Anybody been on for the time change

[Bill Haithcoat]

As we know, in the Sprng, anything traveling at 2 a.m. automatically becomes one hour late. In the fall, trains and buses must wait at the first station at or after 2 a.m. for the time to catch up. If the train is on time you have to sit there an hour for the time to catch up with itself.

Has anybody on this forum actually experienced this? I have read through the years stories about people being very confused and even very agitated about this. I understand some national columnist was on a train a few years ago for the fall change and wrote about how ridiculous it was to sit there.

Of course the reasons trains and buses have to sit there, and planes usually do not, is that they usually make many more stops. If you did not wait for time, you would travel through every place an hour early leaving people behind. Since most planes are non-stop, it does not matter if they land an hour early, control tower approving, of course.

OF course I am sure the wholle thing is a bigger mess than that, because it gets trains in both directions out of alignment, out of order , etc.

Guess the Auto Train does not have to wait for time since it has no passenger stops enroute, only the servicing stop. But of course it, too, may be impacted by the other trains being screwed up.

I was driving Sunday morning about two miles north of the Amtrak station in ATL and saw the s.b. Crescent go through about 30 minutes late. Guess, in theory, it had been about 1 hr. 30 minutes late before 2 a.m.

 

[amtrakmichigan]

I have read through the years stories about people being very confused and even very agitated about this. I understand some national columnist was on a train a few years ago for the fall change and wrote about how ridiculous it was to sit there.

First of all I never have been on a train during a time change. However I don't know why it would be so confusing to some people. I can see where it may be somewhat of a hassle in the spring when a train automatically becomes 1 hour late. But in the fall you would think people would be happy especially of there train is running an hour or more late. And at 2:00 am, most people would be sleeping anyway so it really shouldn't matter much if they are "just sitting there". Obviously this columnist must not understand how a clock and timekeeping work together.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

It is amazing that some people would find it confusing but for a fact they do. Just to add further confusion, consider this: the railraods did NOT go on to daylight time when the rest of the nation did. I remember that well. Yep,the printed schedules were all on standard time while MOST of the nation(Arizona and portions of Indiana excepted) were on daylight time. That caused a lof of people to miss their train, or arrive an hour too soon. The same thing happened in Canada, I have been told.

I, too, have not been on a train the very night the time changed. But I did happen be on a pre-Amtrak train overnight from Chattanooga to Chicago, which of course made one change from eastern time to central time, but also made the daylight time change, plus the train was genuinely one hour late ALmost everybody on my sleeper had a different idea of what was really happening. when we were pulling into Chicago. I think I was about the only one, aside from the porter , who knew what time it "really was".

Note this was when daylight time was a NEW concept, and the railroads had not started using it, so the time in the timetable was mis-leading , it still showing standard time. So, that, plus the regular change from eastern to central, plus the fact that the train had genuinely lost one hour during the night, quite a mess. Most people were convinced that we were two hours late,I think.

 

[spot1181]

Bill, last year we were on the Cardinal from Chicago to Cincinnati when Daylight Standard Time went into effect. We left the station two and a half hours late because of a shortage of personel. With the time change we arrived in Cincinnati only one hour late. Our daughter was pleased that she could sleep a little later before she meeting us. That was the only thing I noticed.

 

[battalion51]

Here's my theory on the whole thing. If people complain, "Why are we sitting here, we have everyone we're supposed to get on." Well here's my response, "What time did you plan to get to New York?" "10:30" "Well we're going to get you there as close to 10:30 as we can." People plan on getting somewhere at x time. If you get there before x kudos. But if you get there at x, what damage has been done?

 

[coachseats]

I was on the Lake Shore Limited westbound from Boston to Toledo a few days ago- Sat.night/Sun.morning when the time changed. It was definitely a hot topic of conversation among the passengers and crew as to what would happen. We were right on time and actually early into many of our stops accross NY and then when we got to Cleveland, we waited for an hour for time to "catch up" with us and then left for points west. I should have my trip report and pictures posted to my website in a day or two.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Coachseats, your post is interesting and sounds like it happened just the way it was supposed to. When you said you were early in your NY stops, you must mean you arrived early, but of course departed on time. I see there is a stop at Erie PA at 1.42, so that would have gone uneventfully. I see Cleveland is your first stop after 2 a.m., so since it is a big city, it probably was not too strange to sit and wait there. I suppose it really disturbs some people when it is a tiny junction where they sit for an hour.

And, as others have said, when you are already late and that extra hour allows you to be an hour closer to on time, then, good deal!!