TE Disruption=Rare mileage?

[Anderson]

In May, right about the time the Zephyr is going through its disruptions, the Eagle is also getting "disrupted" in IL. Does this mean that it is getting re-routed, and if so, what's the re-route?

(I ask because I may be able to bag this rare mileage run if I get lucky, since it times up with my trip just right...)

 

[George Harris]

The re-route is the ex C&EI line. Without searching the employee timetables, it is about 290 miles Chicago to St. Louis, and for the most part 60 mph speed limit. They may even allow 70 mph for passenger trains.

 

[Linda T]

The re-route is the ex C&EI line. Without searching the employee timetables, it is about 290 miles Chicago to St. Louis, and for the most part 60 mph speed limit. They may even allow 70 mph for passenger trains.

Grandpa D posted on another thread the following map. Hopefully it comes up again http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=209492773203772273711.00049226172c1c741ad60 It outlines the old and re-route routes. I'll be affected by it in about 10 days. I'm assuming that Grandpa D is correct. I love the way this map was done, it's really cool!

 

[VentureForth]

Took this detour last June. 60 mph the whole way. Drive it's not a regular passenger route there is no separate "P" speed on the time table. And when Amtrak put their schedule together, they put 0 pad in.

Not particularly scenic, but I'd do it if for other reason than the fact that it is a very long run with no stops and is, indeed, rare mileage.

 

[Linda T]

Took this detour last June. 60 mph the whole way. Drive it's not a regular passenger route there is no separate "P" speed on the time table. And when Amtrak put their schedule together, they put 0 pad in.

Not particularly scenic, but I'd do it if for other reason than the fact that it is a very long run with no stops and is, indeed, rare mileage.

I'll actually be on the Eagle (westbound) from the 23-24 (service disruption) and the 25-26 (non-service disruption), so I've been trying to find out does that mean I'll be re-routed west, and come back east on the normal route? Or will the track be torn up? It'd be nice to have the re-route one way and not the other, different scenery.

Also, I was wondering what's going on to delay travel between St. Louis and Little Rock? The same service disruption says: westbound, "Train 21/321/421 will operate on a later schedule from St. Louis to Little Rock." And eastbound, "Train 22/322/422 will operate earlier from Little Rock to St. Louis." There's no explanation on the website about that. Thanks! Service Disruption

 

[Anderson]

Thanks for the info. If this goes like I hope it will, it'll mean two rare mileage, long nonstop runs. That said...would I be right in guessing that DEN-SLC is the longest non-Auto Train nonstop that Amtrak runs (either in miles or in time running) on occasion? Or does the BNSF Transcon SWC reroute or the Coast Starlight Techiapi reroute outdo it?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Thanks for the info. If this goes like I hope it will, it'll mean two rare mileage, long nonstop runs. That said...would I be right in guessing that DEN-SLC is the longest non-Auto Train nonstop that Amtrak runs (either in miles or in time running) on occasion? Or does the BNSF Transcon SWC reroute or the Coast Starlight Techiapi reroute outdo it?

On a similar note, does anybody know which is the longest regularly scheduled Amtrak segment with no stops and not the AT?

 

[Anderson]

Thanks for the info. If this goes like I hope it will, it'll mean two rare mileage, long nonstop runs. That said...would I be right in guessing that DEN-SLC is the longest non-Auto Train nonstop that Amtrak runs (either in miles or in time running) on occasion? Or does the BNSF Transcon SWC reroute or the Coast Starlight Techiapi reroute outdo it?

On a similar note, does anybody know which is the longest regularly scheduled Amtrak segment with no stops and not the AT?

Without pulling a timetable, my three guesses would be:

-Sunset Limited, west Texas

-CA Zephyr, either Nevada or eastern Utah

-Coast Starlight, northern CA/southern OR

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

The re-route is the ex C&EI line. Without searching the employee timetables, it is about 290 miles Chicago to St. Louis, and for the most part 60 mph speed limit. They may even allow 70 mph for passenger trains.

Way to go for an estimate, George!! Per a 1949 timetable if was 290.4

BTW C&EI bowed out of the Chicago St Louis market early on. Heavy competition from the Wabash and Illinois Central, maybe more,now I am estimating due to a a breakfast meet.

 

[TexasJo]

Does anybody know how the #22 has been running time-wise between St Louis and Chicago the past couple of days, with the service disruption/re-route? I have a ticket to go from Dallas to Chicago/Milwaukee starting May 4th, and I'm worried there might be big delays at some point, especially northbound between St Louis and Chicago. Will the #22 have a lot of other traffic to deal with on the re-route too?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Does anybody know how the #22 has been running time-wise between St Louis and Chicago the past couple of days, with the service disruption/re-route? I have a ticket to go from Dallas to Chicago/Milwaukee starting May 4th, and I'm worried there might be big delays at some point, especially northbound between St Louis and Chicago. Will the #22 have a lot of other traffic to deal with on the re-route too?

I've heard that rerouted trains will probably be late. In fact, they WILL be late. No worries, there are many connecting trains to MKE, and you can just take a later one.

