow, and this Puckman has the classic 80s "Bullet" logo rather than the fauxback version that has been skating around disgracing the ice for the last few years!
Wonderful! Can't wait to hear how these sound at the Norisring!
March 31, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Wonderful! Can't wait to hear how these sound at the Norisring!
My local grocery store in Augsburg, Germany couldn't afford the NFL license and is simply selling "American Football" branded junk.
January 31, 2025 at 3:40 PM
My local grocery store in Augsburg, Germany couldn't afford the NFL license and is simply selling "American Football" branded junk.
I think my whole day is ruined after seeing Luis Torrens on the Mariners' 2021 hit list...
January 28, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I think my whole day is ruined after seeing Luis Torrens on the Mariners' 2021 hit list...
Practical stackable beer cups.
January 26, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Practical stackable beer cups.
Today's goal: Ski Flying! The Oberstdorf ski flying hill has a size rating of 235 meters: almost 100 meters more than the normal Ski Jumping events. Last photo featuring @luquipuks.bsky.social.
January 26, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Today's goal: Ski Flying! The Oberstdorf ski flying hill has a size rating of 235 meters: almost 100 meters more than the normal Ski Jumping events. Last photo featuring @luquipuks.bsky.social.
Train two of the day was RE17 from Immenstadt to Oberstdorf. Served today by a trio of Alstom LINT 54s, offering a huge amount of capacity for very few passengers on this Sunday afternoon. These diesel multiple units are the workhorses of the non-electrified networks in our part of Bavaria.
January 26, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Train two of the day was RE17 from Immenstadt to Oberstdorf. Served today by a trio of Alstom LINT 54s, offering a huge amount of capacity for very few passengers on this Sunday afternoon. These diesel multiple units are the workhorses of the non-electrified networks in our part of Bavaria.
We're passing through the village of Langenwang, which, according to my expert knowledge of German, translates to "big dick".
January 26, 2025 at 11:47 AM
We're passing through the village of Langenwang, which, according to my expert knowledge of German, translates to "big dick".
Just realized I didn't actually take any selfies today; anyway my TGV made it back to Augsburg on time, resulting in -1 minutes late on the day: fantastic!
January 18, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Just realized I didn't actually take any selfies today; anyway my TGV made it back to Augsburg on time, resulting in -1 minutes late on the day: fantastic!
I didn't book a return ticket in advance; the best option is actually a French TGV - I've avoided DB trains completely during today's trip. The TGV Duplex trainsets are unfortunately a bit dated and really not as comfortable as the ICEs. The seats are almost entirely in sets of four, vis-a-vis.
January 18, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I didn't book a return ticket in advance; the best option is actually a French TGV - I've avoided DB trains completely during today's trip. The TGV Duplex trainsets are unfortunately a bit dated and really not as comfortable as the ICEs. The seats are almost entirely in sets of four, vis-a-vis.
Secondary goal: Craft beer. 12 taps here at Kraftpaule, a fantastic amount for Germany. Everyone here is speaking English with an American accent - typical.
January 18, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Secondary goal: Craft beer. 12 taps here at Kraftpaule, a fantastic amount for Germany. Everyone here is speaking English with an American accent - typical.
After a break for coffee, time to go back down the hill. The U15 is also quite steep, up to 8.5%! They also operate heritage trams on this route; I will need to return on a Sunday some time to see them in action. The meter-gauge turning loop is in the foreground here.
January 18, 2025 at 3:36 PM
After a break for coffee, time to go back down the hill. The U15 is also quite steep, up to 8.5%! They also operate heritage trams on this route; I will need to return on a Sunday some time to see them in action. The meter-gauge turning loop is in the foreground here.
Here's a better look at the bike car. Three bicyclists using it on a Saturday afternoon.
January 18, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Here's a better look at the bike car. Three bicyclists using it on a Saturday afternoon.
A look at the end buffer of the Zacke in Stuttgart. Seems a bit small for the end of a maximum 17.8% incline. #RateMyBuffers
January 18, 2025 at 2:13 PM
A look at the end buffer of the Zacke in Stuttgart. Seems a bit small for the end of a maximum 17.8% incline. #RateMyBuffers
Here's goal #1 of my Stuttgart visit: the Zacke! A cog railway in the middle of the city that is part of the public transit network. A defining feature of the Zacke is the separate bike car that it pushes up the hill. 15 minute headways are a bit disappointing.
January 18, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Here's goal #1 of my Stuttgart visit: the Zacke! A cog railway in the middle of the city that is part of the public transit network. A defining feature of the Zacke is the separate bike car that it pushes up the hill. 15 minute headways are a bit disappointing.
The Stuttgart Stadtbahn system is sort of like light rail, with large portions in the city center operating in tunnels underground. Perhaps Boston's green line is a good comp. The trains go up and down a lot, some of the platforms are quite slanted.
January 18, 2025 at 1:56 PM
The Stuttgart Stadtbahn system is sort of like light rail, with large portions in the city center operating in tunnels underground. Perhaps Boston's green line is a good comp. The trains go up and down a lot, some of the platforms are quite slanted.
Multi-gauge rail in the underground Stadtbahn station. No idea why it randomly starts here, but the old meter gauge infrastructure is for the heritage trams that run on Sundays. Here's my U1 - hope it's headed in the right direction.
January 18, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Multi-gauge rail in the underground Stadtbahn station. No idea why it randomly starts here, but the old meter gauge infrastructure is for the heritage trams that run on Sundays. Here's my U1 - hope it's headed in the right direction.
Stuttgart Hbf is still a mess. The walkway to the S-Bahn and Stadtbahn is still a major detour. The old main building is on life support -- I understand the idea of preserving history but it's been just a facade for like 10 years now.
January 18, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Stuttgart Hbf is still a mess. The walkway to the S-Bahn and Stadtbahn is still a major detour. The old main building is on life support -- I understand the idea of preserving history but it's been just a facade for like 10 years now.
We arrived in Stuttgart one minute early. DB would never. Greeted by 30 riot police and seven police vans at the end of the platform due to the VfB Stuttgart home game later this afternoon.
January 18, 2025 at 1:39 PM
We arrived in Stuttgart one minute early. DB would never. Greeted by 30 riot police and seven police vans at the end of the platform due to the VfB Stuttgart home game later this afternoon.