Passenger Trains > 30 of the 26th

All stopped west of South Bend with a traction motor fire. Engine 837 solo... Who would've thought that in the world of tri-weekly service Amtrak can't send out the best locomotives?

While were at it, two of the two of the three northbound Hiawatha trains out of Chicago today left late.

Hope you had a happy and safe thanksgiving. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/20 18:30 by sethamtrak.

Is the CAPITOL still running with one unit and only six cars during the holidays?
Thanks!
Andy

twropr Wrote:
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> Is the CAPITOL still running with one unit and
> only six cars during the holidays?
> Thanks!
> Andy

One loco, two sleepers, diner-lounge, coach-baggage, and a coach

East of CP 453 (Hudson Lake) on Main 2... Death by a thousand cuts...

48 departed Chicago 15 minutes late but it did have three motors. One of which I assume will be donated to 30. If the traction motor caught fire, does the engine need to be set out? Or can it continue dead in tow? 

If the fire is out and there are no other issues, the train can continue using the same locomotive for power.

Here is Amtrak 30, Capitol Ltd, arriving Elkhart 4 hours 16 minutes late this morning at 0144 - all looks OK here and train is expected to arrive Sandusky at 0500, still 4 hours 20 minutes late.

---

Yea, that’s NOT okay — pathetic 4 hr plus delay ... 😞

AFTER enough complaining they have FINALLY added a second sleeper...........This WAS just a FOUR car consist just a few weeks ago (one Sleeper, Cross Country Cafe, Coach-Baggage, Coach). Amtrak refuses to put the Sightseer Lounge on just to give some people some "degree of separation" while travelling. This is a train where you get to stay in your room or coach seat only. 

837 was a regular on Autotrain for a long time. That motor was well worked with one other unit and 40 cars.

steamloco Wrote:
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> 837 was a regular on Autotrain for a long time.
> That motor was well worked with one other unit and
> 40 cars.

Yes.

Amtrak has cycled several P42 units into the closed AutoTrain pool.

Posted from Android

Amtrak.com shows #30 departed Pittsburgh at 0937.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/20 06:52 by toledopatch.

Given that trains are only operating three days per week, we know that there were plenty of P42s available...........

MEKoch Wrote:
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> Given that trains are only operating three days
> per week, we know that there were plenty of P42s
> available...........

Yes, although available may be a relative term.  We've been told that a number are stored in New Orleans.   It doesn't appear that there's any work being done to update or do heavy maintenance, etc

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> MEKoch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Given that trains are only operating three days
> > per week, we know that there were plenty of
> P42s
> > available...........
>
> Yes, although available may be a relative term. 
> We've been told that a number are stored in New
> Orleans.   It doesn't appear that there's any
> work being done to update or do heavy maintenance,
> etc


There were 11 P42s stored in New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal last I checked. 

I did take a drive last night to "inspect" the chicago coach yard and there werent a whole lot of genesis locomotives around. There were a string of cabbages though. 90200, 90221, 90222, 90413 and 90368 all bad ordered. 

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> MEKoch Wrote:

> We've been told that a number are stored in New
> Orleans.   It doesn't appear that there's any
> work being done to update or do heavy maintenance,
> etc

With what money?

sethamtrak Wrote:
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> There were 11 P42s stored in New Orleans Union
> Passenger Terminal last I checked. 
>
> I did take a drive last night to "inspect" the
> chicago coach yard and there werent a whole lot of
> genesis locomotives around. There were a string of
> cabbages though. 90200, 90221, 90222, 90413 and
> 90368 all bad ordered. 

So at LEAST five cabbages are out of service. Not that this is best practice nor do I personally advocate it, but for the sake of trying to at least put say two cabbages back in service, can one cabbage be sacrificed for parts to get the repairs complete? This has all gotten Amtrak in trouble in the past - saving money and not buying new parts to make repairs, sending broken cars off to storage and have them await for necessary repair funding (usually costing more as more gets broken while in storage). When Amtrak had the Pacific Parlor Cars running on the Coast Starlight it would make lemonade out of lemons by holding one of the Pacific Parlor Cars back as a reserve - using it for random parts so as to keep the remaining four Pacific Parlor Cars in service and running.   

The cabbages, depending on what's wrong with them, shouldn't take a lot to get back into service. They don't have a prime mover or generator so unless the frame is bent or something is wrong with the trucks or wheels?

Those who think everything was okay at Elkhart, only four-plus hours late: did you notice that the single unit in the photo was the AMTK 198 and not the 837, the one that crapped? It was unable to continue. Train 48(26) set out the 198 as rescue unit, else the hapless Capitol might still be sitting there! The 837 was dragged ignominiously into a siding.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/20 20:54 by GenePoon.

GenePoon Wrote:
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> Those who think everything was okay at Elkhart,
> only four-plus hours late: did you notice that the
> single unit in the photo was the AMTK 198 and not
> the 837, the one that crapped? It was unable to
> continue. Train 48(26) set out the 198 as rescue
> unit, else the hapless Capitol might still be
> sitting there! The 837 was dragged ignominiously
> into a siding.

Well that was the odd part. Train 48 was able to pull around and ahead of Train 30, "dropping" AMTK 198 and then continuing on its way down the road. Train 48 departed South Bend about an hour late, but by Toledo and Cleveland had made up the lateness and was operating ontime. Train 30 eventually continued on, but BEHIND train 48 limping four hours late the whole way.