Passenger Trains > #20 Crescent Freight Congestion

The heaviest traffic I've ever seen on the old NO&NE (New Orleans and Northeast) between New Orleans and Meridian on today's Sunday Crescent departure out of NOL.  Northbound 20 left New Orleans about 2 1/2 hours late due to a very late arrival of #19 (5 AM into NOL).  We passed our first freight near City Park, two more stopped on the second main prior to X Tower and four more taking the sidings at Derby, Dragon, Hawkes, and Basic.  More congestion through the yard at Meridian with an intermodal coming off the Meridian Speedway.  In the early 90's a single meet on this segment would be noteworthy.  Now taking the siding at York along with another NS freight with both of us presumably waiting for #19.  

Three coaches on today's Crescent though the crew has the third coach closed with everyone packed into two cars.  Not sure why crews lock down an available car that could provide more space and comfort.
 

Sorry to hear about your delay. I travel on 19/20 frequently and even after the retimings, I always cringe when nearing Meridien. It’s a nightmare for The Crescent to try and negotiate.

Oh and by the way, they have been locking out that first coach behind the locos for months and months.

Posted from iPhone

why would they regularly not be using an available coach?

66

goneon66 Wrote:
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> why would they regularly not be using an available
> coach?
>
> 66


Because Amtrak runs for the convenience of the employees. Less cars they have to monitor passengers is and keep clean during and after the journey.

Perhaps to load up at Atlanta. 

Likely for the large numbers getting on in Atlanta. That way crews can get families and those traveling together seated together. Making a loading plan for a long haul train can be challenging.

However, they could have sat all those destined for Atlanta in the last car, so that car would still be empty at ATL and those in the first 2 cars could spread out a bit more. Could it be total apathy on the crews' part? Definitely. Employee morale is nonexistent at the moment, even among the best and most customer focused crews...

Most crew agree that Amtrak will blow the 66 billion (66,000,000,000) on stupid crap and safety programs. Nothing will help the customer service or provide crews with the tools they need to provide a better customer experience. Oh, and hire more managers.

goneon66 Wrote:
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> why would they regularly not be using an available
> coach?
>
> 66

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/21 16:40 by cabsignaldrop.

My hunch about waiting for #19 was correct as it passed us at 5:49PM along with two other NS freights.  Now a bit over 4 hours down.  

I rode 19 in October from Newark, NJ and all 3 coaches were open. As mentioned, the crew will probably open the 3rd coach at Atlanta. Still, it's stupid to pack all the people into 2 cars. Most likely a dumb management rule....

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Perhaps to load up at Atlanta. 


Not in my experience

Posted from iPhone

Ist coach on 19 is always empty as can be seen on webcam in Spartanburg about 4:24 am if OT. Maybe just kept empty to avoid fumes, to bad it was the business class until they did away with it as I did away with them after that.

19 of the 26th departed Birmingham 1 hr 33 mins late and departed Tuscaloosa 7 hrs 3 mins late. This is so extreme that I wonder whether a freight train was mechanically disabled or had a grade crossing accident.

Looking at recent trips:
19 of the 20th departed Meridian 28 mins late.
19 of the 21st departed Meridian 4 hrs 54 mins late (the time was lost between Anniston and B'ham).
19 of the 22nd departed Meridian 2 hrs 19 mins late.
19 of the 23rd departed Meridian 1 hr 10 mins late.
19 of the 24th departed Meridian 1 hr 44 mins late.
19 of the 25th departed Meridian 1 hr 48 mins late.
19 of the 27th departed Meridian 2 hrs 58 mins late.
19 of the 28th is en route and departed Anniston 9 mins late.

Clearly the padding that NS added south of Atlanta hasn't helped 19's OT performance. If it weren't for the ongoing battle between CSX and Amtrak about Mobile-New Orleans, one could argue that if NS can't run the Crescent reliably between Meridian and Atlanta, Amtrak might as well revert to the true Crescent routing over CSX via Montgomery and Mobile. It's longer, but if 19 is consistently arriving at New Orleans several hour late, Amtrak would be no worse off. 

chess Wrote:
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> I rode 19 in October from Newark, NJ and all 3
> coaches were open. As mentioned, the crew will
> probably open the 3rd coach at Atlanta. Still,
> it's stupid to pack all the people into 2 cars.
> Most likely a dumb management rule....

i know if i was separated from my family while seated in one of the 2 coaches and a 3rd coach in my train was VACANT, i would not be pleased..........

66 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/21 09:16 by goneon66.

ctillnc Wrote:
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> 19 of the 26th departed Birmingham 1 hr 33
> mins late and departed Tuscaloosa 7 hrs 3 mins
> late. This is so extreme that I wonder whether a
> freight train was mechanically disabled or had a
> grade crossing accident.
(snip)

According to Amtrak Alerts, a disabled freight.  Also got 20(27) for about four hours.

Amtrak Alerts
@AmtrakAlerts
Nov 27
UPDATE: Crescent Train 20, which departed New Orleans (NOL) on 11/27, remains stopped north of Tuscaloosa (TCL) due to a disabled freight train. Updates to follow.

