# Acela 2119 on April 18



## Upsilon (Apr 18, 2016)

Does anyone know why tonight's Acela 2119 to WAS was just flat-out cancelled? Considering it was supposed to start in NYP, couldn't they have at least used a spare trainset?!


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## Acela150 (Apr 18, 2016)

As far as why.. No clue.. But one thing to keep in mind is that Amtrak has 20 Acela sets total.. They use 16 of them M-F. Which will leave 4 spare sets.

Currently 1 set at a time is having some work done to the Power Cars. Basic normal work being done in the Wilmington Shops. Right now that includes taking the original mechanical bells off each power car and replacing those with the new Electronic bell, or "E-Bell". Much to my annoyance as I like the sound of the original bells on the power cars.

So that will leave 3 sets available for "rescue service". It's entirely possible that one set was in say Boston and say two in Ivy City in DC. One option is that one of those three sets was undergoing normal periodic inspections per FRA requirements.

You never know where the extra spare sets are located. But considering it's a Monday should people need to travel between NY and Philadelphia they have the option of being rebooked onto 137 departing at 625pm or 655 departing at 635pm. If they have to go south of Philadelphia to WIL, BAL, BWI, or WAS. They can get put on 137. Or if they "have to be on Acela" give them the option of waiting for the 7pm coming from Boston.

It's not like Amtrak is just going to leave those booked on 2119 stuck in NY.


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## Hal (Apr 18, 2016)

Upsilon said:


> Does anyone know why tonight's Acela 2119 to WAS was just flat-out cancelled? Considering it was supposed to start in NYP, couldn't they have at least used a spare trainset?!


Obviously they didn't have a spare trainset.


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## daybeers (Apr 19, 2016)

Acela150 said:


> As far as why.. No clue.. But one thing to keep in mind is that Amtrak has 20 Acela sets total.. They use 16 of them M-F. Which will leave 4 spare sets.
> 
> Currently 1 set at a time is having some work done to the Power Cars. Basic normal work being done in the Wilmington Shops. Right now that includes taking the original mechanical bells off each power car and replacing those with the new Electronic bell, or "E-Bell". Much to my annoyance as I like the sound of the original bells on the power cars.
> 
> ...


I was on NER #137 to DC yesterday, and when we left NYP, I heard a passenger talking on the phone about how an Acela was canceled.

I agree with you, Acela150, I like the sound of the mechanical bells much more than the e-bells. Does anyone know why they are replacing them? Less maintenance? Do the ACS-64's have mechanical or electronic bells?


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## Acela150 (Apr 19, 2016)

Mechanical bells are more of a maintenance cost. They will freeze during snow storms. The Sprinters do have E-bells. Almost everything built does now.


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## daybeers (Apr 19, 2016)

Acela150 said:


> Mechanical bells are more of a maintenance cost. They will freeze during snow storms. The Sprinters do have E-bells. Almost everything built does now.


Yeah, that's what I thought. Makes sense.


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## Upsilon (Apr 19, 2016)

Thanks, Acela150, for such a detailed response. It helps ease the sting to know that Acelas aren't just sitting around.

I was really flabbergasted when I wrote the message because Amtrak didn't call or text about the cancellation. I showed up at the ClubAcela in Philadelphia at 6:30 and saw "2119 Washington, DC CANCELLED" on the departures screen. And the very friendly attendant told me I'd be on 137 instead.

I saved up AGR points to travel Acela First, so being told I was going to be on a Regional was a shocker. The "Acela Express service, no partial refunds if used on other service" notice on the ticket made me angry. And as a long-time Amtrak rider, putting all the 6pm Acela passengers onto a Regional made me think of the old unreserved trains -- standing room only "cattle class".

I ended up on the 7pm from Boston. It was 20+ minutes late.


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## the_traveler (Apr 19, 2016)

I recall seeing something on Facebook about "signal problems at NYP". I don't know if these are connected.


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## daybeers (Apr 20, 2016)

Upsilon said:


> Thanks, Acela150, for such a detailed response. It helps ease the sting to know that Acelas aren't just sitting around.
> 
> I was really flabbergasted when I wrote the message because Amtrak didn't call or text about the cancellation. I showed up at the ClubAcela in Philadelphia at 6:30 and saw "2119 Washington, DC CANCELLED" on the departures screen. And the very friendly attendant told me I'd be on 137 instead.
> 
> ...


I recommend calling Amtrak Guest Rewards or Amtrak Customer Relations and ask for your AGR points back. It would be crazy for you not to get them back if you saved them up to buy Acela First.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Apr 20, 2016)

Could it have had something to do with the brush fire between New York and Newark yesterday afternoon? On the commuter end, NJT cancelled one or two trains and had others leaving from Newark instead of New York to go south, so perhaps the logistics would have made the Acela so late to start anyway that it was cancelled?

I left my office an hour earlier to avoid the mess (and got an almost empty train at PJC around 3:15), and I looked at the departure board when I got to TRE and noticed that the Crescent was delayed, but the Meteor (which comes in about an hour after that) was on time.

However, that all seemed to happen a bit earlier than the Acela departure time, so perhaps there was another reason.


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## Mystic River Dragon (Apr 20, 2016)

Oh, drat--please ignore my post above--yesterday was the 19th, and the OP was talking about the 18th. My guess might have been right if I'd had the correct date! 

I am hoping I get to post this before 50 people point out my error to me! 

P.S.--This is why you should always have someone else proof your own stuff. Unfortunately, all my coworkers are working at the moment on writing things to get to me so I can have work finding their mistakes, so I don't want to interrupt them! :giggle:


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