Y
Yerry
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Wanna be the last ticketholder on the train? get together beforehand, write your name on your ticket, then swap with each other. Then race each other to make sure YOUR ticket is the last one aboard.
Amtrak to run last Metroliner next month
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RailFanNebraska
Service Attendant
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so they are going to stop useing the old electric ASEA AEM-7 in favor of all HHP-8's or are they going to all Acela Express Trainsets. Either way, arnt going to have to buy more equipment, and where exactly are the getting this money?
The AEM-7's aren't going anywhere and will continue to see regular service hauling both the Regionals on the corridor, as well as the long distance trains that run on the corridor, suplemented by the HHP-8's. The only thing that's going away is the name brand "Metroliner", as well as the unique Amfleet car arrangement of the Metroliners.
Acela was always intended to replace the Metroliners and but for the failures of the Acela trainsets, would have done so long ago. Acela however was never intended to replace the Regionals and it is not replacing them.
Why would anyone need to write their name on their tickets, since it's already printed on the ticket by the computer?
RailFanNebraska
Service Attendant
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Well Amtrak only runs 14 acela sets per day out of 19 or 20 i believe, soo if they start running the fleet to capacity or even near capacity ... i can see problems with broken down trains here lol.
That was always the plan, to have 1 or 2 sets out for service at any given time and 3 or 4 in holding as backups for a breakdown or emergency.
So dropping the one remaining round trip Metroliner in favor of an Acela trainset isn't going to tax the Acela fleet. I'm not even sure if they need to actually pull one of the reserves to cover that one round trip now using Metroliner equipment.
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Yerry
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battalion51
Engineer
It would seem to me like it would make sense for this set to possibly be held in Sunnyside or Ivy City as a reserve to the Acelas as an additional backup in case of an Acela failure.
While I can't recall where I read it now, I do believe that the plan was to hold one Acela set in reserve in Ivy City, one in the 30th Street Coach yard, and one in Boston's Southhampton yard. That was supposed to provide coverage in the event of a set failing. That would still allow at least 2 or 3 sets to be out for PM, heavy maintenance and inspections, and what have you.
battalion51
Engineer
Seems odd that there wouldn't be a set in Sunnyside. How many starts do the Acela sets get out of NY each day? I know Race Street is a big maintenance base, but that Metroliner set seems like it should have Sunnyside written all over it.
I believe that there are currently 5 originations from NYP and replacing the Metroliner will add a 6th. At present 2 of those originations are covered by trains coming from DC that terminated in NYP. The Metroliner replacement would add a 3rd train that turns from a northbound to a southbound. The 3 early morning departures have no northbound consist that turns to the southbound run. To my knowledge, those 3 runs are covered out of the 30th Street yard by deadheading north to NYP. And of course to keep things in balance, 3 sets are deadheaded down to 30th each night.
The reason for this you can probably understand if you think about what happens and has happened to the Viewliner's in Sunnyside yard. As a general rule, Amtrak does not park Acela consists in Sunnyside for more than a few hours during the height of the day. The main reason, security. The secondary reason, during weekdays there really isn't any room to park a spare set.
On the weekends I've seen sets held at Sunnyside for several hours, but even then, most times they are held on the loop tracks behind the main buildings and on the opposite side from the main yard again for security purposes. And I don't mean terrorist threats and such, I'm talking about vandalism and theft.
Amtrak Kid
Service Attendant
count me in too!
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Just for the record, the last Metroliner trip actually occurred over twenty years ago with the retirement from high-speed service of the original Budd high speed MU sets. Today's "Metroliner" is simply a Regional with a fancy name and a higher fare.
Aloha
I thought so but at least those who live near the "Corridor" Can close the name in a dignified ride, filed with Passenger Fans, Horray
The set will most likely be used to expand the Keystone service... a couple days ago ads appeared in the Keystone cars touting faster and more frequent service begining October 30th (which is 3 days after the last Metroliner)
Question... why can you still buy a Metroliner ticket on Amtrak's website for November?? Are they 100% sure they are shutting this down? Also, will the last s/b 6PM train be running express from New York to Philadelphia (with a receive only stop in Newark), as it has been scheduled to do for a while now, or will it stop at Trenton for old-times sake (and because lots of Amtrak employees ride to/from Trenton)? I wouldn't be surprised if Amtrak takes all the nastalga out of this last route.
rmgreenesq
Lead Service Attendant
Do we have confirmation that this is indeed the last metroliner? If it is, does anybody else on here intent to be aboard?
