Here comes Dennis

[Bill Haithcoat]

Well I see Amtrak P 42 left ATl on time last night and got into NYC 26 min. early this afternooon. So, at least that aspect of his trip went well.

 

[railfangns]

I seen the caretaker from the Gainesville Ga station on the city bus thursday afternoon and i asked her was she sent down to atlanta to service the crescent while it was being terminated in Atlanta due to the hurricane.She told me yes they did send her down for the cleaning of the sets terminated in Atlanta. She told me she did the cleaning in atlanta and done her regular job in Gainesville too. I guess she rode down in the morning on train 19 and returned home that evening on train 20.

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

Well just got back. It was a fun trip as usual. Now I don't mind trains being late...I actually hope for delays, so today was especially good. We were running RIGHT on schedule, to the point of waiting at stations for time, until about 5 miles outside of Toccoa, GA at 615am this morning. The NS dispatcher came over the radio to let us (#19) know that a car had been hit at a crossing up ahead. We would have to wait for the tracks to be inspected; it would be about 45minutes. A couple minutes later we received the approach and came to rest about 1mile north of the crossing. 42 minutes later we were on our way. We stayed right around 45 minutes late all the way until Atlanta when we hit the Roxboro block (only 2 miles from the station). We were given an approach and stopped shortly thereafter. We waited 7 minutes and proceeded under another approach signal. One mile outside the station, at Armor yard, we were given another stop signal. We were waiting for NS #T25 to clear the platform and another northbound to come by. We waited...and waited.....and waited, finally, 35 minutes later we moved the final mile under another approach signal into the station; 1 hour 2 minutes late.

This was NS dispatching having a bad day. They looked more like UP then they usually do. Oh well, worked well for me Ill be posting pictures later when I get them put on disk.

 

[railfangns]

Remember in the mid 90s when amtrak cut the crescent back to quadweekly between atlanta and New orleans they used to have sets sitting in atlanta a day and a half before they returned to New York.For example train 19 would have terminated in Atlanta this morning but train 20 would have run from New orleans to Atlanta today and then proceed north.Tomorrow train 19 would run all the way into New Oreans but train 20 would only operate between Atlanta and New York using the set that got into Atlanta today.Train 19 operated to New Orleans the day before the sunset limited departs for LAX, And train 20 would operate the day after the sunset arrived into New Orleans making connections with an overnight layover in the crescent city.So sets laying over in Atlanta is not unusual.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Railfangns, that brings back memories. While I regret the times it only operated certain days south of ATL,that at the same time that brings back memories of that through sleeper to LA.

I wish, just once, that I had boarded a nice big bedroom just for me in ATL in the morning, to be occupied all the way to LA!! That is one of my "wish I had done that" fantasies. I picture it being a hot muggy day, like today, stepping in to that beautiful air conditioing and kicking my shoes off.

 

[GG-1]

Railfangns, that brings back memories.Snip

and kicking my shoes off.

Aloha Bill

But at least you can kick off your shoes and enjoy. I am at work and shoe less, overlooking Waikiki Beach, What a view! only thing missing is the train, but at least the "scenery" is perfect. B)