30 (17-18) is really late

[me_little_me]

and it was a pretty beat up looking engine, too. I'm insulted that just because we on 29 are willing to endure flex meals, Amtrak thinks so little of us that we got such a beat up piece of junk locomotive.

This is one case where I don't blame management because Amtrak has never received sufficient money to operate and purchase new equipment or do real maintenance when needed. Until the new Charger locos take over, the tired engines will have to survive.

 

[jis]

Amtrak has ordered the first tranche of new locomotives (Chargers) for LD service, which are currently undergoing early testing. So maybe we are beating a half dead horse?

 

[20th Century Rider]

I made my connection - cross platform. I did not have time to print my new ticket, but it was on my phone and I was in the system. My SCA is someone I know (who also asked about ****) and the cafe attendant is also someone I have known for years.

I am in the sleeper lounge now having my dinner of wine and brownie. (dinner of champions?)
View attachment 25043

But, but, but... what happened to the flying saucer flex meal and the 'dinner salad???'

 

[pennyk]

But, but, but... what happened to the flying saucer flex meal and the 'dinner salad???'

I am allergic to garlic and cannot eat any of the flex meals. I sometimes can get special meals that I coordinate with customer relations, but since I missed train 91 and switched to 97, my meals did not make the switch. I did eat something on the Capitol Limited before detraining (since they loaded double meals for me).

BTW - we had PTC issues on 97 and were stopped for a while. We are moving now, but a bit late.

 

[hlcteacher]

We left Chicago about an hour and a half late because 29 came in late. Then we waited a few minutes because 6 came in really late too, and they held for connecting passengers. After that, we made pretty good time through the night until we were a mile from the Pittsburgh station. Stopped dead on the tracks because of a diagnostic code involving brake faults. After some back and forth, NS sending a freight locomotive to pull us. Should be here soon, but who knows when we'll get into DC.

wondered why it rolled past my house long after i got up...oh well, its and adventure

 

[daybeers]

I am allergic to garlic and cannot eat any of the flex meals. I sometimes can get special meals that I coordinate with customer relations, but since I missed train 91 and switched to 97, my meals did not make the switch. I did eat something on the Capitol Limited before detraining (since they loaded double meals for me).

BTW - we had PTC issues on 97 and were stopped for a while. We are moving now, but a bit late.

I'm so sorry you have to deal with the garlic allergy. My girlfriend has a gluten allergy and while we traveled together in coach a few times, some LD, I am not excited to deal with Customer Relations about what food is available on the Late for Sure's flex meals or even the traditional dining when we do get a room. There is very little in the cafe car she can eat, though thankfully some contamination (made in a factory that also processes wheat) is okay, but not french fries made using the same fryer as breaded wings, for example.

 

[MARC Rider]

Most freight power is good for 70.

The conductor announced that the freight locomotive's maximum speed was 60. But I can't disagree with you as my gps recorded it doing speeds of 65-68 mph in stretches between Harpers Ferry and Rockville.

 

[west point]

New paint on an old engine ? Lipstick on a pig ???

 

[west point]

It would be very interesting to see the MTBF for the last 10 years for each model loco. Is it my imagination but the P-40s on Auto train do not seem to have many breakdowns ???

 

[Cal]

It would be very interesting to see the MTBF for the last 10 years for each model loco. Is it my imagination but the P-40s on Auto train do not seem to have many breakdowns ???

They also have quite an easy run. It's 18 hours, not much of a grade. Much different than the 46 hour Builder which goes through multiple mountains, and the 52 hour long CZ with some intense grades.

 

[OBS]

It would be very interesting to see the MTBF for the last 10 years for each model loco. Is it my imagination but the P-40s on Auto train do not seem to have many breakdowns ???

I don't think it is your imagination. It was my observation, many years ago when I worked this route, that the A/T engines and equipment were better maintained than the rest of the system. I attributed it to the small, dedicated mechanical force in Sanford that focused on a specific set of equipment.

 

[John819]

My guess is that the cost of maintaining the P42s is more than the cost of just getting new locos. This of course depends on government funding, but at some point it's better to buy new than to spend so much time and manpower maintaining the old and passengers enduring delays.

The Siemens ALC-42 is being produced as a replacement.

 

[BlackDiamond]

we had PTC issues on 97 and were stopped for a while. We are moving now, but a bit late.

We had PTC issues on our CZ trip GJT to CHI last month. The PTC would put the train into emergency for no apparent reason. Eventually they bypassed the system and ran OK. Then a new crew would get on and the problem would happen again. Rinse and repeat. I wonder how common this is and if it is a problem with the P42s specifically or with the PTC installation.

 

[NSC1109]

We had PTC issues on our CZ trip GJT to CHI last month. The PTC would put the train into emergency for no apparent reason. Eventually they bypassed the system and ran OK. Then a new crew would get on and the problem would happen again. Rinse and repeat. I wonder how common this is and if it is a problem with the P42s specifically or with the PTC installation.

Either could be possible. We had an issue recently where a crew was talked through a Form B (work zone) and PTC put them into emergency because it thought they had violated the work limits.

It’s still an imperfect system.