Amtrak diesels stuck on "island" in Pennsylvania

[edjbox]

Just wondering, between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the diesels that are on the Pennsylvania are surrounded by electrics or a through train (Capitol limited). How are they interchanged with other routes?

 

[jis]

They are NEC diesels equipped with ACSES assigned to Philadelphia. So they interchange with Ivy City in Washington DC mostly, very often tagging along with 66/67.

 

[edjbox]

What about the ones in Connecticut (new haven to Springfield)?

 

[jis]

They are also NEC ones equipped with ACSES. Usually they would interchange with Southampton Street in Boston, which also serves the Maine Service, but not the Lake Shore Limited. The LSL is served out of Chicago.

Boston and Washington occasionally exchange engines, but not too often. Ivy City also has a large stable of LD engines to serve all the LD trains that pass through Washington

 

[Acela150]

Jishnu I thought only 101-110 had ACSES installed?? But all P40's and P42's have cab signals installed.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[jis]

I believe that currently the rule is that wherever ACSES is operational any Amtrak train operating there has to have working ACSES. I don't know what the situation with ACSES is on the Harrisburg Line and the Springfield Line today, but by next year they will have operational ACSES. So engines operating there will have to have working ACSES.

 

[Trogdor]

They are NEC diesels equipped with ACSES assigned to Philadelphia. So they interchange with Ivy City in Washington DC mostly, very often tagging along with 66/67.

There is also the more-than-occasional deadhead train that shuffles equipment along the NEC.

Otherwise, though, those engines don't really need to shuffle through the rest of the system. They generally stay captive.