Temporary service changes between ALB and SDY (July-August 2022)

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Amtrak cleared to resume by the warehouse. Good news for you New Yorkers. Now how will the operation be run past the warehouse? Speculation.

1. Amtrak will probably station 1 or more ground persons to monitor the tracks before any train passes and stop the trains if necessary.
2. the trains probably will have some speed restrictions maybe 10 MPH?
3. Have no idea of the track grade there. Maybe the trains can coast pass the building with no traction or dynamic braking pass the building.
4. The news said there was a smoke stack that also had some work done on it. If it toppled toward the rail would it strike the track?
5. Is Amtrak still qualifying engineers on the alternate routings? That might be prudent in case things get worse at the building.
6. For those trains that have locos at both ends a second engineer on other end could speed up train on detour route. Can PTC be quick with updates for train reversals? If no PTC isn;t max speeds 20 MPH or can FRA waiver that. Second engineer in trailing direction could up date PTC while trailing. For those trains that have all cars MU capable that would be even quicker with control being switched when changing direction of travel.
7. Are any of the switches for changing routing manual.? If so are any required to be normaly left in one position? Lot of work for engineers and / or conductor(s). Included are any more switch keys needed ? A cheat sheet would help T&E
 
Excellent news the trains are running past the old warehouse in ALB! Unless something goes wrong and bustitution returns, Iā€™ll post how train travel is past the location in question on my 49 trip Wednesday.
 
Excellent news the trains are running past the old warehouse in ALB! Unless something goes wrong and bustitution returns, Iā€™ll post how train travel is past the location in question on my 49 trip Wednesday.
Note any Amtrak ground personnel, speed, work on building. Unfortunally that means both sides of train. Railfan windownif available could note any track protections.
 
Well, apparently there are no significant speed restrictions between ALB and SYD.. The LSL (8/1) arrived 3 minutes early in Chicago - a rare event on any day, much less with all the hoopla regarding the teetering building. So, it looks like smooth "railing" for the time being.
 
I am on 49 (8/3), stuck in ALB with faulty diesel engines. ā€œThere is no ETA on resolving this issueā€ and ā€œwe are going to be here awhileā€ is all the train crew are saying right now. When we finally get moving, it will probably be too dark to take any meaningful pictures of the Central Warehouse, or gauge any Amtrak activity as we pass by!
 
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Why donā€™t they put a wye in Rutland so trains donā€™t have to run backward part of the way?
 
Why donā€™t they put a wye in Rutland so trains donā€™t have to run backward part of the way?
In order to use a wye to change direction, a train has to back up through it. It needs a loop to avoid a backup, and there probably isn't room anywhere near the Rutland station.
That said, there is a fork about 1000' SE of the Rutland station, and they could probably build a connecting track between the two branches of the fork to form a wye and allow a train to turn around. It all looks pretty flat and level, but it would be a sharp turn (slow), there would be several buildings in the way, additional grade crossings, and the clearest route would go right through the race track at the Vermont State Fair grounds! Oops.

Do they currently travel in reverse all the way from Rutland to Burlington? It might be easier (less land taking) to build a wye at the place where the track from the south merges with the track to the north, a few miles west of Rutland. They would still need to build a bridge over US 4 and Otter Creek
 
Rutland to Burlington in backwards. Burlington to Rutland is forward. Rutland to NYC is backward. NYC to Rutland is forward. And apparently they sometimes loop the training NYC, making it the opposite.
 
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