Recent content by Harmon Shay

I also still think they'll do it Hoosier State-Cardinal and VIA "J" train style, because if you just run a four-coach Borealis set on that Hiawatha rotation, you'll chase away a lot of Chicago-Milwaukee riders, not to mention ending up with a Hiawatha equipment rotation problem.

It sounds like this means they're going to have to subtract or add coaches in Milwaukee to accommodate all the people they'll have to carry, or they'll have to use the reservation system to limit the number of people the trains carry, or just tow an existing Hiawatha train set behind it between...

Thanks for the replies to my thoughts about Borealis consists. All very informative.

It's just that I don't think they are going to have enough Horizon coaches to create two additional five-coach trainsets for the Borealis. I suppose one thing they might do is keep the current two Hiawatha sets as they are and create two new trainsets with two or three coaches each (plus food...

They could indeed use Amfleet club-dinettes. I'm just used to Seattle being an all-Horizon base for the Cascades, no Amfleets at all.

I'm wondering if and how they're going to add and subtract cars in Milwaukee. I can't believe they can afford to send all five coaches to and from the Twin Cities.

Thanks. That's what I always assumed anyway. I haven't seen any Horizons leave Seattle lately to help with the Borealis. I hope they don't. We have little reserve as it is, and none when it comes to Horizon club-dinettes.

Do we have anything confirmed regarding equipment for this train? Most of what I've heard is that it will be Horizon like on most of our Cascades out here in the Northwest, though, as I remember, a test train was run with Superliners.

Bridge problem is fixed now. I didn't hear of any delays of any consequence to Amtrak.

If so, that's great! The Cascades could use some promotion beyond the news stories at the time the two new round trips between Seattle and Portland were added.

Thanks. I didn't think Greyhound's Chicago station was closed yet, but of course there have been rumors.

Is the Greyhound station in Chicago now closed, as was rumored might happen?

Back then, we had a problem in the Seattle area with conductors thinking strictly in terms of operations and not obcious passenger comfort issues. On the Empire Builder, they would put long-distance passengers in the short-hauls coach-baggage and short-distance passengers in the long-haul coach...

West Point's question is a good one. I'm just afraid Amtrak has become way too willing to use buses to the max, even when it's not fully necessary, and no one's calling them on it.

As usual, just in time for the busy weekend. It's time for the feds to get rid of the overkilling 48 hour mudslide moratorium, or at least extend it to all trains carrying hazardous materials. I have a feeling the latter step would end the mudslide moratorium fairly quickly.