Seaboard92
Engineer
I know this has been talked about on several other discussions quite often so I'm going to open a thread up for it. Just for this section. As one thing we can all seem to agree on is that there should be an extra service on this part of the California Zephyr's route. My question is which time slot should run. A day train, or a night train? I'm thinking a day train would probably be the best possible option. But it's a long run for a day with the current CZ taking about 18 hours, which is three hours longer then the Palmetto. Which correct me if I'm wrong but the longest of the day trains. It's getting questionable if one could run it and arrive at a decent hour, or depart at a decent hour. The time change going west helps the train, but going east hurts it. A train that would leave DEN at six MT would arrive in CHI at one CT. Which I don't think would be a popular arrival time. But if the Hawkeye Corridor ever gets built across Iowa at the 110 Miles speed that Iowa would like to attain that would cut about five hours off the time card. Which makes the run much more bearable.
The schedule I've worked out isn't the most horrible timing in the world. But what this train really needs to be successful is for that high speed line across Iowa on the old Rock Island to open. If it opens this is a very doable train. And the times could easily be put to use going for a night train that caters to business travelers. But I'm not so sure how that would go. I would leave the current CZ on it's current route. Bold times are in the afternoon
Denver Zephyr
Train 23
DP Chicago 0800
DP Naperville 0820
DP Princeton 0900
DP Moline 0935
DP Iowa City 1010
DP Grinnel Unknown Millage
AR Des Moines 1120
DP Des Moines 1125
DP Atlantic Unknown Millage
DP Council Bluffs 1250
AR Omaha 0100
DP Omaha 0115
DP Lincoln 0218
DP Hastings 0351
DP Holdrege 0438
DP McCook 0547
DP Fort Morgan 0709 MT
AR Denver 0919 MT
Train 24
DP Denver 0616
DP Fort Morgan 0721 MT
DP McCook 1051
DP Holdrege 1201
DP Hastings 1248
DP Lincoln 0217
AR Omaha 0320
DP Omaha 0335
DP Council Bluffs 0345
DP Atlantic Unknown Millage
AR Des Moines 0510
DP Des Moines 0520
DP Grinnel Unknown Millage
DP Iowa City 0630
DP Moline 0705
DP Princeton 0740
DP Naperville 0830
AR Chicago 0900
I'm open to any comments.
The schedule I've worked out isn't the most horrible timing in the world. But what this train really needs to be successful is for that high speed line across Iowa on the old Rock Island to open. If it opens this is a very doable train. And the times could easily be put to use going for a night train that caters to business travelers. But I'm not so sure how that would go. I would leave the current CZ on it's current route. Bold times are in the afternoon
Denver Zephyr
Train 23
DP Chicago 0800
DP Naperville 0820
DP Princeton 0900
DP Moline 0935
DP Iowa City 1010
DP Grinnel Unknown Millage
AR Des Moines 1120
DP Des Moines 1125
DP Atlantic Unknown Millage
DP Council Bluffs 1250
AR Omaha 0100
DP Omaha 0115
DP Lincoln 0218
DP Hastings 0351
DP Holdrege 0438
DP McCook 0547
DP Fort Morgan 0709 MT
AR Denver 0919 MT
Train 24
DP Denver 0616
DP Fort Morgan 0721 MT
DP McCook 1051
DP Holdrege 1201
DP Hastings 1248
DP Lincoln 0217
AR Omaha 0320
DP Omaha 0335
DP Council Bluffs 0345
DP Atlantic Unknown Millage
AR Des Moines 0510
DP Des Moines 0520
DP Grinnel Unknown Millage
DP Iowa City 0630
DP Moline 0705
DP Princeton 0740
DP Naperville 0830
AR Chicago 0900
I'm open to any comments.