Amtrak Autumn Excursion 2016 - 10/29 & 30 - Confirmed

[Thirdrail7]

I wonder how this compares to previous excursions in terms of actual rare mileage. Because the latter half of the trip (aside from the relatively short Zoo subway) will all be on tracks currently in Amtrak revenue service. Nothing terribly special about going from Harrisburg to NYP on the Keystone route.

2013: PHL-Perryville-Harrisburg-Columbia-Lancaster-PHL, where IIRC the entire run from Perryville-Lancaster via Harrisburg and Columbia was "rare."

2014: PHL-Harrisburg and back, almost entirely via rare mileage.

2015: Circle trip departing Albany to parts of New England...almost entirely on rare mileage, IIRC

It would seem as though the 2016 version will be among the lowest in terms of rare mileage percentage, but I would still definitely go if given the chance. I live too far away for it to be practical, though. Speaking of which, what about an Autumn Express in a different part of the country, Amtrak?

From a mileage perspective, this trip seems to have more rare mileage than a trip up the Port Road.

Look for the Acela sets to pinch hit for a few regional trains on this weekend.

 

[Seaboard92]

I was just about to post that as its the same day as the NCTM charter

 

[PRR 60]

From a mileage perspective, this trip seems to have more rare mileage than a trip up the Port Road.

Look for the Acela sets to pinch hit for a few regional trains on this weekend.

Yep. The Port Road trip had about 125 miles of freight-only trackage. I haven't plotted it out yet (for that job I have at another site), but I'm estimating this trip will have about 160-170 miles of "rare mileage."
The 2014 trip out and back on the NS Harrisburg Line is the record holder (about 230 miles), but it was the same 115 miles twice - so one could argue that it was only 115 miles. The 2015 trip was also an "out-and-back" with about 80 miles of freight only trackage each way.

So, being the glass is half full type guy I am (those who know me are laughing), this trip should cover more rare mileage without repeat than any prior trip.

 

[jis]

So, being the glass is half full type guy I am (those who know me are laughing),

^** Har har har **^

Anyway, here is an article on this trip where Mr. McHugh makes it quite clear that this has nothing to do with restoring service to Allentown....

http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-allentown-amtrak-train-new-york-20160928-story.html

So 13 car train pulled by two locomotives. I suppose either both will be the Phase III ones, or one just might be Joseph H. Boardman. Who knows?

Also 110mph high speed run might suggest that it will remain under diesel power all the way back to Newark, but again, who knows?

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

So, being the glass is half full type guy I am (those who know me are laughing),

^** Har har har **^
Anyway, here is an article on this trip where Mr. McHugh makes it quite clear that this has nothing to do with restoring service to Allentown....

http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-allentown-amtrak-train-new-york-20160928-story.html

So 13 car train pulled by two locomotives. I suppose either both will be the Phase III ones, or one just might be Joseph H. Boardman. Who knows?

Also 110mph high speed run might suggest that it will remain under diesel power all the way back to Newark, but again, who knows?

In the past they used either the Phase I/Veterans combination or both Phase III locomotives. I'm hoping for the former, because Phase I is the only one I am yet to see and Phase III is becoming normal. While I have no info on this, I am also hoping for the Veterans ACS-64.
I am pretty sure that they will change locomotives in Harrisburg as the train has to change direction anyway. Also, there is 10 extra minutes allowed going Westbound between NYP and NWK when compared to eastbound. Also, where does it say 110 MPH?

 

[jis]

Read the article linked to in the post that you are commenting on.

The train changes direction in Harrisburg and heads to Philadelphia along the route of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Blue Ribbon Fleet. The train then rejoins the Northeast Corridor at Zoo Tower for a high-speed run of about 110 mph back to Newark to let passengers off at 6:10 p.m. before returning to Penn Station at 6:30 p.m.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Read the article linked to in the post that you are commenting on.