Rick
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Yes. The Amtrak reservation system has changed the 6:00pm NYP departure to WAS from Metroliner 2301 to Acela 2119 effective 10/30. The schedule has also been shortened. 10/27 will be the last trip for a train with the venerable Metroliner name, assuming of course that Acela does not have another "issue" between now and then.
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For a purist's joy ride, one could ride the last "Metroliner" and also ride in the cab car of one of the all-electric Keystone's on the same day. That way you would experience the last Metroliner trip, Amtrak style, and also ride in an original Penn Central Metroliner car just like it's 1969. Kind of brings a tear to your eye.
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rmgreenesq
Lead Service Attendant
For similar reasons, I'd like to be there too. Is there a formal plan in the works here? Any opportunity to use Amtrak's H620 code here?
Rick
battalion51
Engineer
Doesn't look like H620 works on 2301. Sorry.
rmgreenesq
Lead Service Attendant
Thats true, but it might work on the train I've got to take to get to NYP and the train home from WAS. Any takers?
Rick
As a side note here, i was a new train dispatcher during the last years of these original Metroliners
and there were problems you would not believe with them. There were two incidents where the cars
actually separated while going full track speed , one in NJ and one in MD. Also, they had electrical
apparatus that had oil-cooled transformers and because the industry was just then learning about
PCBs , there were very strong objections to the Metroliners from the EPA. They imposed all sorts
of restrictions on these trains because of the PCB scare at the time. The coolest thing i ever seen
was a full 6pack Metroliner being towed by a GG1 through Baltimore station.
Thanks
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The Metropolitan
OBS Chief
I'm "in," I'm "out," I'm "in," I'm "out," I'm "in".....
I think!
After belaboring just how I might do this, I think I'm finally forming a plan (only took all of 6 weeks or so!). I'm going to scrap the idea of trying to be the last "boarder" of the Metroliner (have at it Deimos, Rafi!), and will instead look to take the day off and make a daytrip out of it. Of course, with this, I've tossed over three schools of thought: cheap, treat, and adventurous...
I really liked the adventurous idea: I was going to awaken early and make my way to Manassas, get the Crescent up to Philly from there (getting a heritage car diner meal in the process), and return on 2301 to Baltimore. Problem is, there is no easy way to get to Manassas in time, save for getting a very early 4:45am MARC to DC for the sole reverse commute VRE train that leaves Union at 6:25am - too much trouble, and I know I'll be irritable by the time I get 2301. There's still the Silver Star NB from Alexandria, but looking at it's OTP lately, I might not make it to Philly in time for 2301!!!
So now it looks like it will still be a Philly daytrip starting at Baltimore, but now with the question, do I stay frugal and take regional up, or do I treat myself to Acela Express. I wouldn't guess the Vermonter still carries a cab car so as to piggyback off of PRR60's suggestion.
Oh, and Rick, the H571 code does work for any leg of your trip.
I think!
After belaboring just how I might do this, I think I'm finally forming a plan (only took all of 6 weeks or so!). I'm going to scrap the idea of trying to be the last "boarder" of the Metroliner (have at it Deimos, Rafi!), and will instead look to take the day off and make a daytrip out of it. Of course, with this, I've tossed over three schools of thought: cheap, treat, and adventurous...
I really liked the adventurous idea: I was going to awaken early and make my way to Manassas, get the Crescent up to Philly from there (getting a heritage car diner meal in the process), and return on 2301 to Baltimore. Problem is, there is no easy way to get to Manassas in time, save for getting a very early 4:45am MARC to DC for the sole reverse commute VRE train that leaves Union at 6:25am - too much trouble, and I know I'll be irritable by the time I get 2301. There's still the Silver Star NB from Alexandria, but looking at it's OTP lately, I might not make it to Philly in time for 2301!!!
So now it looks like it will still be a Philly daytrip starting at Baltimore, but now with the question, do I stay frugal and take regional up, or do I treat myself to Acela Express. I wouldn't guess the Vermonter still carries a cab car so as to piggyback off of PRR60's suggestion.
Oh, and Rick, the H571 code does work for any leg of your trip.
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