Passenger Trains > 7/21st

What happend to 7/21st?  No equipment or bad locomotives.

The NCL and EB always operated in all weathers.

Ed Burns

It was cancelled a few days ago. Things got disrupted by that broken down freight. There is an Amtrak Alert on twitter about the cancellation. 

Do they have an extra set in seattle? Or will they cancel another east bound?

Posted from Android

It sounds crazy but a No. 7 a few days ago was too late into Seattle
to turn as No. 8, so No. 8 did not run. The No. 8 that did not run was the
equipment for No. 7 of the 21st. 

But according to another post No. 3 left on the 21st with a deadhead sleeper
and diner. Couldn't 14th have grabbed a couple "wheel count" coaches and 
made up a No. 7 ?????     

I hope the pro-second daily CHI- St. Paul round trip politicians are paying
attention.

While this is going on the amfans were distracted by the shiny bauble of
amtrak maybe, perhaps, thinking about, new long distance cars 10 years
in the future

Maybe some railfan can give us a trip report on 7(21).    (sarcasm)

Write your congress-critters to shut amtrak down. That is the only way
to get amtrak's attention. It may get NARP's attention if they think their discount
trips will end.

A post from a few days ago mentioned tough talking Sen. Cantwell from the state
of Washington.  Maybe she will have something to say to pro-rail Mayor Pete.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/22/23 06:23 by Englewood.

goduckies Wrote:
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> Do they have an extra set in seattle? Or will they
> cancel another east bound?
>
> Posted from Android

I assume the eqpt from the late No. 7 that would have made
the didn't run No. 8, that would have made the didn't run No. 7
will make the No. 8.  That. my friends, is equipment utilization !!!!!!!!

I suppose it also made for some long layovers or long deadheads for
crews. 

Look for an * in ridership figures ????

Sad they don't have an extra train set Just in case, Amtrak sure isn't the Amtrak I remember!

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/22/23 12:45 by ProAmtrak.

What should have been done was short turning the 7 that sat in Spokane for 10?? or however many hours. 27 ran fine to Portland. They could have sent 28 back on time to Spokane to join the set that could have been sent back east as an on time full trainset. Instead they sent 7 to Seattle very late and then got cancelled in its entirety eastbound which meant there was no 7 to sent west yesterday. There was supposedly on-time transport between MSP and Chicago. 

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sad they don't have an extra train set Justin
> case, Amtrak sure isn't the Amtrak I remember!
>
> Posted from Android

They used to have "spare" equipment but numerous accidents over the years have used up all the "spare" equipment.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ProAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Sad they don't have an extra train set Justin
> > case, Amtrak sure isn't the Amtrak I remember!
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> They used to have "spare" equipment but numerous
> accidents over the years have used up all the
> "spare" equipment.

Numerous accidents have used up ALL "spare equipment????" No, that's NOT true..... Yes, accidents do happen, but wreck-repairs also used to happen regularly. Amtrak's also been in receipt of LD single level equipment - Viewliner sleepers, diners, and other cars. THAT poor utilization has already been  detailed on another thread. Amtrak has done various wreck-repairs over the years that restored a LOT of equipment back to operation. Even some equipment that was involved in the Joplin, MT wreck was put back service. There's much bigger issues at hand.

And the Empire Builder NEVER had more than 5 train sets - in regular operation - to hold down the route in the Amtrak era. Only in 2013 when BNSF was doing MAJOR double track and passing siding work during an oil boom in eastern Montana and western North Dakota did Amtrak assemble a sixth train set - and that was largely due to the TEMPORARY lengthening of the schedule. 

The Northern Pacific and Great Northern didn't either, but they did keep enough equipment in Seattle to cobble together a sixth set, admittedly not as nice a set, if they had to.  

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ProAmtrak Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Sad they don't have an extra train set Justin
> > > case, Amtrak sure isn't the Amtrak I
> remember!
> > >
> > > Posted from Android
> >
> > They used to have "spare" equipment but
> numerous
> > accidents over the years have used up all the
> > "spare" equipment.
>
> Numerous accidents have used up ALL "spare
> equipment????" 

Depending on the amount of legal entanglements it can take years before Amtrak can start any repair work, if the car was repairable in the first place.
And there have been more then a few Superliner cars that have been "totalled" and were either scrapped at the accident site or scrapped at Beech Grove after sitting in the dead line for a couple of years waiting for the legal games to play out.
Either way the cars are out of service.

I'll settle on that! Amtrak has a LOT of cars out of service - absolutely.