The train changes direction in Harrisburg and heads to Philadelphia along the route of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Blue Ribbon Fleet. The train then rejoins the Northeast Corridor at Zoo Tower for a high-speed run of about 110 mph back to Newark to let passengers off at 6:10 p.m. before returning to Penn Station at 6:30 p.m.

Sorry, I read the article yesterday and forgot that it mentioned the speed. I still think that Harrisburg is the more likely location for the change. The article could be inaccurate (the Amtrak website says nothing about top speed) or it is also possible they could have non-Amfleet cars in the consist that restrict speed. In the past they have used Horizons. Business cars on the end are also possible.

 

[Ryan]

I suppose either both will be the Phase III ones, or one just might be Joseph H. Boardman. Who knows?

I missed the news on the locomotive naming, classy move!

 

[jis]

Sorry, I read the article yesterday and forgot that it mentioned the speed. I still think that Harrisburg is the more likely location for the change. The article could be inaccurate (the Amtrak website says nothing about top speed) or it is also possible they could have non-Amfleet cars in the consist that restrict speed. In the past they have used Horizons. Business cars on the end are also possible.

All Horizons are good for 125mph. I wonder what American View is limited to. Maybe it is still 110.
Yeah, it is entirely possible that the loco change will be in Harrisburg.

I suppose either both will be the Phase III ones, or one just might be Joseph H. Boardman. Who knows?

I missed the news on the locomotive naming, classy move!

Yes the veterans P42 was given the name Joseph H Boardman, marked under the engineer's window.

 

[Agent]

Sorry, I read the article yesterday and forgot that it mentioned the speed. I still think that Harrisburg is the more likely location for the change. The article could be inaccurate (the Amtrak website says nothing about top speed) or it is also possible they could have non-Amfleet cars in the consist that restrict speed. In the past they have used Horizons. Business cars on the end are also possible.

All Horizons are good for 125mph. I wonder what American View is limited to. Maybe it is still 110.

As long as we're speculating, what speed is Sandy Creek rated for?

 

[jis]

Thirdrail is the guy who can probably give more definitive answer to such questions than me. Typically I believe PV that are compliant with Amtrak requirements are capable of 110mph. But I could be wrong.

 

[Railroad Bill]

I booked two nights at the Hilton Newark Penn Station and will see if a ticket for the excursion and points trips on the CL are in the future. :unsure:

 

[jis]

I booked two nights at the Hilton Newark Penn Station and will see if a ticket for the excursion and points trips on the CL are in the future. :unsure:

I am also booked two nights at the Hilton Newark Penn Station.

If all goes according to plan I get in around midnight Friday evening.

 

[Railroad Bill]

I booked two nights at the Hilton Newark Penn Station and will see if a ticket for the excursion and points trips on the CL are in the future. :unsure:

I am also booked two nights at the Hilton Newark Penn Station.

Still think we might need to take the train into NYP to catch the excursion since waiting for the train to get to Newark might result in fewer seat choices available. I remember last year in Albany and how the Schenectady people were upset that they boarded later.

 

[Railroad Bill]

I booked two nights at the Hilton Newark Penn Station and will see if a ticket for the excursion and points trips on the CL are in the future. :unsure:

I am also booked two nights at the Hilton Newark Penn Station.

If all goes according to plan I get in around midnight Friday evening.

If the Cap gets into WAS on time I hope to catch a NER train and be in Newark by 6:00pm.

 

[jis]

Still think we might need to take the train into NYP to catch the excursion since waiting for the train to get to Newark might result in fewer seat choices available. I remember last year in Albany and how the Schenectady people were upset that they boarded later.

Yeah. I plan to be in NYP by 7am latest.

If the Cap gets into WAS on time I hope to catch a NER train and be in Newark by 6:00pm.

I am on a 7:55pm flight from Orlando to EWR which gets into EWR around 10:45 or so. And being a later in the day flight it would typically be more likely to be delayed. But I plan to catch some Zzzzs in First Class after dinner.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Is anybody else going on Sunday?

