Question About Train Status Reports

Just wondering what happens when both Amtrak Status Report and also the Train Routing Map on Amtrak.com seem to lose touch with a moving apparently on schedule train. In other words, does the GPS system in the locomotive sometimes lose connection? The reason I ask is because Amtrak #58 is apparently operating on schedule but only list major stops such as Departed New Orleans and then reported only the times for Hammond and Jackson, MS. Amtrak's train spotting map indicates that the train is still in Jackson at 10pm moving at zero miles per hour while Amtrak Status Maps says the train departed Jackson at 6:17pm. I've noticed this only spotted reporting from time to time on other routes.

I will be taking the #58 tomorrow from New Orleans to Chicago(8/2) so was interested in the progress of today's 58 and 59.

Hope my questioning is not too confusing.

GPS has been known not to be working. As I traveled through VA I heard from a train friend that it was still at WAS. When I was getting back on the train in CVS after stretching my legs, I told the new conductor that the GPS was either not working or not turned on (they switch engines on the Card in WAS) & not long after the train showed up on the tracker.

One other difference between them is that one of them (I forget which) is reported by the agent on duty. Thus that can only be done at a staffed station. As an example, on the SL the stations at SAS, ELP and TUS are staffed, so the agent can call in telling the times the SL departed. However, at Sanderson and Deming there is no agent on duty to call in the time, so you may not see the time.

Another thing that could happen in WAS (where they switch between diesel and electric locomotives) is the engine may be set up (on GPS) for a certain train (say 19) but because it's running late may be used on another train (say a Regional) - but they don't reset the GPS to show the new train #. Thus it could show 19 speeding thru DE at 100 MPH, when 19 is still in VA!

Since they do have GPS on board, they could at least get a pretty good approximation of arrival and departure times by reporting perimeter entry and exit time around stations. I wonder if they do that. This way they will get relatively accurate information even from unstaffed stations, without any intervention from the train staff.

jis said:

Since they do have GPS on board, they could at least get a pretty good approximation of arrival and departure times by reporting perimeter entry and exit time around stations. I wonder if they do that. This way they will get relatively accurate information even from unstaffed stations, without any intervention from the train staff.

Click to expand...

That is my understanding of how it works.

jb

I have watched conductors call CNOC with arrival and departure times. I haven't paid attention lately, maybe they do it on their iPhones since they are entering their delay reports there as they occur.