Amtrak Thanksgiving extras

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I'm planning on heading up to NLC for thanksgiving this year. I noted on Amtrak's website that they are planning on doing holiday extras (as denoted by train numbers 1064 and up (excluding Acela numbers)) and that some of the extras will be operated using MARC or NJT equipment.

The holiday shows that commuter equipment trains between WAS and NYP only - and running only on Sunday.

With my train on Wednesday to NLC, should I assume that my train will be an Amtrak equipment trainset or is there a chance that it might be a MARC trainset with an Amfleet cafe slapped onto the end of it (as can be seen in some Youtube videos)?

I also heard that now and again they may use extra Acela equipment on the extras. Any thoughts on this as well?

Tnx.
 
Availability of extra Acela equipment on Wednesday would be somewhat surprising. But at Amtrak anything is possible. Never say never.
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The Commuter Cars run on Sunday only and as mentioned by yourself between NYP and DC only.

Of note there are several extra Acela trains between BOS and NYP on Wednesday.

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Since Sunday is usually the busiest day of the Thanksgiving weekend, it appears Amtrak is trying to use every possible car in the NEC and upper Midwest. The other days would just be Amtrak equipment.
 
MARC does have a small pool of surplus cars that they rent/lease. The LIRR used some this summer, and is committed for more cars over the next few summers. I don't believe MARC is running them at present, they may make up a set or 2 for the holiday.
 
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Thanks for the feedback all. So how many old cars does Amtrak pull out of storage for this day?
 
Like every transit agency everywhere, MARC runs everything with wheels that Wednesday.
Even golf carts??
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When I lived in KIN, that was my impression also.

The many extras were on Sunday, and that was when they also utilized the commuter equipment. All other days were Amtrak equipment only.
It's truly interesting how Thanksgiving train moves have changed over the years.

A little over 10 years ago it wasn't uncommon for trains to appear out of no where and the question would arise.. What train was that?? Bottom line being that Amtrak would run extra sections of a train. So for instance train 1234 would leave DC at 12pm and was full so Amtrak would run a second train 1234 10 minutes behind it. These days, Amtrak runs longer trains rather then extra sections. I'll guess that has to do with crew availability.. Either way you still see Commuter Equipment on Sundays.
 
Tues and Weds on the NEC there are some extras running....as well as Sunday, and Sunday is usually when the NJT and Marc sets have usually run.
 
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Like every transit agency everywhere, MARC runs everything with wheels that Wednesday.
Even golf carts??
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When I lived in KIN, that was my impression also.

The many extras were on Sunday, and that was when they also utilized the commuter equipment. All other days were Amtrak equipment only.
It's truly interesting how Thanksgiving train moves have changed over the years.

A little over 10 years ago it wasn't uncommon for trains to appear out of no where and the question would arise.. What train was that?? Bottom line being that Amtrak would run extra sections of a train. So for instance train 1234 would leave DC at 12pm and was full so Amtrak would run a second train 1234 10 minutes behind it. These days, Amtrak runs longer trains rather then extra sections. I'll guess that has to do with crew availability.. Either way you still see Commuter Equipment on Sundays.
I think Amtrak may also have gotten better at timetabling the extras. I remember seeing timetables in a few years where you'll have a Regional and a Regional Extra chasing one another down the Corridor about 10 minutes apart. For example, 129/1173 and 95/1195 are on timetables with very similar schedules (though 1173 skips Metropark and Aberdeen). 143/1141 is another example of this.

Interesting note: Some of the Holiday Extra trains seem to be timetabled about 30 minutes slower than the corresponding Regionals while others hew pretty closely to the timekeeping. I'm guessing that either there were some slotting issues (quite possible in a few areas) or that there are different sets with different acceleration/top speed profiles.
 
What we DON'T see anymore is MBTA equipment running between Boston and New Haven.
 
From what I've seen some of the extras are hitting additional stops - Aberdeen, Newark Delaware, Newark Airport, Metropark, etc.
 
Interesting note: Some of the Holiday Extra trains seem to be timetabled about 30 minutes slower than the corresponding Regionals while others hew pretty closely to the timekeeping. I'm guessing that either there were some slotting issues (quite possible in a few areas) or that there are different sets with different acceleration/top speed profiles.
I suppose the NJT Arrows limitation of 90mph shows up in the longer schedules.
 
You are probably right on point. The extras that show no services on Sunday (brown box) are the ones with the extended running times. That doesn't seem to occur on the extras that are run with Amtrak or MARC cars.
 
Interesting note: Some of the Holiday Extra trains seem to be timetabled about 30 minutes slower than the corresponding Regionals while others hew pretty closely to the timekeeping. I'm guessing that either there were some slotting issues (quite possible in a few areas) or that there are different sets with different acceleration/top speed profiles.
I suppose the NJT Arrows limitation of 90mph shows up in the longer schedules.
Correct. Actually I think the arrows are limited to 80. I’ll try to remember to double check that.

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A little over 10 years ago it wasn't uncommon for trains to appear out of no where and the question would arise.. What train was that?? Bottom line being that Amtrak would run extra sections of a train. So for instance train 1234 would leave DC at 12pm and was full so Amtrak would run a second train 1234 10 minutes behind it. These days, Amtrak runs longer trains rather then extra sections. I'll guess that has to do with crew availability.. Either way you still see Commuter Equipment on Sundays.
If extra sections of a timetabled train are being run, then the first train and all extra section except the last should be displaying green flags on the lead locomotive.

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A little over 10 years ago it wasn't uncommon for trains to appear out of no where and the question would arise.. What train was that?? Bottom line being that Amtrak would run extra sections of a train. So for instance train 1234 would leave DC at 12pm and was full so Amtrak would run a second train 1234 10 minutes behind it. These days, Amtrak runs longer trains rather then extra sections. I'll guess that has to do with crew availability.. Either way you still see Commuter Equipment on Sundays.
If extra sections of a timetabled train are being run, then the first train and all extra section except the last should be displaying green flags on the lead locomotive.

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Or green lights on the locomotive(s)
 
I don't think there are many railroad operators who use white and green flags and lights anymore. The advent of radio communications and centralized dispatcher have done away with the flags and lights.
 
Even if it were still procedure, they aren't actually running extra sections, they are running "extra trains". and they are assigned numbers and listed in the timetable in advance.
 
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