EB Capital Limited for November

[Sam Damon]

So much for #30's new departure time...

It's not even 11:30p as I post this, and Amtrak.com is reporting #30 53 minutes late. Right now, that is.

So much for fitting it into NS's plans... although #30 departed 14 minutes late from Chicago. I can just see the missed connections to #42 starting...

 

[Sam Damon]

TOUCHDOWN NORFOLK SOUTHERN!!!

One day on the new timetable, and NS has managed to delay not only #30, but #42 out of Pittsburgh. #30(31) is two hours late into Pittsburgh as of this posting. Amtrak.com shows #42 being delayed 1:10 out of the 'Burgh, departing now at 8:30a. We also note the schedule isn't padded EB the way it is padded WB.

<sigh>

UPDATE:#30 arrived in Pittsburgh at 9:06a. #42 departed 1:59 late. #42 might as well have departed two hours late. Two hours late apparently gets someone written up, that's all I can conclude.

UPDATE 2: Please see post #12. Thank you.

 

[AlanB]

So much for fitting it into NS's plans... although #30 departed 14 minutes late from Chicago. I can just see the missed connections to #42 starting...

I don't think that the new departure time ever had anything to do with fitting into NS's plans. The change was all about improving the connections from the West Coast trains, and in particular the Zephyr and the Eagle. Amtrak was simply having too many missed connections with the earlier 5:00 PM depature time.

 

[Sam Damon]

I don't think that the new departure time ever had anything to do with fitting into NS's plans. The change was all about improving the connections from the West Coast trains, and in particular the Zephyr and the Eagle. Amtrak was simply having too many missed connections with the earlier 5:00 PM depature time.

So in "solving" a problem in Chicago, Amtrak creates one in Pittsburgh. Just flippin' spiffy.

Waiting for the first bustitution in Pittsburgh...

 

[AlanB]

I don't think that the new departure time ever had anything to do with fitting into NS's plans. The change was all about improving the connections from the West Coast trains, and in particular the Zephyr and the Eagle. Amtrak was simply having too many missed connections with the earlier 5:00 PM depature time.

So in "solving" a problem in Chicago, Amtrak creates one in Pittsburgh. Just flippin' spiffy.

Waiting for the first bustitution in Pittsburgh...

Well I'm guessing here, but I'd bet that the number of people potentially missing the connection in PIT will be considerably less than the number that was missing the connection in Chicago. Besides anyone missing the connection and going to Harrisburg or east, can just be kept on the Capitol and sent up the NEC. They'd only have to bus those going west of Harrisburg.

 

[Sam Damon]

Well I'm guessing here, but I'd bet that the number of people potentially missing the connection in PIT will be considerably less than the number that was missing the connection in Chicago. Besides anyone missing the connection and going to Harrisburg or east, can just be kept on the Capitol and sent up the NEC. They'd only have to bus those going west of Harrisburg.

I don't know, but if I was riding #30 to connect with #42 for the ride around Horseshoe Curve, in that situation, I'd be miffed. OTOH, there probably aren't many out there riding #42 for that purpose except those on this forum... <_<

I'm also not sure if I'd be happy riding #30 into Washington just so I could go up the NEC. I suspect passengers in that situation might well want to bus to Harrisburg, and go from there. Of course, it would be nice if NS would run the train on time, and Amtrak would have locomotives that work, etc. Which brings us to:

Bustitution watch, Day 2: According to Amtrak.com, #30(1) arrived in Pittsburgh at 4:53a, 37 minutes early. It departed at 5:45a, on time. As of this original posting, CSX has it running 11 minutes late into Martinsburg, WV, and 29 minutes early into Washington, DC.

#30(1) ended up 40 minutes late into Martinsburg, WV, and 15 minutes late into Washington, DC.

 

[Guest]

Bustitution watch, Day 3: According to Amtrak.com, #30(2) arrived in Pittsburgh at 6:50a, 1:20 late. #42(3) departed on time.

We note that #30(2) departed on time from Chicago, and was 1:19 late by Toledo, arriving there at 1:14a. As of this original posting, #30(2) is estimated 1:23 late into Cumberland, MD.

 

[Sam Damon]

Whoops, thought I was logged in on that last post, sorry.

Final results for #30(2) were 1:29 late into Cumberland, MD, and 1:18 late into Washington, DC.

 

[Sam Damon]

Bustitution watch, Day 4:#30(3) was 2:30 down into Pittsburgh. The train departed on time from Chicago; by Toledo, it was 2:03 late. As of this posting, #30(3) is scheduled into Martinsburg, WV at 2:09p, 2:49 off the timecard.

As for #42(4), the delay #30(3) caused the Pennsylvanian to depart 0:59 late (there's that infamous minute again -- someone's job must depend upon it). Amtrak.com as of this posting projects #42(4) on time into Harrisburg, PA.

EDIT: #42(4) failed to make up any time between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, arriving in HAR 1:05 late. Ultimately, #42(4) terminated at NYP 54 minutes late, making up 11 minutes on the Keystone Service run.

EDIT 2: For the record, #30(3) ended up 3:13 late into Martinsburg, WV, and terminated in WAS 2:54 late. I am attempting to keep track of the Capital Limited's timekeeping for some political-type contacts I made in West Virginia over the years.

 

[Sam Damon]

Robert,

Thanks for that update. No Bustitution Watch on Sundays, because #42 does not run. #44 runs, and it departs Pittsburgh at 1:20p.

#30 would require one whacking long delay in order to miss connections with #44...

 

[Sam Damon]

Bustitution Watch, Day 5: #30(5) arrived in Pittsburgh at 5:00a, 30 minutes early. In Cleveland, #30(5) was on time. I'm left to conclude NS is running the blasted train any dang way they want to.

At the risk of sounding churlish on a Monday morning, we pause to note #30(4) was 2:14 late into Cleveland (there's that one minute bit again), and 1:34 late into Pittsburgh, arriving at 7:04a. As noted in a previous post, no Bustitution Watch though, because there is no Amtrak train #42 Sundays.

As of this writing #30(5) is estimated as 0:20 late into Martinsburg, WV. All times listed are from the Amtrak.com "Train Status" feature.

UPDATE: #30(5) terminated in Washington, DC 18 minutes late. Amtrak.com's "Train Status" feature does not list the arrival time into Martinsburg, WV as of this edit.

 

[Guest]

TOUCHDOWN NORFOLK SOUTHERN!!!
One day on the new timetable, and NS has managed to delay not only #30, but #42 out of Pittsburgh. #30(31) is two hours late into Pittsburgh as of this posting. Amtrak.com shows #42 being delayed 1:10 out of the 'Burgh, departing now at 8:30a. We also note the schedule isn't padded EB the way it is padded WB.

<sigh>

UPDATE:#30 arrived in Pittsburgh at 9:06a. #42 departed 1:59 late. #42 might as well have departed two hours late. Two hours late apparently gets someone written up, that's all I can conclude.

I was on that train.. it was stop and go from the start (waiting on freight).

But the big delay didn't occur until we got about 40 minutes out of Pittsburgh.. (eeriely close to the New Brighton derailment and even more eerie for me was that I was scheduled on the #29 out from Pittsburgh when that happened.. but that's another story that included being bused from Pitts to Chicago that i'll post seperately).

What happened that day on #30 was that we were stopped because of what at first we were told was a Medical Emergency.. that a lady had become ill and is traveling alone with 3 children.. and they were having to wait until the paramedics got there to take care of the lady and the state police to arrive to take custody of the 3 kids, because they couldn't be left on the train if the woman had to be transported.. well.. after several hours we finally started rolling again.. the attendant announced that they were holding #42 for us.. which was my connection to Lancaster, PA. I arrive there and see there were quite a few making that connection and the people who were already onboard were very nice and understanding.. come to find out.. the the Medical Emergency that we were stopped for actually required calling the Coroner as well.. the lady didn't make it and died on the train in a sleeper... the 3 kids.. they were adopted, and no other information of relatives.

I'll try to put together my triplog.. I went from Lancaster, PA to Douglas, WY and back, and will say that so much happened on this trip with Amtrak that i'm remembering more each day.. *lol* I was an Amtrak virgin that got stuck in Pittsburgh both coming and going!

~Skye

 

[Sam Damon]

TOUCHDOWN NORFOLK SOUTHERN!!!

One day on the new timetable, and NS has managed to delay not only #30, but #42 out of Pittsburgh. #30(31) is two hours late into Pittsburgh as of this posting. Amtrak.com shows #42 being delayed 1:10 out of the 'Burgh, departing now at 8:30a. We also note the schedule isn't padded EB the way it is padded WB.

<sigh>

UPDATE:#30 arrived in Pittsburgh at 9:06a. #42 departed 1:59 late. #42 might as well have departed two hours late. Two hours late apparently gets someone written up, that's all I can conclude.

I was on that train.. it was stop and go from the start (waiting on freight).

<snip>

What happened that day on #30 was that we were stopped because of what at first we were told was a Medical Emergency.. that a lady had become ill and is traveling alone with 3 children.. and they were having to wait until the paramedics got there to take care of the lady and the state police to arrive to take custody of the 3 kids, because they couldn't be left on the train if the woman had to be transported...

Okey-fine. We take NS off the hook for this one. Other than this, the connection at Pittsburgh has worked out, at least for the first week. I'm still going to track this for the month of November. Thanksgiving-time should prove instructive...

 

[Sam Damon]

Bustitution watch, Day 6: #30(6) arrived in Pittsburgh at 5:07a, 23 minutes early. No connection issues this day. We shall see if the later departure works better with NS. Keeping the "bustitution watch" this month is proving an interesting exercise.

Oh, while I'm at it, we pause to note #30(6) is projected by Amtrak.com as 50 minutes late into Harpers Ferry, WV.

 

[Sam Damon]

Bustitution watch, Day 7: #30(7) arrived in Pittsburgh at 5:16a, 14 minutes early. No connection issues this day.

To update us on #30(6)'s arrival at Harper's Ferry, WV, Amtrak.com says it arrived 1:11 late.

We also should note that #29(6) terminated in Chicago 58 minutes late. This tends to reinforce the concept that NS is running #29/30 any way they feel like it. In fairness, it seems so far that while delays are still there, they have been reduced. Aside from the one occasion noted above, we don't seem to be seeing the two+ hour delays we were seeing over the summer.

Oh yes, in the "tracking performance in WV" department, we note that as of this posting, Amtrak.com projects #30(7) as being 24 minutes late into Harper's Ferry, WV. I think I need a nap from elections...

 

[Sam Damon]

Bustitution watch, Day 8: #30(8) arrived in Pittsburgh at 6:20a, 50 minutes late. No connection issues this day.

#42(9) departed on time.

 

[Sam Damon]

Bustitution watch, Day 9: #30(9) arrived in Pittsburgh at 5:40a, 10 minutes late. No connection issues this day.

Oh, yes. #30(7) arrived in Harper's Ferry, WV at 12:29p, 44 minutes late.

I am crazy-busy during prep football playoff season, thus the delay in these numbers.

 

[Sam Damon]

Bustitution watch, Day 10: #30(10) arrived in Pittsburgh at 6:50a, 1:20 late. #42(11) departed Pittsburgh on time. There was one half-hour to spare for the connection.

No bustitution watch on Sunday. #42 does not run, and #44 departs at 1:20p from Pittsburgh.

 

[Sam Damon]

It's Monday, so it's time for Bustitution watch, Day 11: #30(12) arrived in Pittsburgh at 6:22a, 50 minutes late. #42(13) departed Pittsburgh on time. There were 58 minutes to spare for the connection. As of this posting, #30(12) is estimated by Amtrak.com into Martinsburg, WV 57 minutes late.

And while we did not have our watch yesterday, we note for the record #30(11) was 1:13 late into Pittsburgh, and terminated at Washington, DC 1:43 late.

 

[Steve4031]

Bustitution watch, Day 9: #30(9) arrived in Pittsburgh at 5:40a, 10 minutes late. No connection issues this day.
Oh, yes. #30(7) arrived in Harper's Ferry, WV at 12:29p, 44 minutes late.

I am crazy-busy during prep football playoff season, thus the delay in these numbers.

Are you coaching prep football? I do that in Chicago. It was interesting that you mentioned the prep playoff season.

 

[Sam Damon]

Are you coaching prep football? I do that in Chicago. It was interesting that you mentioned the prep playoff season.

Steve,

To answer your question directly, I do not coach prep football. I do arrange, coordinate, and have a great deal with press coverage of it, though!

 

[Sam Damon]

Bustitution watch, Day 12: #30(13) arrived in Pittsburgh at 6:07a, 37 minutes late. #42(13) departed Pittsburgh on time. No issues this day.

For the record, #30(12) arrived in Martinsburg, WV 1:30 late. This after departing Pittsburgh 52 minutes late.

 

[Sam Damon]

Bustitution watch, Day 13: #30(14) arrived in Pittsburgh at 6:40a, 1:10 late. #42(15) departed Pittsburgh on time. No issues this day.

The current estimate on Amtrak.com for #30(14)'s arrival into Martinsburg, WV, is 1:19 late, after departing from Pittsburgh 1:09 late.

 

[Superliner Diner]

Bustitution watch, Day 10: #30(10) arrived in Pittsburgh at 6:50a, 1:20 late. #42(11) departed Pittsburgh on time. There was one half-hour to spare for the connection.

Was on #42(11), and I believe I saw AlanB aboard that train as well. We can vouch for the fact that #42(11) was early into Harrisburg, left there on time, and operated on time the remainder of its run to Philadelphia and New York.

 

[Sam Damon]

Bustitution watch, Day 14: #30(15) arrived in Pittsburgh at 6:36a, 1:06 late. I would think #42(16) would depart on time as of this posting.

For the record, #30(14) arrived in Martinsburg, WV at 1:02p, 1:42 late.