Why is Train 66 slower than other NE Regionals?
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jis
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Because it does not want to sit in NYP for two hours instead of one hour, and it wants to have enough padding to account for overnight ROW maintenance work?
the_traveler
Engineer
Mostly because they don't want to arrive in Boston too early. Thus they travel slower. That's also the reason for the stop at NYP being 1 hour instead of the "normal" 20 minutes! If 66 ran at the regular speed, and the NYP stop was only 20 minutes, 66 would arrive into Boston like 4-5 AM!
I doubt many commuters or other passengers would like that! (The next Amtrak Regional arrives Into Boston about 11 AM.)
I clocked 66 doing 40-60 mph around Davisville, RI (1/2 way between KIN and PVD), where a normal Regional does 110-125 mph!
I clocked 66 doing 40-60 mph around Davisville, RI (1/2 way between KIN and PVD), where a normal Regional does 110-125 mph!
the_traveler
Engineer
That's why it goes so slow north of KIN. It can't pull the load!Shanghai said:
I will be on 66 passing through Rhode Island early Monday morning. Will you be out there clocking my train as we chug through town?
the_traveler
Engineer
With you on 66, it may take a WRONG TURN at NHV - and end up in Montreal!pennyk said:
It won't even get close to Montreal. At best I'd give it maybe 1/4 of a mile past New Haven before the electric motor stalls out from lack of power.With you on 66, it may take a WRONG TURN at NHV - and end up in Montreal!pennyk said:
the_traveler
Engineer
Last few times I was on 66/67, it ran with a P42!
amamba
Engineer
Penny say hi to my H on Monday on the 66 Although he might work from home on Monday bc he is still grumpy about our 30 hour EB delay and told me he can't stand the thought ofthe train just yet.
Also 66 often arrives in PVD 10-15 minutes early but it sits until departure time.
Also 66 often arrives in PVD 10-15 minutes early but it sits until departure time.
Will he be in BC? My sister and I will be in BC. We probably will be the only "look alike" sister duo on the train ( except I am an inch taller and a few pounds lighter :lol: ). If he is on the train, tell him to say hi to the "sister act."
I am on 92 right now and just had dinner. There is no dining car - instead they are using a cafe car as a diner light in addition to the normal diner. I had salmon and it was OK. No steak on menu, but braised beef instead.
Leo and Vic are the SCA's. Leo remembers Jim and Dave from their NTD trip and he says hi!!! :hi:
I am on 92 right now and just had dinner. There is no dining car - instead they are using a cafe car as a diner light in addition to the normal diner. I had salmon and it was OK. No steak on menu, but braised beef instead.
Leo and Vic are the SCA's. Leo remembers Jim and Dave from their NTD trip and he says hi!!! :hi:
amamba
Engineer
Nope Penny he won't be in BC - no BC for the monthly pass! Enjoy your time in Boston. 
We will only be in Boston for a short time. We are headed to Portland, Maine.Nope Penny he won't be in BC - no BC for the monthly pass! Enjoy your time in Boston.
I am hoping it will be cooler there than it is in florida. Last week it wasn't.
N
NS
Guest
66/67 are slower because there is a 110MPH speed limit because of the heritage baggage cars.
Penny, are you currently riding on #66?We will only be in Boston for a short time. We are headed to Portland, Maine.Nope Penny he won't be in BC - no BC for the monthly pass! Enjoy your time in Boston.
I am hoping it will be cooler there than it is in florida. Last week it wasn't.
Have a good visit to Portland and I hope you have
some cool weather. Don't forget to wave to Dave
as you pass through Kingston!!
I am on 92 now and will board 66 this evening and arrive in BOS and POR Monday. Currently, I am in North Carolina looking out the window at very pretty scenery ( and typing on my tablet).Penny, are you currently riding on #66?We will only be in Boston for a short time. We are headed to Portland, Maine.Nope Penny he won't be in BC - no BC for the monthly pass! Enjoy your time in Boston.
I am hoping it will be cooler there than it is in florida. Last week it wasn't.
Have a good visit to Portland and I hope you have
some cool weather. Don't forget to wave to Dave
as you pass through Kingston!!
