Amtrak OBS Gone Freight
OBS Chief
- Joined
- May 20, 2005
- Messages
- 576
I'll start with the "Meteor" since it was mentioned (and that is the one I always worked), then talk about the "Starlight."
The "Meteor" is a MIA based train which currently uses four trainsets to make up the trip cycles. Prior to 2004 as bat51 mentioned, it used three. This was possible by because of the 7:00 AM departure out of MIA and the 10:20 AM arrival into NYP the next day. After arrival at NYP, while the OBS crew went to the hotel for their day room accomodations, the train went to SSY for cleaning, mechanical, etc. At 4:00 PM the OBS crew left the hotel to report to the train at SSY, at which that about 5:30 PM we were permitted to board the equipment and begin setting up the train. NYC reddie crew was only available to assist our MIA/JAX OBS crews with the delivery of the stock, etc. We had to do the actual set up of our train. A yard conductor and engineer then moved the train at about 6:15 PM to NYP station. Last minute stuff such as the pre-trip inspections (some of which were made at the yards) were made such as the brake test, etc, and the train was turned over to the outbound T&E personel (engineer and conductors). The train left NYP around 7:00 PM for the return trip to FL. At that time of day there were three trainsets in operation covering the "Silver Meteor." Along with us leaving NYP, there was that day's #98 which had left MIA some twelve hours earlier that morning, and the day before's train out of NYP which was nearing the end of it's trip somewhere around SBG-WPB (if they were all on-time that is..... LOL).
I believe the "Starlight" still uses four trainsets due to all the time in the schedule (for obvious reasons we'll leave unsaid here). If my memory serves me correct, the "Starlight" operated in this same fashion as the "Meteor" only with LAX as the turn around point for th equipment. This train is a LAX based train and was so at that time, so the OBS crew still had a four day trip total to SEA with that overnight there as well as the equipment. But on the day they arrived home from their trip at LAX, the train was cleaned and ready for the outbound OBS crew starting their first day of their trip. If the train was staffed out of SEA crewbase, then managment probably could have scheduled the OBS crews on a three day cycle like the "Meteor" in the East.
Over in NOL, the "City" operates in the same fashion as the "Meteor," but the equipment is "run-through" (as previously mentioned by another poster). The NOL based OBS crew still "day-rooms" and leaves out of CHI on the same day they arrive, thus allowing a three day cycle for their schedule. I think the "City's" equipment turns for the "Texas Eagle?" (not sure about that one......... how bout it trainboy... you worked the City of NOL)
So all in all, it mainly depends on how the scheduling is handled. I not sure about the "Starlight" and the "City of NOL," but the "Meteor" didn't have a whole heck of a lot of padding in its schedule at the time it operated with three trainsets. And like the "Starlight" is now, it is virtually impossible to accomplish that with all the varibles involved.
OBS....
The "Meteor" is a MIA based train which currently uses four trainsets to make up the trip cycles. Prior to 2004 as bat51 mentioned, it used three. This was possible by because of the 7:00 AM departure out of MIA and the 10:20 AM arrival into NYP the next day. After arrival at NYP, while the OBS crew went to the hotel for their day room accomodations, the train went to SSY for cleaning, mechanical, etc. At 4:00 PM the OBS crew left the hotel to report to the train at SSY, at which that about 5:30 PM we were permitted to board the equipment and begin setting up the train. NYC reddie crew was only available to assist our MIA/JAX OBS crews with the delivery of the stock, etc. We had to do the actual set up of our train. A yard conductor and engineer then moved the train at about 6:15 PM to NYP station. Last minute stuff such as the pre-trip inspections (some of which were made at the yards) were made such as the brake test, etc, and the train was turned over to the outbound T&E personel (engineer and conductors). The train left NYP around 7:00 PM for the return trip to FL. At that time of day there were three trainsets in operation covering the "Silver Meteor." Along with us leaving NYP, there was that day's #98 which had left MIA some twelve hours earlier that morning, and the day before's train out of NYP which was nearing the end of it's trip somewhere around SBG-WPB (if they were all on-time that is..... LOL).
I believe the "Starlight" still uses four trainsets due to all the time in the schedule (for obvious reasons we'll leave unsaid here). If my memory serves me correct, the "Starlight" operated in this same fashion as the "Meteor" only with LAX as the turn around point for th equipment. This train is a LAX based train and was so at that time, so the OBS crew still had a four day trip total to SEA with that overnight there as well as the equipment. But on the day they arrived home from their trip at LAX, the train was cleaned and ready for the outbound OBS crew starting their first day of their trip. If the train was staffed out of SEA crewbase, then managment probably could have scheduled the OBS crews on a three day cycle like the "Meteor" in the East.
Over in NOL, the "City" operates in the same fashion as the "Meteor," but the equipment is "run-through" (as previously mentioned by another poster). The NOL based OBS crew still "day-rooms" and leaves out of CHI on the same day they arrive, thus allowing a three day cycle for their schedule. I think the "City's" equipment turns for the "Texas Eagle?" (not sure about that one......... how bout it trainboy... you worked the City of NOL)
So all in all, it mainly depends on how the scheduling is handled. I not sure about the "Starlight" and the "City of NOL," but the "Meteor" didn't have a whole heck of a lot of padding in its schedule at the time it operated with three trainsets. And like the "Starlight" is now, it is virtually impossible to accomplish that with all the varibles involved.
OBS....
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