jis
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Amtrak Special on FEC
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wayman
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How will passengers get back from Jacksonville to their home-town, if they board anywhere along the FEC? There's no southbound revenue run to take them home! :huh: :unsure:
jis
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This is not a revenue run. It is a VIP run. I am sure they will arrange to have all their limousines lined up at JAX station before the special arrives
Be still my heart.
Shades of my beloved old friend, the first train I ever rode, the Dixie Flagler.
Shades of my beloved old friend, the first train I ever rode, the Dixie Flagler.
jis
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Please note that the schedule of the Northbound run on Saturday does not reflect any real schedule for a commercial service. That is going to be much much faster. This is a schedule designed to give the VIP's ample opportunity to make speeches and schmooze at each stop on the way.
NE933
Conductor
from a December 17,1959 timetable here is listed the northbound East Coast Champion.
lv MIA 9.30am
WPB 11.24
Stuart 12.08pm
fort pierce 12.41
vero beach 12.59
melbourne 1.32
cocoa 1.53
titusville 2.11
daytona 3.16
st.augustine 4.08
ar.JAX 4.50
It made a few other stops: north miami, hollywood, fort lauderale, deray beach, lake worth
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I always wondered how you'd flagle a Dixie.
To my disappointment, it's just named after Henry M. Flagler, founder of the Florida East Cost Railroad.
jis
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Interesting!
BTW, it is reported that when actual service is introduced max speed will most likely be 90mph with PTC on FEC. A testimony to the excellent shape that FEC is already in, in terms of track quality.
Also most likely when regular service is introduced it will transfer over from the slower FEC route south of West Palm Beach with zillions of grade crossings, to the faster ex-CSX now Tri-Rail route around West Palm Beach. A new transfer track will be built connecting to a bit north of Mangonia Park. Not clear exactly where the money for that is coming from at present.
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Think the downstairs cafe setup in 10031 might be in use for the VIPs and media? Kind of a shame it wasn't available during our Adirondack turn last November, but it WAS pretty dark - and not exactly scenic - down there with that wrap over the windows:
jis
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That is where the booze part of the schmooze will happen I suppose
I always wondered how you'd flagle a Dixie.
Actually in fact it was named the Henry M. Flagler at first in 1939 and ran just from JAX to MIA.
A year later it was extended to run from Chicago to Miami and was renamed the Dixie Flagler. That because the other trains on that line out from CHI were already named things like DIxie Flyer, Dixie Limited, Dixie this or that etc.
It ws operated in cooperation with the City of Miami and the South Wind (to be named Floridian shortly after Amtrak began).These three operated every third day each, providing daily service in rotation.
In 1954 the train was re equipped and renamed the Dixieland. It was discontinued three years later.
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TransitRider
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Video of this special Amtrak FEC:
Nice vid. Again with the 2 locomotives for a 3-car train. Here's a local take on the trip, from the St. Augustine Record:
Amtrak train stopping in St. Johns
jis
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The northbound tomorrow (Saturday) will have six cars as 3 Amfleet IIs will be added to the consist.
BTW, power is P42 1 and 67. There is a spectacular photo of it crossing the Tomoka River in Ormond Beach at Trainorders.com. If you have access to that board go see it. That being a paid subscription site I don't think they look very favorably at cross posting access to contents if they are even accessible at all.
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TransitRider
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I though to let everyone know there is lot videos on my site that I manage to find. I'm glad anyone who filmed the shots during that day did a great job.
Videos: http://www.transitrider.info/newsflash/amtrakonfec/
Enjoy
Videos: http://www.transitrider.info/newsflash/amtrakonfec/
Enjoy
VentureForth
Engineer
An inspection train travelled up the FEC on Monday. Heralded as a big step in their return to service feasibility study.
I don't understand why they need another dadgum study. They studied it just 7 years ago and concluded its validity. Not much has changed except that there is potential funding, a favorable electorate, and willing partners.
It was ready to get the green light in '03. Come on! Someone flip the swich and git 'er done!
I don't understand why they need another dadgum study. They studied it just 7 years ago and concluded its validity. Not much has changed except that there is potential funding, a favorable electorate, and willing partners.
It was ready to get the green light in '03. Come on! Someone flip the swich and git 'er done!
Cho Cho Charlie
Engineer
I know I am in the minority (of one) on this, but I don't think it is in Amtrak's best interest to start another state requested route, when the state itself doesn't want to be responsible for operating assistance.
BTW, would Miami to Jacksonville be really considered a true LD train?
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VentureForth
Engineer
I don't think that the plan is to have a Jacksonville - Miami train. They are evaluating the track, I believe, to either extend or re-route existing services onto the FEC (ie: extend the Palmetto, or maybe reroute the Star).
jis
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It is Amtrak that has wanted to do this for a while. It is good that finally they have managed to get the state and the local communities on their side. The service is going to be New York - Miami through service via a route that passes through a whole bunch of popular destinations.
If/when Florida decides to run a purely in state service like the proposed commuter service between JAX and St. Augustine, or for that matter a JAX - MIA service, then it would be appropriate for them to pay for same.
Agreed, though I doubt that Amtrak would actually do that. (But who knows? They've made poorer decisions before. I'm hopeful they won't do again.)
I don't know how you define a "true" long-distance train, but if you consider the Maple Leaf, Pennsylvanian, and/or Adirondack "true" long-distrance trains, this one (were it to exist) might fall into the same category. As of right now, the Meteor is given 9 hours southbound and 8.5 hours northbound, which includes whatever padding and wait time is allotted. This proposed train would be running on a different line, serving different stations, and would obviously have a different one-way trip time than the Meteor does MIA-JAX. But if the Meteor is any indication, this train (or its JAX-MIA portion, if it were to run further north*), would be longer than the average corridor service.
Hypothetically, if this train were to start service soon (which I don't believe it will), I wonder what equipment it would use. It, along with the NOL-SAS Sunset, would be an appropriate place to put CCCs. Ignoring current fleet limitations, Amtrak would either have to set up some type of Superliner maintenance facility in MIA or deadhead the cars to/from Sanford, both of which sound unwise and possibly unfeasible. For heavy maintenance, the cars would have to deadhead to DC, and then to Chicago.
Again ignoring fleet limitations, this route would more likely be incorporated into the ICE pool, due to existing local maintenance facilities. Like the CCC, an Amfleet II diner/lounge (diner-lite) would make sense on this route. (Though, if Amtrak won't put them on existing trains that could use them, like the Adirondack, Carolinian and Palmetto, there's no reason to believe they'd wind up on this route, either.) If Amtrak did, in fact, have enough Amfleet II equipment to operate this route, it would certainly be better utilized on expanding/relieving existing trains.
Of course, none of this is realistic. And if the Star is rerouted, this is moot.
* I'm not suggesting that I support this idea, or even the train's existence MIA-JAX, at least as things stand right now.
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Cho Cho Charlie
Engineer
While I understand this, IMHO, re-routing either of the Silvers away from Orlando would be a major mistake. While I don't know of the numbers, I would expect that Orlando is one of the top destinations for passengers in the Northeast when traveling to/from Florida. Saying something like the Star doesn't go there anymore, can't be good for ridership/revenue of the Star.
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The current plan is to split both the Star and the Meteor at JAX and send one section of each down FEC to Miami. I would surmise that they will detach one sleeper and one coach from each and attach it to a consist of two Amfeet II, one Diner-Lite and a Baggage car + one or two P42s/P40s at JAX and send it down the FEC. This would require two additional Bags and Diner-Lites and 4 additional Amfleet IIs per train for a total of 4 Bags, 4 Diner-Lites and 8 Amfleet IIs. At a pich the Amfleet Is could be subbed for Amfleet IIs if push comes to shove.
With the conversion of the Cardinal to Superliner, most of this will become available anyway. It will take more time to get the right set of transfer tracks in place in Miami or WPB and get stations set up at the 8 or so proposed stops along the route than getting the equipment to run thease additional sections IMHO.
With the conversion of the Cardinal to Superliner, most of this will become available anyway. It will take more time to get the right set of transfer tracks in place in Miami or WPB and get stations set up at the 8 or so proposed stops along the route than getting the equipment to run thease additional sections IMHO.
delvyrails
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The most realistic course is for a rerouting of the Silver Meteor via the FEC route, while the Silver Star conntinues on its present route. According to my calculations, the FEC route would be about 48 miles shorter. This would reduce train operating costs, but additional station costs with the new stations would be incurred.
With rerouting, the added net cost would probably be small: so there's no big operating costs for Florida to pay. In effect, the Silver Star becomes the Orlando and Tampa (central and west coast) train, while the Silver Meteor becomes the all-east coast-Palm Beach-Miami train.
With rerouting, the added net cost would probably be small: so there's no big operating costs for Florida to pay. In effect, the Silver Star becomes the Orlando and Tampa (central and west coast) train, while the Silver Meteor becomes the all-east coast-Palm Beach-Miami train.
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