 

[fairviewroad]

Perhaps I should put this on the list for next October. That will give me time to plan for it.

Next year's excursion will be more geographically advantageous to you. Sources deep inside Amtrak tell me the 2017 Autumn Express will simply be a re-route of the Lake Shore Limited through Michigan.

From a mileage perspective, this trip seems to have more rare mileage than a trip up the Port Road.

Look for the Acela sets to pinch hit for a few regional trains on this weekend.

Yep. The Port Road trip had about 125 miles of freight-only trackage. I haven't plotted it out yet (for that job I have at another site), but I'm estimating this trip will have about 160-170 miles of "rare mileage."
The 2014 trip out and back on the NS Harrisburg Line is the record holder (about 230 miles), but it was the same 115 miles twice - so one could argue that it was only 115 miles. The 2015 trip was also an "out-and-back" with about 80 miles of freight only trackage each way.

So, being the glass is half full type guy I am (those who know me are laughing), this trip should cover more rare mileage without repeat than any prior trip.

Thanks for the knowledgeable analysis. I wouldn't entirely discount the value of there-and-back rare mileage, since the view out the side of the train can be dramatically different depending on direction. But yes, in terms of overall unique rare mileage, this one does appear to be tops so far, even if a relatively high percentage of the overall trip mileage is on existing revenue trackage. Kudos to Amtrak for working out the details.

 

[Acela150]

Harrisburg line isn't rare mileage for me. Lol!!! I was qualified all the way to GI8 aka the Fuel Pad.

 

[jis]

Harrisburg line isn't rare mileage for me. Lol!!! I was qualified all the way to GI8 aka the Fuel Pad.

Good, then you need not go on this trip and make a potential seat available for someone for whom it is rare mileage

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

My seat will be available, because that is the weekend I will be down in Virginia on the Dover Harbor trip if I did my paperwork right (sent my check in just before this was announced)! (Always so many good places to go and things to do in October! )

Perhaps I can go on this another year, especially if they start and end at Philly, which is easier for me than New York or Newark.

I hope you all have a lovely time and that someone who gets the seat I would have taken truly enjoys the trip . Those of you who read my posts about the Keystone know how much I love the countryside between Harrisburg and Philly, no matter how many times I see it, and for someone who hasn't seen it before, the farms and gentle river and old mountains covered with trees of any color are a nice treat.

 

[RPC]

A question for the insiders here...the blurb says the Autumn Express will follow the route of the "Queen of the Valley" so I assume it's going through Reading and Hershey to Harrisburg. Will it be turned on the Rockville Bridge (as in 2014) or on the NS bridge downtown? (FWIW, when Amtrak sent out the survey after the 2014 AE and asked for new routes, this was my top choice, except that I would have sent it down the Schuykill from Reading and onto the Trenton Cutoff.)

 

[railiner]

For once, I won't have to wake up at "0-Dark-30", to catch this years excursion...

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

I mapped the westbound route on Google Maps, it is attached here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en_US&app=mp&mid=1V1MwwsNQGSGhZ-JPaPXCp7HHPWw. I doubt that it is 100% accurate, as there are a few areas of parallel lines such as Northeast New Jersey, East Allentown, and Reading. According to this, it is 182 miles NYP-HAR (Keystone is 195) and 171 miles of rare Amtrak mileage. I believe NJT operates over about 10 miles of this, so it would be about 160 miles of rare passenger mileage. This trip will easily be the longest autumn excursion yet.

 

[Railroad Bill]

Inquiring minds want to know .

Wondering what time the train would arrive in Harrisburg and whether I could catch the westbound Pennsylvanian there and head home a day early?

Since I have ridden the Keystone HAR to PHL several times, I would enjoy the new mileage on the Autumn Excursion and then hop off at HAR and do the 43 and 29 back to CLE that afternoon and evening.

Wonder if they have developed a timetable for the AEX? :unsure: