Odd Observation in Pittsburgh Today (5/20)

[hale6]

Today (5/20), I was waiting for a bus on Pittsburgh's East Busway, which parallels tracks that the Pennsylvanian uses from downtown Pittsburgh to Swissvale. (I was in East Liberty, for those familiar with Pittsburgh.) Curious to see if Amtrak 43 into Pittsburgh was going to pass me while I waited, I checked the status, and saw that it had arrived already (at 7:30PM, which is 35 minutes early). At 7:50PM, I heard a train behind me. I turned around, expecting a freight train. Instead, I saw the Amtrak train that had arrived in Pittsburgh 20 minutes earlier, but it was empty, traveling *East*, and being pushed (there was an employee watching from the frontmost doorway so that the locomotive could push from the back end)! I actually was able to take a quick photo (albeit at a fairly low quality) of the train after it passed (for reference, the train was moving away from me when I took the photo).

So...does anyone know where the train was going? I had always sort of thought that it stayed in the station (PGH is the Western terminus) so that it could pull 42 going East the next morning. But, now that I think of it, they need to turn the train around for the morning, but *where*? Anybody here know?

 

[Seaboard92]

Yes they are shoving the consist to wye the train. That would be what you saw. I read an article once about where they do it. But don't remember off hat. Another city that it is done in is Charlotte NC. Where they wye it on a freight only branch.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Just for fun info (the "regulars" already know this) - shove moves are extremely common in passenger and freight railroading. It's one of the many reasons why Conductors are part of the operation crew and not just "some guy who takes tickets." When doing a shove move, the Conductor rides the back of the train and "protects the move" - or.... watches that switches are lined for the move, watches for signals and calls the signals to the engineer over radio, and tells the engineer the distance he is visibly clear for. The Conductor also has an emergency brake valve so he can stop the train if needed.

An example of radio communication -

"Amtrak 59, you've cleared the points, points are aligned, we've got a yellow over red and your clear to reverse 5 coaches"

This happens all throughout the Amtrak system.. some common places when this occurs when passengers are on board -

- Trains reversing upon entering or departing Chicago Union Station.

- Denver CO, trains always reverse off the main into Denver

- Tampa FL, trains reverse into Tampa

- New Orleans LA, the Crescent wyes and reverses into New Orleans upon arrival.

I'm sure there are many more... those are the first ones that I thought of.

 

[railiner]

Another feature on the Conductor's tail hose, is an air whistle valve for grade crossing warnings, although it is pretty feeble compared to the locomotive horns....

 

[Train2104]

The turning is at the wye in Homewood (where the busway changes sides)

 

[Alexandria Nick]

The more rare one is seeing Superliners heading to and from Homewood, when the CL terminates at Pittsburgh for whatever reason. I've only even seen a handful, at best, of photos of it.

 

[Phil S]

The reverse into Denver is special fun when sleepers are at the rear of the train. Ring-side seat!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The reverse into Denver is special fun when sleepers are at the rear of the train. Ring-side seat!

Yep. About 1/2 the roomettes had heads sticking out their doors watching. I stood in my doorway watch.

 

[Bob Dylan]

The infamous Tower #55 in FTW that required the Texas Eagles to back into the Intermodel Station is now History since the Eagles started using the TRE Route between FTW and DAL.

As for New Orleans, ALL Passenger Trains back into the Terminal including the Crescent,the CONO and the Sunset Ltd.