The scheduling of passenger trains can be an exhaustive study. Much can go into it such as arrival and departure times at end points but also at major stops in between. And there are Such things as what market the train is trying to serve and to meet with connecting trains.
Train 66/67 is all about providing an overnight service, not a service for the busy harried business traveler who is competing with plane schedules who wants Acela
In fact this train is not just "any old any old" NE schedule. It has a history all its own. It has had several names in the past such as Twilight Shoreliner. Its old historical name was the Federal.
As the Federal it is best known for performing its little "lets smash Washington Union Station" act one morning in the early 50s. Yes, it lost break control and it slammed into the station which was mobbed with Eisenhower inauguration passengers.
During those days it was heavy with sleepers between various points. Under Amtrak it at one time had a set out sleeper from New York to Washington. It could be boarded in NYC about 10 pm and switched onto the train when it came through from Boston. Northbound the same things happened in reverse, the NYC sleeper was set out to the side and people in it could stay on board until about 8 am.
NE corridor railroading is kind of different from other parts of the country. There is still plenty of business in the Corridor.
Not so outside the corridor. Most of the LD trains today operate on a similar time of day schedule which Amtrak inherited from the railroads.
In the past there were many more local stops and many trains were bogged down carrying mail at each stop. What I am getting at is there were often huge, really huge, differences in LD train schedule from each other.
Now----brace yourself for this----some trains on routes like Chicago to Miami or Chicago to the west coast of the country could be as much as about 10 or 12 or 15 so hours, yes, hours, faster than others. Of course most people on the really slow trains were on them because they stopped where they lived and the other trains did not.And of course sometimes. especially between intermediate points, the slower train's schedule might happen to be more convenient.
Train 66/67 is all about providing an overnight service, not a service for the busy harried business traveler who is competing with plane schedules who wants Acela
In fact this train is not just "any old any old" NE schedule. It has a history all its own. It has had several names in the past such as Twilight Shoreliner. Its old historical name was the Federal.
As the Federal it is best known for performing its little "lets smash Washington Union Station" act one morning in the early 50s. Yes, it lost break control and it slammed into the station which was mobbed with Eisenhower inauguration passengers.
During those days it was heavy with sleepers between various points. Under Amtrak it at one time had a set out sleeper from New York to Washington. It could be boarded in NYC about 10 pm and switched onto the train when it came through from Boston. Northbound the same things happened in reverse, the NYC sleeper was set out to the side and people in it could stay on board until about 8 am.
NE corridor railroading is kind of different from other parts of the country. There is still plenty of business in the Corridor.
Not so outside the corridor. Most of the LD trains today operate on a similar time of day schedule which Amtrak inherited from the railroads.
In the past there were many more local stops and many trains were bogged down carrying mail at each stop. What I am getting at is there were often huge, really huge, differences in LD train schedule from each other.
Now----brace yourself for this----some trains on routes like Chicago to Miami or Chicago to the west coast of the country could be as much as about 10 or 12 or 15 so hours, yes, hours, faster than others. Of course most people on the really slow trains were on them because they stopped where they lived and the other trains did not.And of course sometimes. especially between intermediate points, the slower train's schedule might happen to be more convenient.
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Thanks Bill, as always, for your detailed historical perspective.
And thank you Penny, Please note that I just added one extra sentence, it is the last sentence in the last paragraph.Thanks Bill, as always, for your detailed historical perspective.
I'm going to speculate, other than schedule planning/train slotting, that it's a combination of two factors. 1) The already mentioned speed restriction on the NEC of Heritage car(s), and 2) the additional time it takes to work at those stations that 66/67 serve that handle checked bags, express, and (probably) company material.
the_traveler
Engineer
Not really checked baggage. The only stations served that offer checked baggage service are WAS, BAL, WiL, PHL (on 67 only), NWK, NYP, NHV (on 66 only) PVD and BOS. Only NHV and PVD do not have other trains with checked baggage service.
amamba
Engineer
That sounds like checked baggage to me......and it does generally take them a few minutes at the bag car in PVD.
