Passenger Trains > Talk About Padding, Here's #3's

Amtrak projects #3 to be on time in the morning at Fullerton.  That means it will be 1 hr 6 mins early at LAUS!  See attached.

Marty Bernard

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That's there for LA because of Metrolink, but most of the time when No. 3's doing a good run like this, that's exactly what time you'll be in Marty, if not at the latest around 7:30!

ACTUAL:  Train 3(22) arriving Monday morning: gained 27 minutes, Fullerton-Los Angeles

SNB 618A Departed: 46 minutes late.
RIV  637A Departed: 44 minutes late.
FUL 722A Departed: 48 minutes late.
LAX 754A Arrived: 21 minutes early.

Train 3(23), the subject of the original post, was 2 minutes late at Williams Jct.  It's got a chance!



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 08/24/15 23:40 by GenePoon.

Marty
You are having an incredibly good run on No.3.
Hope it goes well all the way to L A.

You only jinxed him by 34 minutes thus far:* BAR 339A Departed: On time.
* VRV 418A Departed: On time.
* SNB 532A Departed: On time.
* RIV 627A Departed: 34 minutes late.
FUL 3 634A PT
LAX 3 815A * * PT

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No.3 sure got Metrolinked today ! What is the offcial arrival at "LAUS?"

We were on time at San Bernardino then must have been stuck behind an all stop Metrolink (probably Metrolink 805) to the junction just before Fullerton.  We were stop and go slow the whole way.  It took an  hour San Bernadino to Fullerton. So the problem was more that just one Metrolink.   After Fullerton it seemed like were at track speed.

Marty



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/15 13:02 by MartyBernard.

The_Chief_Way Wrote:
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> No.3 sure got Metrolinked today ! What is the
> offcial arrival at "LAUS?"

They got thrown through Metrolink's wringer... but still made it... 

(For some reason, the closing scene of that famous Disney short rings in my head for this...)


 

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Sounds like bad dispatching to me, I mean No. 3 had a great run probably since Chicago, then after San Bernadino get stuck behind a Metrolink and you're on time? Give me a break!

There is a huge pad.

Metrolink tries to accommodate, but if push comes to shove, Metrolink's own trains get priority over Amtrak.
In Chicago, the same goes for Metra trains. 

And you know what?  It's only right. 

When I was worked for the CB&Q I remember the rule of thumb was that the Dinkeys got priority over the intercity trains.  The logic was that a few minutes meant a lot to commuters but essentially nothing to intercity passengers.

Marty Bernard

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> Sounds like bad dispatching to me, I mean No. 3
> had a great run probably since Chicago, then after
> San Bernadino get stuck behind a Metrolink and
> you're on time? Give me a break!

Nope. If spatch used 3's extra time to keep Metrolink trains on time, and 3 wound up on time too it was good spatchin.

TAW

TAW Wrote:

> Nope. If spatch used 3's extra time to keep
> Metrolink trains on time, and 3 wound up on time
> too it was good spatchin.
>

And night-owl Marty Bernard got an extra hour in the rack.

Marty

 

The problem here lies with the schedule. There is virtually no room for error as a metrolink leaves riv only 2 minutes after #3's out time. The same occurs with #4 at fullerton, where an inbound metrolink is scheduled to stop and go at ful all while the chief is in station dwell (they use the same track). So of course #4 holds out and is 25+ mins late after one station stop every single weeknight. Weekends of course are fine.

Well I looked at my Metrolink Timetable and it seemed something happened that screwed everyone up, because I have rode No. 3 when he's on the money and cruises into LA just after 7 in the morning a lot of times during the week, so whatever happened resulted in the follow the leader routine, and if it's because Metrolink 805 was late, like I said bad dispatching!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/15 22:15 by ProAmtrak.

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> Well I looked at my Metrolink Timetable and it
> seemed something happened that screwed everyone
> up, because I have rode No. 3 when he's on the
> money and cruises into LA just after 7 in the
> morning a lot of times during the week, so
> whatever happened resulted in the follow the
> leader routine, and if it's because Metrolink 805
> was late, like I said bad dispatching!

Not if everyone was on time.

TAW

No.3 often goes in over an hour early. Looks like it had the potential for that.

Leaving SNB, we got nailed behind a late running SCAX 805 and it seemed everyone was having trouble getting through a Form B at Colton.  We were nailed again leaving RVS, following SCAX 703 on restricted signals pretty much all the way to Prado Dam.  We were spliced between SCAX 703 and SCAX 807 up to where the latter breaks off at Atwood.  

The abundant padding is there for a reason.  Got into LAX two minutes early.  If the train gets into LAX too early the passengers get miffed about that almost as much as if it arrives late.

As Pat Paulsen used to say, "Picky, picky, picky."

Too many trains.  Not enough track.   



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/15 01:12 by CA_Sou_MA_Agent.

Sounds to me like there is not enough track!.

Marty Bernard

Remember between San Bernardno and Los Angeles,   BNSF is the dispatcher all the way..

At a snails pace the 3rd track  Fullerton west is going it,  But at the same time, everyone wants more Amtrak and Metrolink trains on these same tracks.  May as well start on the 4th track, but lets get TAW to have a dispatching class.
The several miles of 3rd track between Corona and Atwood is used for pig car storage  or to store trains waiting for tracks to the Harbor.  Then fun comes, when a Metrolink trains stops to pick up the crew  for the tied down BNSF Just Jand the customers complain to Metrolink for the extra stop!