 

[JayPea]

Thanks for the info. If this goes like I hope it will, it'll mean two rare mileage, long nonstop runs. That said...would I be right in guessing that DEN-SLC is the longest non-Auto Train nonstop that Amtrak runs (either in miles or in time running) on occasion? Or does the BNSF Transcon SWC reroute or the Coast Starlight Techiapi reroute outdo it?

On a similar note, does anybody know which is the longest regularly scheduled Amtrak segment with no stops and not the AT?

I believe the segment that has that honor is the CZ segment between Salt Lake City and Elko, at 3 1/2 hours and 263 miles.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks for the info. If this goes like I hope it will, it'll mean two rare mileage, long nonstop runs. That said...would I be right in guessing that DEN-SLC is the longest non-Auto Train nonstop that Amtrak runs (either in miles or in time running) on occasion? Or does the BNSF Transcon SWC reroute or the Coast Starlight Techiapi reroute outdo it?

On a similar note, does anybody know which is the longest regularly scheduled Amtrak segment with no stops and not the AT?

Per the Schedule, The West Bound Sunset Ltd. #1 between Del Rio and Alpine, Texas travels a distance of 217 miles in a Scheduled 5 Hours!!! (thats assuming that the Flag Stop in Beautiful Sanderson, Texas isnt used! ^_^ )Think that is the Longest Scheduled time between Stops in the National Schedule! :unsure:

 

[jebr]

Thanks for the info. If this goes like I hope it will, it'll mean two rare mileage, long nonstop runs. That said...would I be right in guessing that DEN-SLC is the longest non-Auto Train nonstop that Amtrak runs (either in miles or in time running) on occasion? Or does the BNSF Transcon SWC reroute or the Coast Starlight Techiapi reroute outdo it?

On a similar note, does anybody know which is the longest regularly scheduled Amtrak segment with no stops and not the AT?

I believe the segment that has that honor is the CZ segment between Salt Lake City and Elko, at 3 1/2 hours and 263 miles.

That should be four and a half hours (there's a time change in there, so you get an extra hour going west, lose one going east.)

 

[JayPea]

Ahhh........forgot about the time change!

 

[Anderson]

Ahhh........forgot about the time change!

Yeah...not accounting for the time change would probably mean that USRail21 had gotten one of his trains put in since the average speed would be just under 88 MPH.

 

[TexasJo]

I hope they're not running too late that day! I'm just monitoring how they are running each day, to see how things are looking heading north. I just realized that I made the reservation for MKE (Milwaukee Intermodal) instead of Milwaukee Airport, where I will be renting a car. Is it ok if I get off and on from there, instead of at MKE?

Does anybody know how the #22 has been running time-wise between St Louis and Chicago the past couple of days, with the service disruption/re-route? I have a ticket to go from Dallas to Chicago/Milwaukee starting May 4th, and I'm worried there might be big delays at some point, especially northbound between St Louis and Chicago. Will the #22 have a lot of other traffic to deal with on the re-route too?

I've heard that rerouted trains will probably be late. In fact, they WILL be late. No worries, there are many connecting trains to MKE, and you can just take a later one.

 

[Anderson]

How lousy are the connections likely to be as far as either the Cap or the Lake Shore? i.e. Should I be planning on doing some odd things with NYP?

 

[Long Train Runnin']

I took this detour on my way to the gathering in St. Louis

my pics of the route are here

 

[Grandpa D]

I took this detour on my way to the gathering in St. Louis

my pics of the route are here

Good picture of the Kankakee River crossing. Probably the most senic part of the detour, although Lake Shelbyville might come close. I don't know, as we crossed it, southbound, in the dark.

 

[Trogdor]

I hope they're not running too late that day! I'm just monitoring how they are running each day, to see how things are looking heading north. I just realized that I made the reservation for MKE (Milwaukee Intermodal) instead of Milwaukee Airport, where I will be renting a car. Is it ok if I get off and on from there, instead of at MKE?

You should be fine.

 

[Grandpa D]

I hope they're not running too late that day! I'm just monitoring how they are running each day, to see how things are looking heading north. I just realized that I made the reservation for MKE (Milwaukee Intermodal) instead of Milwaukee Airport, where I will be renting a car. Is it ok if I get off and on from there, instead of at MKE?

You should be fine.

Agreed; I've done that twice. Got off at MKA and took the free shuttle to the airport terminal to rent a car. Bags were checked to MKE, to which I drove in the rental car and picked them up. I've noticed quite a few people doing the same thing.

I returned the rentals to the downtown offices of Hertz and Budget, just a few blocks from MKE. But you should be able to check your bags at MKE, drive back to the airport to return the car and then take the free shuttle to MKA to board. The Hiawatha is unreserved so you won't be losing your space.

 

[TexasJo]

If my ticket is for MKE, but I am returning a rental car at the Milwaukee Airport, MKA, can I just board the train at MKA, or do I actually have to go back to MKE to board? I see that these 2 stations are not very close to each other.