LD train turn time

[johnny.menhennet]

I was toying around with some possible schedules from old routes, and I was wondering if it was possible to turn an LD train in 2 1/2 hours. That is, 2 1/2 hours from schedule arrival time to schedule departure time, including new pax boarding? Also, other than changing seats, restocking food, and other similar things, how much really needs to be done to turn an LD train?

 

[apok86]

I'm not horribly knowledgeable about the subject but since no else is responding to your question I will take a shot at it. I believe that 2.5 hours is too short to turn a long distance train at least on a consistent basis.You could restock, clean and board it in that time if you had enough people, however there is additional maintenance that needs to happen. This episode of extreme trains includes some of what is necessary to turn the empire builder in Chicago. Hopefully the video can best answer your question.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=mCbYjj-2jaQ

 

[xyzzy]

You forgot moving the consist back and forth between the terminating station and the servicing facility, refueling the locomotives, adding sand, watering the cars, draining the sewage systsems, cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming the car floors and removing trash, change linens in sleepers, and on and on.

 

[TCRT]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought I read somewhere on this forum that the shortest turn time for any long distance train belonged to the Seattle end of the Empire Builder. If that's true, then it means that the current fastest turn is done in 6 hours and 15 minutes, which would perhaps make 2.5 hours a bit of a stretch.

 

[Trogdor]

Not to mention that the western end of the Empire Builder is really only servicing half a train.

 

[Ryan]

That'd be too close without exceptionally good timekeeping. The risk of a late train taking days to slowly climb back onto schedule would just be too great.

 

[Exiled in Express]

I think it could be done if you are willing to throw crazy amounts of resources at. I have seen a basketball's team worth of coach cleaners swarm the Hiawatha in Chicago and move get half a car done before the passengers were completely off. The sleepers could be swarmed as well, perhaps even the diner. As xyzzy said the train would still have to be moved to handle the emptying and filling of tanks and mechanical checkup.

By this point the labor cost would probably be high enough to make purchasing another set the financially responsible thing to do. I hadn't even considered the knock on effect of delays as Ryan points out. The LD trains already get to double digit delays way too often.

 

[NY Penn]

There has been at least one time when the Auto Train was turned in 3:40 - #52 arr 1:11 PM 01/15/12, #53 dep 4:50 PM.

And the Auto Train is a very long train.