Capitol Gains?

[The Metropolitan]

Was on #30 from PGH this morning. Initial ETA given was 515am, which then changed to 526am, while finally arriving at a little past 530am. We left out at 550am (1:35 late), and made it to somewhere around Trafford, where we stopped for about 15 minutes. 2 hours late departing Cumberland, thanks in part to 4 stops. Though it looked as though our padding would reduce the lateness back to 1:30, we actually came into Washington Union a few minutes past 2pm, over 2 hours late.

 

[Sam Damon]

Was on #30 from PGH this morning.  Initial ETA given was 515am, which then changed to 526am, while finally arriving at a little past 530am.  We left out at 550am (1:35 late), and made it to somewhere around Trafford, where we stopped for about 15 minutes.

Man o'sakes, if you were stuck "around Trafford" that would have been an interesting routing for the Capitol Limited, that's fur shure.

Trafford is on the ex-PRR main line between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

I think you probably meant McKeesport or Connellsville.

 

[crewdorm#2524]

well it gets better. we departed was on 29(22) @ 410pm due to late inbound 92 and arrived pgh @ 352am. all due to track washout around greensprings, wv.

ryan

 

[Sam Damon]

Seems CSX can deliver #29 into PGH OT; NS seems to be the villian these days west of PGH.

Consider, if you will, #29(6). 15 minutes early into Pittsburgh.

The opposite number -- #30(6) is still on the road as I post this. It arrived in TOL five minutes ago as I type, roughly. Two hours, 27 minutes late.

Sigh. So much for that vaunted "dispatching system" NS plugged in Forbes magazine a couple months ago.

 

[x-press]

Careful, Sam! Note that #30(6) left Chicago 1:20 late. NS wasn't the problem, here, though they obviously weren't the solution, either.

JPS

 

[AmtrakFan]

Careful, Sam!  Note that #30(6) left Chicago 1:20 late.  NS wasn't the problem, here, though they obviously weren't the solution, either.
JPS

Had to hold for 4, and 6 Last Night in Chicago that's why it left late.

 

[Sam Damon]

Careful, Sam! Note that #30(6) left Chicago 1:20 late. NS wasn't the problem, here, though they obviously weren't the solution, either.
JPS

Point taken, but OTOH, I've seen #30 start out OT these past couple months, and become 90 to 120 minutes late owing to NS. If things are this bad without the MoW crews out there... I shudder to think about timekeeping this summer.

CSX has not been doing all that terrible a job, lately. Like I said, we'll see when the MoW season hits up north.

As I write this #29(7) is 1:02 off the timecard. It departed Pittsburgh OT. This means the delays accrue to NS, and their vaunted systems analysis dispatching system plugged in a Forbes magazine article.

Let's look at #30(7). As of this writing, 0:16 late departing CHI. By TOL, 1:50 late. At PGH, 1:32 late. Projected time in Martinsburg, WV: 1:52 late.

It's obvious the Class I railroads are not embarassed by their over-the-road performance times with Amtrak, so long as Wall Street is relatively happy.

 

[x-press]

I guess it's mostly a product of the times we live in, but I can't get too over-excited about 90-120 minutes of delay. When the Sunset's lateness was regularly being measured in DAYS a while back, it was obvious to me that the train wasn't doing anyone a bit of good and should have been annulled. People acted like I had turned into Joe Vranich, so the Capitol seems like a swiss watch to me, now.

Sadly,

JPS

 

[Sam Damon]

I guess it's mostly a product of the times we live in, but I can't get too over-excited about 90-120 minutes of delay.

Letsssseehere. If you can't get excited over a 2-hour delay, how about four hours?

#30(9). Eight minutes late departing CHI. By TOL, down 55 minutes. By CLE, down 1:24. By PGH, and handoff to CSX at CP-Bloom, 2:29 down.

CSX hasn't helped matters, but in fairness to their dispatchers, Amtrak did lose the slot, thanks to NS; as of posting, #30(9)'s still on the road, 4:05 down. It hasn't even reached Rockville, yet.

How many "never agains" aboard #30(9)?

 

[printman2000]

How many "never agains" aboard #30(9)?

I know what #30 is, but what does the (9) mean?

 

[gswager]

How many "never agains" aboard #30(9)?

I know what #30 is, but what does the (9) mean?

That's the day of the month which the train started the journey. That's Tuesday, May 9.

 

[printman2000]

That's the day of the week which the train started the journey.

Ahhh. Thanks

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Since many long-distance trains in the U.S. take more than 24 hours to run their route (both passenger AND freight), you will VERY frequently have more than one of any particular train number actually "on the road", so when the dispatcher gives information or instructions to a particular train, they will usually include that "sub-number" with the train's number to make sure everybody is on the same page, and everbody knows which train they are talking to or talking about. And if you were to ask for a train's status, the person you are asking has to know which day's train you are asking about, or you'd get the wrong information. For instance, if you were to have asked Amtrak for a status report on train 92 at around noon today, there were two train #92s on the rails. One was in Florida [92 (10)] and the other [92 (9)] was probably somewhere south of Washington DC.

 

[x-press]

I guess it's mostly a product of the times we live in, but I can't get too over-excited about 90-120 minutes of delay.