Amtrak Alerts
@AmtrakAlerts
Nov 27
UPDATE: Crescent Train 19 which departed New York (NYP) on 11/26, remains stopped north of Tuscaloosa (TCL) due to a disabled freight train. Updates to follow.

So can someone confirm - 

1) Crescent normally operates with TWO coaches, sometimes THREE?
2) Of the TWO (or THREE) coaches, ALL become opened up between Atlanta and NYC?

IF Amtrak is just dragging around an Amfleet II Coach that is EMPTY (NYP to NOL) on all the Crescent consists thats FOUR Amfleet II coaches (one from each Crescent consist) that don't seem to be used, when demand is calling for them TO BE USED. Stick the Viewliner Bagg/Dorm upfront, or stick an empty baggage car upfront (like they do for car counts on certain CN lines) if the fumes are an issue. Something doesn't add up here!!! 

Jimbo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ctillnc Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 19 of the 26th departed Birmingham 1 hr 33
> > mins late and departed Tuscaloosa 7 hrs 3 mins
> > late. This is so extreme that I wonder
> whether a
> > freight train was mechanically disabled or had
> a
> > grade crossing accident.
> (snip)
>
> According to Amtrak Alerts, a disabled freight.
>  Also got 20(27) for about four hours.
>
> Amtrak Alerts
> @AmtrakAlerts
> Nov 27
> UPDATE: Crescent Train 20, which departed New
> Orleans (NOL) on 11/27, remains stopped north of
> Tuscaloosa (TCL) due to a disabled freight train.
> Updates to follow.
>
> Amtrak Alerts
> @AmtrakAlerts
> Nov 27
> UPDATE: Crescent Train 19 which departed New York
> (NYP) on 11/26, remains stopped north of
> Tuscaloosa (TCL) due to a disabled freight train.
> Updates to follow.

I don't see how lengthening and CHANGING the Crescent's schedule did a damn thing to help alleviate delays......This is why they should not rush to make these changes, but try to work with the freight railroads. Current Crescent schedule is bad enough - then add on the CONTINUING delays - who'd want to take it? Mission accomplished I guess!

ctillnc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 19 of the 26th departed Birmingham 1 hr 33
> mins late and departed Tuscaloosa 7 hrs 3 mins
> late. This is so extreme that I wonder whether a
> freight train was mechanically disabled or had a
> grade crossing accident.
>
> Looking at recent trips:
> 19 of the 20th departed Meridian 28 mins late.
> 19 of the 21st departed Meridian 4 hrs 54 mins
> late (the time was lost between Anniston and
> B'ham).
> 19 of the 22nd departed Meridian 2 hrs 19 mins
> late.
> 19 of the 23rd departed Meridian 1 hr 10 mins
> late.
> 19 of the 24th departed Meridian 1 hr 44 mins
> late.
> 19 of the 25th departed Meridian 1 hr 48 mins
> late.
> 19 of the 27th departed Meridian 2 hrs 58 mins
> late.
> 19 of the 28th is en route and departed Anniston 9
> mins late.
>
> Clearly the padding that NS added south of
> Atlanta hasn't helped 19's OT performance. If it
> weren't for the ongoing battle between CSX and
> Amtrak about Mobile-New Orleans, one could argue
> that if NS can't run the Crescent reliably
> between Meridian and Atlanta, Amtrak might as
> well revert to the true Crescent routing over CSX
> via Montgomery and Mobile. It's longer, but if 19
> is consistently arriving at New Orleans several
> hour late, Amtrak would be no worse off. 

Is the true Crescent route actually a longer route? Doing an extremely rough Google Maps measurement, I get the distance to be ~20 miles shorter via Montgomery than via Birmingham.

I was imprecise. Shorter in distance but longer in time, or at least it should be if NS would fix their problems. 1948 timetable shows the Southerner (via Birmingham) 30 minutes faster than the Crescent (via Montgomery). But this is somewhat apples and oranges. Today, the run from Peachtree Station in Atlanta to East Point would take considerably longer than it did in 1948. South of East Point, the A&WP/WofA is 50 mph tops these days and some of it is slower. The WofA passenger main in north Montgomery was pulled up, so you'd have a slow slog through Chester Yard to get into Union Station. All these problems are fixable with money, of course. From Montgomery south, CSX could do a good job if they so choose.

The freight trains are longer than the sidings so there's no place for Amtrak to pass anymore. Last time I rode we followed NS 153, always a monster from Atlanta, Georgia to Irondale, Alabama where there's a bypass track around the yard. By the time we got to New Orleans even the bars were closed. That was my wife's never again trip, no food on the train and restaurants were closed unless you wanted to take a cab to a Waffle House somwhere.

When happens when a couple of 3 mile long barge trains in opposite directions comes along ? 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> When happens when a couple of 3 mile long barge
> trains in opposite directions comes along ? 

Double saw-by meet.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,894879

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA