rail_rider
Service Attendant
See the Pennsylvanian is running 3hrs. and 45 mins. late tonight. Anyone know the reason? This train is rarely late into Pgh., taking it next week to Pgh to catch the CL to Chi..
Thanks ALC_Rail_Writer, I follow this train all the time as its's my major route through Chi to pick up the TE, CZ & SWC. and it usually get into PGH early. I went to school in PGH and it gives me about 4 hrs. to go downtown for a late dinner and a quick look at what has changed in the city before I have to board the CL for the trip to Chi.There must have been problems as it left NYP over 3 hours late. It arrived in to PGH with the same time, bad news... it was late. Good news, it didn't loose more time.
I would suspect it is a totally random fluke.
Amtrak running late?Thanks ALC_Rail_Writer, I follow this train all the time as its's my major route through Chi to pick up the TE, CZ & SWC. and it usually get into PGH early. I went to school in PGH and it gives me about 4 hrs. to go downtown for a late dinner and a quick look at what has changed in the city before I have to board the CL for the trip to Chi.There must have been problems as it left NYP over 3 hours late. It arrived in to PGH with the same time, bad news... it was late. Good news, it didn't loose more time.
I would suspect it is a totally random fluke.
Konrad, with the Pennsylvanian, no, you honestly should never predict it arriving late into Pittsburgh. Over the past four weeks, it arrived 190 minutes late yesterday (with problems before leaving New York), 25 minutes late on one other day, and early on all other days -- an average of 22 minutes early, for just the days it was early. And that's still an average of 11 minutes early over the entire month, even when you include the two days it was late (and very late). The Pennsylvanian is a corridor train on Amtrak territory for much of its run, and for the stretch from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh Norfolk Southern takes very good care of it.Amtrak running late?
Tell me something I can't predict.
Better still--parts (possibly all) of the NS line from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh (including Horseshoe Curve) are triple-track (and used to be quadruple-track). And when rail was the way everything moved--passengers and freight--and the PRR was the largest company in America, those tracks were busy. Then came the 1960s, and Penn Central was lowered to having to sell the fourth main line as scrap metal as they declined into bankruptcy.Well when the entire route is double track at minimum it shouldn't be rocket science to run the trains on time.
I agree with you about the PGH station. If it wasn't for my connection with the city I wouldn't go through there. I could pick up the CL in DC from my home in Trenton with a regional. I usually jump in a cab after I check my bag and head on into the downtown section. Not much to do there except eat at one of the local eateries. Still I like to walk around and see what has changed since I went to school there.I wouldn't mind if the Pennsylvanian was 3 hours late arriving Pittsburgh. I'd rather sit at NYP or on the train than sit 4 hours at the PGH station!!I usually go NYP - WAS - CHI to avoid the layover in PGH.
That's why I thought yesterday's late arrival was so unusal. I do enjoy the scenic route and I seem to notice something different every time I go through the horseshoe curve. The attendents point out different landmarks each time I take the Pennsylvanian. Some do a really good job to make the trip interesting. Thanks for the track info Konrad, I'll have to spent some time next week checking it out.Konrad, with the Pennsylvanian, no, you honestly should never predict it arriving late into Pittsburgh. Over the past four weeks, it arrived 190 minutes late yesterday (with problems before leaving New York), 25 minutes late on one other day, and early on all other days -- an average of 22 minutes early, for just the days it was early. And that's still an average of 11 minutes early over the entire month, even when you include the two days it was late (and very late). The Pennsylvanian is a corridor train on Amtrak territory for much of its run, and for the stretch from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh Norfolk Southern takes very good care of it.Amtrak running late?
Tell me something I can't predict.
AlohaI agree with you about the PGH station. If it wasn't for my connection with the city I wouldn't go through there. I could pick up the CL in DC from my home in Trenton with a regional. I usually jump in a cab after I check my bag and head on into the downtown section. Not much to do there except eat at one of the local eateries. Still I like to walk around and see what has changed since I went to school there.I wouldn't mind if the Pennsylvanian was 3 hours late arriving Pittsburgh. I'd rather sit at NYP or on the train than sit 4 hours at the PGH station!!I usually go NYP - WAS - CHI to avoid the layover in PGH.
AlohaGG-1,Are you or were you a figure skater? Were you with the Ice Capades?
My younger daughter trained for one year in Lake Placid, NY at the olympic arena.
You talking about the Duquesne Incline?AlohaI agree with you about the PGH station. If it wasn't for my connection with the city I wouldn't go through there. I could pick up the CL in DC from my home in Trenton with a regional. I usually jump in a cab after I check my bag and head on into the downtown section. Not much to do there except eat at one of the local eateries. Still I like to walk around and see what has changed since I went to school there.I wouldn't mind if the Pennsylvanian was 3 hours late arriving Pittsburgh. I'd rather sit at NYP or on the train than sit 4 hours at the PGH station!!I usually go NYP - WAS - CHI to avoid the layover in PGH.
There is only one thing from my visit to Pittsburgh that I remember. I hope the Dubesque (may not be spelled correct) is still there. I remember my visit from 76-77, durring my Ice capades tour. The view from up there made the city look good. The rest of my time there was either in the ice arena or hotel.
Yes the Duquesne Incline is still there and your right the view from atop Mt. Washington is beautiful, especially at night. The only reason I know how to spell Duquesne is my wife went to school at the university by the same name.AlohaI agree with you about the PGH station. If it wasn't for my connection with the city I wouldn't go through there. I could pick up the CL in DC from my home in Trenton with a regional. I usually jump in a cab after I check my bag and head on into the downtown section. Not much to do there except eat at one of the local eateries. Still I like to walk around and see what has changed since I went to school there.I wouldn't mind if the Pennsylvanian was 3 hours late arriving Pittsburgh. I'd rather sit at NYP or on the train than sit 4 hours at the PGH station!!I usually go NYP - WAS - CHI to avoid the layover in PGH.
There is only one thing from my visit to Pittsburgh that I remember. I hope the Dubesque (may not be spelled correct) is still there. I remember my visit from 76-77, durring my Ice capades tour. The view from up there made the city look good. The rest of my time there was either in the ice arena or hotel.
Yep that it and that's the view I remember, Never saw it at night as every night I was there we had shows.You talking about the Duquesne Incline?AlohaI agree with you about the PGH station. If it wasn't for my connection with the city I wouldn't go through there. I could pick up the CL in DC from my home in Trenton with a regional. I usually jump in a cab after I check my bag and head on into the downtown section. Not much to do there except eat at one of the local eateries. Still I like to walk around and see what has changed since I went to school there.I wouldn't mind if the Pennsylvanian was 3 hours late arriving Pittsburgh. I'd rather sit at NYP or on the train than sit 4 hours at the PGH station!!I usually go NYP - WAS - CHI to avoid the layover in PGH.
There is only one thing from my visit to Pittsburgh that I remember. I hope the Dubesque (may not be spelled correct) is still there. I remember my visit from 76-77, durring my Ice capades tour. The view from up there made the city look good. The rest of my time there was either in the ice arena or hotel.
Duquesne Incline website
Well . . . after the break up of Contrail, Norfolk Southern failed this science. On a whim I decided to ride the Three Rivers to Johnstown, and catch the Pennsylvanian back to Chicago when it use to go all of the way through. The three Rivers arrived on time with o problems. However, the Pennsylvanian kept getting later, and later, and later. It was 6 hours plus late arriving Johnstown. And limped into Chicago well after daylight. What a trip!!!Well when the entire route is double track at minimum it shouldn't be rocket science to run the trains on time.
Part of your problem then was that the Pennsylvanian and Three Rivers (in the era both went to Chicago) were primarily mail/express trains that, oh, by the way, also happened to carry passengers. That's how Amtrak prioritized them back then. Once, I was waiting in Chicago for one of those two trains for several hours, and the stated reason for the delay in departure was that they were waiting for the express cars to be loaded and hooked on. Boy were the passengers grumbling about that!!!Well . . . after the break up of Contrail, Norfolk Southern failed this science. On a whim I decided to ride the Three Rivers to Johnstown, and catch the Pennsylvanian back to Chicago when it use to go all of the way through. The three Rivers arrived on time with o problems. However, the Pennsylvanian kept getting later, and later, and later. It was 6 hours plus late arriving Johnstown. And limped into Chicago well after daylight. What a trip!!!Well when the entire route is double track at minimum it shouldn't be rocket science to run the trains on time.
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