Letsssseehere. If you can't get excited over a 2-hour delay, how about four hours?

#30(9). Eight minutes late departing CHI. By TOL, down 55 minutes. By CLE, down 1:24. By PGH, and handoff to CSX at CP-Bloom, 2:29 down.

CSX hasn't helped matters, but in fairness to their dispatchers, Amtrak did lose the slot, thanks to NS; as of posting, #30(9)'s still on the road, 4:05 down. It hasn't even reached Rockville, yet.

How many "never agains" aboard #30(9)?

It arrived DC 3:45 down. Good? Heck no. But I wouldn't say "never again" if my train ran 3:45 late. I've been on flights that late. My last long road trip, WAS-Columbus, Ohio, we lost hours due to an accident-closed interstate and had to detour through Pittsburgh at rush hour. I haven't sworn off auto travel just yet.

I'm certainly not excusing NS's performance, and these problems will have to be dealt with if the intermediate-point market Amtrak is truly necessary for is to be served adequately, but the real offenders on the system are trains like the Sunset and Coast Starlight.

JPS

 

[Sam Damon]

Well, let's take a look for fun.

#29(19) is 11 minutes late into PGH after departing WAS OT. #30(19) departed CHI 1:13 late, projected into TOL 1:45 down as of this writing.

Can't blame NS tonight, if Amtrak didn't send the train out OT.

 

[Sam Damon]

Lets take a look at 30(15) today, shall we?

CHI: 0:17 late departing. South Bend: 0:18 late; not much loss, there. TOL: 0:50 late. CLE: 0:59 late. ALC: 1:35 down. PGH: 3:00 late.

Gee, wonder where the freight congestion is? Or perhaps some NS dispatchers are better than others?

Chime in, should you have some insight on this one.

 

[MrFSS]

I saw it was 5-6 hours late into WAS earlier this week on at least one occassion. And anywhere from 50 min to 2.5 hours other days.

 

[Guest]

It is interesting to track Amtrak LD routes not by the endpoint OT performance, but at certain intermediate points. Like this one, for example.

I was contemplating a trip with the kids on #30 EB PGH to HFY to teach them a bit about US History, returning the same day on #29. Long day, but Superliner coaches ride nicely. So I started checking arrival times into HFY.

30(15): 3:00 late

30(16): 4:59 late

30(17): 2:07 late

30(18): 1:01 late

30(19): 3:11 late

Yikes! So much for a day trip... we'll see.

 

[Sam Damon]

What a bang-up day for #29/30:

#29(21): WAS: 2:56 late out the terminal (held for connections?)

PGH: 3:46 late

TOL: 5:04 late

CHI: still on the road... as of initial posting (EDIT: arrived 5:45 late)

#30(21): CHI: 1:10 late out the terminal (held for connections?)

TOL: 3:21 late

PGH: 4:25 late

WAS: still on the road... as of initial posting (EDIT 1: estimated 6:18 late!) (EDIT 2: finally arrived 7:03 late!)

Not good.

 

[Guest]

Yeah, summer is a beautiful time of the year, but also the season for track work and heat restrictions.

 

[capltd29]

Awww....poor CSX!! It's hawt so lets slow other people's trains down.... If they would just maintain their damn tracks they wouldnt have to slow Amtrak down!

 

[Sam Damon]

Anyway... looking at #29(22) and #30(22)...

#29(22): WAS: OT. PGH: estimated as of this posting, 0:57 down. Actual arrival at PGH: 2:40 late. TOL: 3:55 late.

#30(22): CHI: eight minutes late departing. TOL: 1:00 late. PGH arrival: 4:25 late. As of this edit, Amtrak optimistically predicts arrival at WAS 3:59 late.

I find it difficult to call this "normal" but it seems of late to be this way.

In fairness to the railroads, there have been a string of thunderstorms in NW Ohio over the past several days. These could have caused some signal problems, or minor washouts.

 

[Sam Damon]

On an OT note, #42(22) was 2:27 late into HAR, this after a 1:35 late departure from PGH. Why? Dunno.

The WB counterpart, #43(22) was three minutes early into HAR, and only five minutes late into PGH.

There is hope out there, folks.

 

[The Metropolitan]

On an OT note, #42(22) was 2:27 late into HAR, this after a 1:35 late departure from PGH. Why? Dunno.
The WB counterpart, #43(22) was three minutes early into HAR, and only five minutes late into PGH.

There is hope out there, folks.

I'd assume #42 was held at Pittsburgh for connecting PAX from #30, which according to the posts above must have arrived at Pittsburgh about 840am instead of 415am.

Thus #42 would have left about 715am but instead left about 850am.

Makes sense to me, even if it beleaguers me that late trains spread to others like an epidemic.

 

[Sam Damon]

I'd assume #42 was held at Pittsburgh for connecting PAX from #30, which according to the posts above must have arrived at Pittsburgh about 840am instead of 415am.  
Thus #42 would have left about 715am but instead left about 850am.

Makes sense to me, even if it beleaguers me that late trains spread to others like an epidemic.

Silly me. Of course that's why #42(22) and #42(23) were held at PGH.

Amtrak held, as I mentioned #42(23) for #30(22) today. Makes perfect sense. That's what I get for posting late at night. <_<