Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
cpotisch
Engineer
Wait, I'm confused. Do you mean 48/49 or 448/449? And does it mean for the eastbound and the westbound to be established as separate trains? How could that possibly not be the case? Sorry if this is really obvious.Here's the answer to having to walk through 6 coaches to the diner: establish trains 38 and 39 as separate trains between Boston and Chicago.
Ryan
Court Jester
If the CHI-BOS train were completely separate from the CHI-NYP train, the 448/449 numbers wouldn't make any sense. 38/39 would be logical numbers for the new train.
cpotisch
Engineer
Oh, thanks. I thought that was just a typo. So he was suggesting that the LSL becomes an NYP-CHI train and a separate BOS-CHI train? I don't see why that would at all be necessary. The Boston section of the LSL currently only needs two coaches, a business/cafe, and one sleeper for passenger use. I just don't think the demand is at all there to warrant a separate train.
A separate train between Boston and Chicago, running on a different schedule about 8 hours away from 48/49, could give places on the route that currently don't have good calling times than what 48/49 and 29/30 provide. Read Western New York and Ohio. The scheduling gurus on here could work something out, I'm sure. I'm not considering other logistics such as equipment availability, obviously. At one point in the Warrington regime, this was actually being talked about, if I'm not mistaken.
Correct, unless Amtrak continued its current scenario, which would give Boston 2 trains a day to and from Western points, running about 8 hours apart.
Last edited by a moderator:
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
Moderator
AU Supporting Member
Gathering Team Member
Amtrak will just keep the current scenario minus any additional train [emoji57]
From experience . . . avoid at all costs the seats in the middle of a Superliner coach. You will not get much sleep as passengers clop up and down the stairs and bang and lock and unlock the bathroom doors all night long. It is very very noisy there.
Not relevant to this topic, but I would like to see two separate trains and have one go through Canada via Detroit. Not only would that create a better-served important city-pair (NYP-DET), but it would be much faster (lots of higher speed trackage) and avoid all of the freight congestion south of Lake Erie.
neroden
Engineer
I've made a couple of variations of this:
TWO A DAY.pdf
I actually think both trains should run to New York City, due to the immense ridership demand from there; only one should run to Boston. If scheduled right, you can set up one of the trains to run overnight from NYC to Syracuse, which would be highly attractive for day trips to NYC.
Last edited by a moderator:
dogbert617
OBS Chief
I think this has once been proposed, by other members on this board? That essentially the train would be 'sealed up'(with no stops on the Canada side), allowing for a quicker trip vs. using the congested route through Indiana/Ohio/Pennsylvania/western NY state. Who knows if that'll ever occur, and at least during the current presidential administration and current politics, I doubt such a plan would be approved.
Such a train was indeed operated for several years, both with and without stops on the Canadian side. Unfortunately some of the trackage used has been abandoned or significantly downgraded to where it would not accommodate passenger train speeds.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Rainbow
Last edited:
Qapla
Engineer
I have found that the "DigiHUD" app for Android is a very good app for keeping an eye on speed ... worked better for me than my GPS
For tracking my trip, Google Maps has worked best for me - again, better than my GPS
I also have the website https://asm.transitdocs.com/map bookmarked on my PC at home and on my Android phone. It has a map of the whole US and all the trains in close to real time tracking. It is color coded to let you see at a glance if your train is running late. You can also click on any given train and get train and/or station information ... by clicking on the station you can get additional information about that station
This site http://dixielandsoftware.net/Amtrak/solari/stations.php?data=NWK&tz=ET shows a "Solari" stype arrival/departure board that updates automatically. You can use their link to change stations or change the station in the address bar yourself - just make sure you use ALL CAPS for the station code, the program does not understand lower case for station designations.
For tracking my trip, Google Maps has worked best for me - again, better than my GPS
I also have the website https://asm.transitdocs.com/map bookmarked on my PC at home and on my Android phone. It has a map of the whole US and all the trains in close to real time tracking. It is color coded to let you see at a glance if your train is running late. You can also click on any given train and get train and/or station information ... by clicking on the station you can get additional information about that station
This site http://dixielandsoftware.net/Amtrak/solari/stations.php?data=NWK&tz=ET shows a "Solari" stype arrival/departure board that updates automatically. You can use their link to change stations or change the station in the address bar yourself - just make sure you use ALL CAPS for the station code, the program does not understand lower case for station designations.
dogbert617
OBS Chief
I oddly missed this comment earlier, and not sure why. If one is concerned about this issue on a Superliner equipped train, there is the option of booking a lower level coach seat, on any of the Superliner trains. This way you don't regularly hear the noise from people walking by your seat or crossing between cars. Plus it's quieter, due to the fact most people on the upstairs go to those bathrooms first, and don't as immediately try to use the bathrooms on the lower level. Plus there's a door, between the stairway and where the lower level coach seats are on a Superliner train.
There are no bathrooms on the upper level of a Superliner coach.
dogbert617
OBS Chief
Heh, that's weird I forgot about that! What can I say except that if you ride often enough on Amtrak Midwest regional trains which are single level, that one will easily forget that about Superliners.
That said, I think my point is still valid that if a passenger wants the most peace and quiet for his/her coach seat on a Superliner(never mind all those going to the lower level to use the bathroom), that the lower level seat is the way to go. Since passengers on the rest of the train generally don't walk through those small seating areas, on the lower level of a Superliner train.
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
Moderator
AU Supporting Member
Gathering Team Member
So the choice is between congested route and dilapidated route? Even with a theoretically sealed train, such a long distance will give conniptions to the DHS which seems to believe Canada to be a thinly veiled arm of the middle east or something like that.
Re the center area of the coach...
In coach on the Superliners you have your choice of the noise and sometimes aromas coming up the staircase, and the noise of people coming through the doors from the vestibule. If you can grab a seat on the same side as the stairway towards the middle, it is a little better.
OTOH, the lower level seats, while maybe not as spectacular a view of the scenery, is kinda cozy. And although it is over the wheelset, it does ride a little better. There's nowhere as much lateral sway as topside, and if you do have to <ahem> go, it's a quicker trip. Those of us with lots of miles on the odometer appreciate that.
In coach on the Superliners you have your choice of the noise and sometimes aromas coming up the staircase, and the noise of people coming through the doors from the vestibule. If you can grab a seat on the same side as the stairway towards the middle, it is a little better.
OTOH, the lower level seats, while maybe not as spectacular a view of the scenery, is kinda cozy. And although it is over the wheelset, it does ride a little better. There's nowhere as much lateral sway as topside, and if you do have to <ahem> go, it's a quicker trip. Those of us with lots of miles on the odometer appreciate that.
That was some interesting history on the Wiki page for the Rainbow. And interest in bringing back the route!!
Detroit - Toledo is not bringing back this route. It's totally different.
I always wanted to see the Lake Shore run through Canada. It would be a better route (shorter, faster and less freight congestion) and create a new important city pair, New York - Detroit.
Qapla
Engineer
Yes, but it would require a border crossing and all the hassles that come with it
Not happening in this current political climate. Several years ago the American and Canadian governments were looking at the idea of a perimeter border around the continent, which would have allowed for the freer flow of goods and people (and trains) between the two countries - very similar to what exists now in the EU. Protectionists on both sides of the border fueled negative media reports, quickly dooming the proposal. Since then things have moved even further apart, with the American government viewing Canada as an economic enemy and source of potential terrorists, and the Canadian government portraying the US as a bully, wanting to crush jobs and control culture. Until there are changes on both sides, no trains are going to pass easily from one country to another.
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
Moderator
AU Supporting Member
Gathering Team Member
I cannot understand how Amtrak will justify running a train locked through Canada when the alternate route through the US is grossly under served. If I were a Congressperson from upstate NY I'd demand stops at Dunkirk on the new train, and if I was from Erie PA and Cleveland and Toledo, I'd at least demand an explanation from Amtrak and perhaps figure out ways of blocking such a thing post haste, unless in parallel service was added through those cities too.
