You have to coordinate with the Antioch line schedule. To get from the airport to ohare transfer you take the airport train to the end of the line and then take a shuttle to ohare transfer.
Empire Builder Timekeeping Struggles
- Thread starter montana mike
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montana mike
Conductor
That's the way I do it when I fly into O' hare and then connect to Amtrak. It's very easy and convenient.I think I would prefer to ride the CTA and walk the two blocks to Union Station...a 'one seat' ride, more frequent, and perhaps more reliable...perhaps cheaper, too....
I would skip this option in the future. I tried it out of curiosity. The busses theoretically run every 7 minutes according to a sign. I waited 15 minutes and a bus pulled up. A bunch of passengers got off. The sign on the bus said it was in service and going to ohare-all terminals.I think I would prefer to ride the CTA and walk the two blocks to Union Station...a 'one seat' ride, more frequent, and perhaps more reliable...perhaps cheaper, too....
I climbed up the stairs and the driver just looked st me and then stated this bus is out of service in a rude tone. I asked when the next bus would come and he said 10 minutes. I told him to go on and be useless. His sign should have said out of service and he should not have let me climb up the stairs before telling me. I took a Lyft to the airport. I had zero confidence in the reliability of this service.
As I rode off in my Lyft I did see another bus pulling up. I’m not the most patient person and this whole experience reinforces why I hate dealing with busses and shuttles.
I thought he was referring to the blue line.I would skip this option in the future. I tried it out of curiosity. The busses theoretically run every 7 minutes according to a sign. I waited 15 minutes and a bus pulled up. A bunch of passengers got off. The sign on the bus said it was in service and going to ohare-all terminals.I think I would prefer to ride the CTA and walk the two blocks to Union Station...a 'one seat' ride, more frequent, and perhaps more reliable...perhaps cheaper, too....
I climbed up the stairs and the driver just looked st me and then stated this bus is out of service in a rude tone. I asked when the next bus would come and he said 10 minutes. I told him to go on and be useless. His sign should have said out of service and he should not have let me climb up the stairs before telling me. I took a Lyft to the airport. I had zero confidence in the reliability of this service.
As I rode off in my Lyft I did see another bus pulling up. I’m not the most patient person and this whole experience reinforces why I hate dealing with busses and shuttles.
Railiner was referring to the blue line. I thought I was agreeing with him when I described the difficulties with the ohare transfer shuttle.
Running about an hour late into Cut Bank, Montana. Not too bad. Lost most of the time between Spokane and sandpoint
cpotisch
Engineer
Does it seem like you'll be making up time?
45 minutes late out of Havre. At this point we are. Probably will be on time at Minot.
Back to 1 hour 10 late at Glasgow. For past 40 or 50 miles we’ve been going below 79 mph. Some of it may be curved or we are following a freight.
montana mike
Conductor
Looks like you arrived about 45 minutes late?
That’s correct. Got caught in Metra traffic at Western ave. Then a slow run into CUS.
Overall a good trip. It seemed like we followed freights more than waited in sidings. There were times that we were going 60 rather than 79. I may have missed a few meets sleeping.
NW cannonball
Conductor
Today, I can say, the westbound EB has been on-time at MSP for most of a week now.
Eastbound I dunno.
Going into winter mode early -- track work over -- only blizzards to slow the train
Eastbound I dunno.
Going into winter mode early -- track work over -- only blizzards to slow the train
west point
Engineer
Yes the fine powder of some blizzards will short out the DC traction motors quickly on the P-42sToday, I can say, the westbound EB has been on-time at MSP for most of a week now.
Eastbound I dunno.
Going into winter mode early -- track work over -- only blizzards to slow the train
cpotisch
Engineer
Really? Fine snow can quickly short out locomotive motors? How?Yes the fine powder of some blizzards will short out the DC traction motors quickly on the P-42sToday, I can say, the westbound EB has been on-time at MSP for most of a week now.
Eastbound I dunno.
Going into winter mode early -- track work over -- only blizzards to slow the train
Ever wonder why GG-1's had those unsightly vents added?
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e8/1c/12/e81c12e4a682ac0b1e527032ec1a1f0e.jpg
Here's why:
https://nyti.ms/2AbSHyA
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I believe the NYT article is behind a paywall, as it's an archive.
cpotisch
Engineer
Yep.
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How big a factor is "freight train prioritization" in re: train delays on these LD routes? When I was riding the Auto Train, that seemed to be the largest factor in any delays encountered (i;e; it was often delayed to give priority to freight trains use the same portion of tracks). There were, of course, other factors (commuter trains were less of factor but still a factor), and I recall once where there was an AMTRAK LD tran ahead of the Auto Train that was involved in a fatal accident (which stopped all traffic along the route).
cpotisch
Engineer
Nope. Still doesn’t work.
cpotisch
Engineer
It is still very much a *very* big factor. Amtrak trains get stuck behind freights ALL THE TIME. And once a train gets even a little delayed, it often gets sufficiently out of sync with the freight schedules that delays pile up as the train gets stuck behind more and more freights. I think I’m right in saying that freights clogging up the tracks is by far the biggest cause of significantly delayed LD trains.
As I suspected. It seems that most of the train systems familiar to me that are known for being "on time" are those that usually have dedicated trackage (JR Shinkansens, etc.). Not sure if the Euro trains (Thallys, ICE, etc.) have reasonably dedicated trackage or not but....
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Apparently, the Paywall Police have new crime fighting techniques at their disposal. Even Times home delivery customers cannot subvert them.
In essence, the unsightly vents added to the GG-1 fleet (Mr. Lowey must have been aghast) arose after a March 1958 snowstorm when a fine mist of snow passed through the vents as designed for what has been called the most aestheticly pleasing locomotive to be on the rails. The result was electrical components "shorting out" disabling much of the fleet. The immediate remedy was using Diesels on the many LD's as far as Phila and the fix was the raised vents.
In essence, the unsightly vents added to the GG-1 fleet (Mr. Lowey must have been aghast) arose after a March 1958 snowstorm when a fine mist of snow passed through the vents as designed for what has been called the most aestheticly pleasing locomotive to be on the rails. The result was electrical components "shorting out" disabling much of the fleet. The immediate remedy was using Diesels on the many LD's as far as Phila and the fix was the raised vents.
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cpotisch
Engineer
Ok, I don't get what you're talking about or referring to. Paywalls have been around for a long time, and it usually isn't easy to get around them. Maybe just link an article that you don't have to pay for next time.
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