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Albany Hill was four-tracked from Albany Union Station all the way to Schenectady until after the PC merger in 1968. I'd be curious to know the condition of the roadbed where CSX is adding the second track after nearly 50 years of no traffic, or even track for than matter, assuming PC or CONRAIL...

IIRC, as late as 1967, this section was at least double-tracked, and may have been four-tracked. Sadly, those who created Penn-Central, then CONRAIL were so short-sighted that they had no vision, and ripped up trackage down to the bare minimum. Now due to increased traffic and changed...

"Don't know what you are thanking Woody for considering that I posted the response to your post giving you all the information :P" Mea Culpa.... :giggle: Though I say again, thanks for the information, regardless of messenger. Definitely relieves my uninformed concerns. Are there any reliable...

Thanks Woody, I was unaware that comments in this thread were anything more than speculation by members, not a discussion based on the completed studies. I believe that Steven Palazzo (R-MS4) also supports this, though I haven't seen anything formal from his office. I hope the commission...

Positive article, though superficial. I'm concerned that the Commission members are meeting once a month, giving only four meetings before the report is due to Congress in September. This gives very little time for the extensive analysis to determine route, schedule, equipment, facility...

I agree, intermediate stop ridership can be significant. When I rode the Crescent on business between NOL and WAS in the 90s, I was surprised by the number of passengers on the intermediate stop platforms, especially between ATL and NOL. The number of weekly tour buses serving the Coast casinos...

Totally off topic, but the New York Central had triple power locomotives working Manhattan's West Side docks. Their power was diesel, third rail, and battery. Diesel for the south Bronx freight yards, third rail for the West Side line (Amtrak/NYP) and High Line to lower Manhattan, then battery...

I get the sense that a significant number of Mississippi's elected state officials, predominately upstate residents, are reluctant to fund something that, in their minds, benefits only the "sinful" Coast population. Of course what we all are aware, but they deny vehemently, is that these same...

Aren't there existing LD routes that operate with joint federal/state funding? Please understand that I'm ignorant on any details, just have a vague memory of reading this.

I assume this power conversion logic is now all solid state, and fully automatic. It's difficult to conceive of configuring a 6400 KW (5000 KW continuous) power system into the relatively small space of a locomotive, after my career spanning closet-size vacuum tubes to micron thick chip logic...

Good point. Switching between 25/60, 11.5/60, and 11/25 is current technology. Time for my mandatory afternoon nap anyway. :P

One option might be to install 11 KV @ 25 HZ from NYP to BUF, while leaving the MNRR 600 VDC third rail in place between GCT and CRT. That way Amtrak would have continuity from WAS, etc. to BUF, and MNRR would be unaffected. I understand that it would be impractical to have trains between WAS...

I was merely citing electrified areas where Amtrak ran out of NYP, thus defining the complexity of any decision-making related to Empire electrification. Because Empire electrification must consider Amtrak's needs and operating environment, in addition to MNRR.

Actually, we both are correct......sorta ;) BOS-Mill River: 25 KV @ 60 HZ Mill River-Sunnyside: 12.5 KV @ 60 HZ Sunnyside-WAS: 12 KV @ 25 HZ Also, as said earlier, third rail is speed-limited, typically less than 60 MPH. Whereas the BOS end of NEC is rated for 150 MPH.

There is also a technical reason why electrification north of Croton-Harmon probably would never be done. Currently MNR electrification is 600VDC under-shot third-rail. whereas NEC is 25,000VAC 25HZ catenary. If NYS decided to fund electrification to ALB or BUF, first they must decide on which...

April Fool's Day....I Am Neither For, Nor Against Apathy. Frankly, Madam, I Don't Care! :rolleyes:

The number of engines also has to do with a rail line's profile. For instance, the SL could easily run with a single engine between NOL and HOS because it's virtually flat all the way, except for the Huey P. Long bridge over the Mississippi River which is a 2% grade on both approaches. I'm...

My apologies. I had wrongly assumed that ALL major cities, and most rural areas would have same courtesy towards Amtrak pax as I observed on the Crescent's route. At Slidell, LA (SDL), I usually saw a Coach Attendant, and always an SCA or Conductor at the sleeper end, Of course at WAS, there...

Reliability to schedule would help greatly. Unfortunately this requires freight rail companies to acknowledge Amtrak as a top priority customer as stated in the original 1971 legislation, which is unlikely to occur any time soon.

IIRC from my 25 years of riding 19/20, there usually has been one or more employee standing at a vestibule to ask for locating the correct car. I have little tolerance for people who wander aimlessly up and down a platform assuming someone will magically appear to lead them by the hand.