Trains 66/67 (Former Federal) to be bustituted

[Viewliner]

For those of you who may have just read my other post, this was yet another email from the Yahoo! Amtrak group, from a post made by Gene Poon.

Trains 66 and 67 are the now-unnamed overnight trains between WAS and BOS, formerly the Federal, formerly the Twilight Shoreliner, formerly

the Night Owl.

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TRAINS 66 AND 67 - SERVICE CHANGE

DUE TO TRACK WORK BEING PERFORMED BY AMTRAK ENGINEERING,

PASSENGERS TRAVELING ON REGIONAL TRAINS 66 AND 67 WILL BE

PROVIDED ALTERNATE BUS TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN NEWARK, NJ

AND NEW YORK PENN STATION ON THE FOLLOWING DATES:

                    JULY 9,  10

                    JULY 16, 17

                    JULY 30, 31

                    AUGUST 6, 7

PASSENGERS TRAVELING ON NORTHBOUND REGIONAL TRAIN 66 WILL

DETRAIN IN NEWARK AND BOARD THE BUS TO NEW YORK WHERE THEY

WILL RE-BOARD TRAIN 66 TO THEIR DESTINATION.

PASSENGERS TRAVELING ON SOUTHBOUND REGIONAL TRAIN 67 WILL

DETRAIN IN NEW YORK AND BOARD THE BUS TO NEWARK WHERE THEY

WILL RE-BOARD TRAIN 67 TO THEIR DESTINATION.

This is going to be quite an inconvenience to the passengers trying to sleep, but at least the train is still operating, and it will allow some needed maintence to be completed. It will certainly be an interesting operation turning the train in NWK. B)

 

[AlanB]

It will certainly be an interesting operation turning the train in NWK. B)

Won't be any easier to turn the train at NYP either. Only place to turn is back in Queens at Sunnyside yard, that move even at that hour would still take a half hour and that's assuming that you've got a cab car on the rear.

My guess is that Amtrak will put power on each end of the two trains. Either that or they'll cut off the power and run it around.

Ps. I'm sure that this is too allow needed improvements and repairs to the Hudson River tunnels, as those dates are all weekends.

 

[Viewliner]

It will certainly be an interesting operation turning the train in NWK. B)

Won't be any easier to turn the train at NYP either. Only place to turn is back in Queens at Sunnyside yard, that move even at that hour would still take a half hour and that's assuming that you've got a cab car on the rear.

My guess is that Amtrak will put power on each end of the two trains. Either that or they'll cut off the power and run it around.

Ps. I'm sure that this is too allow needed improvements and repairs to the Hudson River tunnels, as those dates are all weekends.

Yeah, I had a feeling it was for the Hudson River Tunnels improvement, because it made sense that it would be weekends as most of the work has been. I doubt they'll use a cab car, I mean it's always possible, just doesn't seem like something they'd do. The engine thing isn't that much more likely either, between the excess and the fact that there's somewhat of a shortage with the Acelas out of service. Bottom line is that it'll probably be a matter of cutting the engine since it won't require any more motive power and its quicker than a cab car to sunnyside.

 

[AlanB]

It will certainly be an interesting operation turning the train in NWK. B)

Won't be any easier to turn the train at NYP either. Only place to turn is back in Queens at Sunnyside yard, that move even at that hour would still take a half hour and that's assuming that you've got a cab car on the rear.

My guess is that Amtrak will put power on each end of the two trains. Either that or they'll cut off the power and run it around.

Ps. I'm sure that this is too allow needed improvements and repairs to the Hudson River tunnels, as those dates are all weekends.

Yeah, I had a feeling it was for the Hudson River Tunnels improvement, because it made sense that it would be weekends as most of the work has been. I doubt they'll use a cab car, I mean it's always possible, just doesn't seem like something they'd do. The engine thing isn't that much more likely either, between the excess and the fact that there's somewhat of a shortage with the Acelas out of service. Bottom line is that it'll probably be a matter of cutting the engine since it won't require any more motive power and its quicker than a cab car to sunnyside.

At the hours that 66/67 runs and on the weekend no less, Amtrak has no power shortage. They can easily put 2 locos on those trains.

 

[battalion51]

Or they could just run the power around the train. Those engines all have two cabs, that's what's most likely to happen.

 

[AlanB]

Or they could just run the power around the train. Those engines all have two cabs, that's what's most likely to happen.

That can be done, however in Newark it's a bit awkward to run around the train due to the station's location near the Passaic River. The nearest interlocking is about a 1/4 of a mile away across the river.

At NY Penn it's very easy of course to do that.

 

[PRR 60]

It is not the tunnel work. Amtrak is rebuilding the Bergen interlocking (between Secaucus and the tunnel portal) with new concrete ties, track, and special work.

 

[battalion51]

All I'm saying is you're more likely to see that than the yards try to put together an MUable train with two engines. That's just more effort than your likely to see them put forth since it's a lot easier to just have em pull down and run around the train.

 

[Superliner Diner]

This is how it will work, as per Amtrak's online reservations page.

Train 66 will run as usual from Newport News, VA to Newark, NJ on Friday and Saturday evenings. It will terminate at Newark, NJ at 1:33 AM. It will eventually be turned to operate south from Newark. Passengers off 66 will take Thruway bus 3066, a scheduled 35-minute trip from Newark, NJ to New York City Penn Station. Due to the normally long layover scheduled at New York, passengers will arrive about an hour before their scheduled 3:15 AM northbound departure for New England points. Train 1066, using equipment turned from Train 67, will operate on the schedule of 66 from New York City to Boston.

Train 67 will run as usual from Boston to New York City on Friday and Saturday evenings. It will terminate at New York's Penn Station at 2:01 AM. It will eventually be turned to operate north from New York. Passengers off 67 will take Thruway bus 3067, which is set to depart at 3:00 AM for a scheduled 10-minute trip from New York City Penn Station to Newark, NJ, where they will arrive at 3:10 AM. Train 1067, using equipment turned from Train 66, will operate on the schedule of 67 from Newark, NJ to Newport News, VA.

Now although northbound 3066 is a comfortable 35-minute ride, 3067 was scheduled for just 10 minutes. There is no way a bus will load up with passengers at New York Penn Station, make its way to the Lincoln Tunnel, go through the tunnel, around the helix on I-495, down the NJ Turnpike to Exit 15E, and along Raymond Blvd. to Newark Penn Station and then discharge its passengers, all in ten minutes. The bus shuttle should have been scheduled to depart earlier from New York.

 

[Superliner Diner]

Won't be any easier to turn the train at NYP either. Only place to turn is back in Queens at Sunnyside yard, that move even at that hour would still take a half hour and that's assuming that you've got a cab car on the rear.

Assuming both trains arrive on time to their truncated destinations, they have a total of one hour 14 minutes to turn 66 as 1067 in Newark, and one hour 27 minutes to turn 67 as 1066 in New York.

 

[battalion51]

Another additional item on the cab car subject. I personally would yell and scream if I were an Engineer and forced to run a cab car when the engine could easily run around the train. Those things are not comfortable at all, might even be enough to get me to bid off the job.