Pennsylvanian running late

[rail_rider]

See the Pennsylvanian is running 3hrs. and 45 mins. late tonight. Anyone know the reason? This train is rarely late into Pgh., taking it next week to Pgh to catch the CL to Chi..

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

There must have been problems as it left NYP over 3 hours late. It arrived in to PGH with the same time, bad news... it was late. Good news, it didn't loose more time.

I would suspect it is a totally random fluke.

 

[rail_rider]

There must have been problems as it left NYP over 3 hours late. It arrived in to PGH with the same time, bad news... it was late. Good news, it didn't loose more time.
I would suspect it is a totally random fluke.

Thanks ALC_Rail_Writer, I follow this train all the time as its's my major route through Chi to pick up the TE, CZ & SWC. and it usually get into PGH early. I went to school in PGH and it gives me about 4 hrs. to go downtown for a late dinner and a quick look at what has changed in the city before I have to board the CL for the trip to Chi.

 

[Konrad]

There must have been problems as it left NYP over 3 hours late. It arrived in to PGH with the same time, bad news... it was late. Good news, it didn't loose more time.
I would suspect it is a totally random fluke.

Thanks ALC_Rail_Writer, I follow this train all the time as its's my major route through Chi to pick up the TE, CZ & SWC. and it usually get into PGH early. I went to school in PGH and it gives me about 4 hrs. to go downtown for a late dinner and a quick look at what has changed in the city before I have to board the CL for the trip to Chi.

Amtrak running late?

Tell me something I can't predict.

 

[wayman]

Amtrak running late?
Tell me something I can't predict.

Konrad, with the Pennsylvanian, no, you honestly should never predict it arriving late into Pittsburgh. Over the past four weeks, it arrived 190 minutes late yesterday (with problems before leaving New York), 25 minutes late on one other day, and early on all other days -- an average of 22 minutes early, for just the days it was early. And that's still an average of 11 minutes early over the entire month, even when you include the two days it was late (and very late). The Pennsylvanian is a corridor train on Amtrak territory for much of its run, and for the stretch from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh Norfolk Southern takes very good care of it.

 

[battalion51]

Well when the entire route is double track at minimum it shouldn't be rocket science to run the trains on time.

 

[wayman]

Well when the entire route is double track at minimum it shouldn't be rocket science to run the trains on time.

Better still--parts (possibly all) of the NS line from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh (including Horseshoe Curve) are triple-track (and used to be quadruple-track). And when rail was the way everything moved--passengers and freight--and the PRR was the largest company in America, those tracks were busy. Then came the 1960s, and Penn Central was lowered to having to sell the fourth main line as scrap metal as they declined into bankruptcy.

But there are places where double- and even triple-track still don't give Amtrak a free slot today, because freight traffic is so dense. With the lull in freight traffic due to the economy, there are fewer such problems, but I know there are some bottlenecks out west where the UP is scrambling to build third and fourth main lines beause they have so many freights to get through.

 

[Shanghai]

I wouldn't mind if the Pennsylvanian was 3 hours late arriving Pittsburgh. I'd rather sit at NYP or on the train than sit 4 hours at the PGH station!!

I usually go NYP - WAS - CHI to avoid the layover in PGH.

 

[rail_rider]

I wouldn't mind if the Pennsylvanian was 3 hours late arriving Pittsburgh. I'd rather sit at NYP or on the train than sit 4 hours at the PGH station!!I usually go NYP - WAS - CHI to avoid the layover in PGH.

I agree with you about the PGH station. If it wasn't for my connection with the city I wouldn't go through there. I could pick up the CL in DC from my home in Trenton with a regional. I usually jump in a cab after I check my bag and head on into the downtown section. Not much to do there except eat at one of the local eateries. Still I like to walk around and see what has changed since I went to school there.

 

[rail_rider]

Amtrak running late?
Tell me something I can't predict.

Konrad, with the Pennsylvanian, no, you honestly should never predict it arriving late into Pittsburgh. Over the past four weeks, it arrived 190 minutes late yesterday (with problems before leaving New York), 25 minutes late on one other day, and early on all other days -- an average of 22 minutes early, for just the days it was early. And that's still an average of 11 minutes early over the entire month, even when you include the two days it was late (and very late). The Pennsylvanian is a corridor train on Amtrak territory for much of its run, and for the stretch from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh Norfolk Southern takes very good care of it.

That's why I thought yesterday's late arrival was so unusal. I do enjoy the scenic route and I seem to notice something different every time I go through the horseshoe curve. The attendents point out different landmarks each time I take the Pennsylvanian. Some do a really good job to make the trip interesting. Thanks for the track info Konrad, I'll have to spent some time next week checking it out.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

The Penny has incredible OTP. I'd put money on it any day of the week-- been on her a couple dozen times NYP-PGH and back and the latest we ever were was 19 minutes, and that was because we needed an unscheduled de-icing in ALT.

 

[GG-1]

I wouldn't mind if the Pennsylvanian was 3 hours late arriving Pittsburgh. I'd rather sit at NYP or on the train than sit 4 hours at the PGH station!!I usually go NYP - WAS - CHI to avoid the layover in PGH.

I agree with you about the PGH station. If it wasn't for my connection with the city I wouldn't go through there. I could pick up the CL in DC from my home in Trenton with a regional. I usually jump in a cab after I check my bag and head on into the downtown section. Not much to do there except eat at one of the local eateries. Still I like to walk around and see what has changed since I went to school there.

Aloha

There is only one thing from my visit to Pittsburgh that I remember. I hope the Dubesque (may not be spelled correct) is still there. I remember my visit from 76-77, durring my Ice capades tour. The view from up there made the city look good. The rest of my time there was either in the ice arena or hotel.

 

[Shanghai]

GG-1,

Are you or were you a figure skater? Were you with the Ice Capades?

My younger daughter trained for one year in Lake Placid, NY at the olympic arena.

 

[GG-1]

GG-1,Are you or were you a figure skater? Were you with the Ice Capades?

My younger daughter trained for one year in Lake Placid, NY at the olympic arena.

Aloha

I am definitely not a figure skater, I can barely stand on skates, and I have no figure. I was the Asst. Carpenter building and moving the sets around. Additionally I worked Capades as alocal Spotlight Operator. In other words I made the skaters look good. :lol:

 

[profwebs]

I wouldn't mind if the Pennsylvanian was 3 hours late arriving Pittsburgh. I'd rather sit at NYP or on the train than sit 4 hours at the PGH station!!I usually go NYP - WAS - CHI to avoid the layover in PGH.

I agree with you about the PGH station. If it wasn't for my connection with the city I wouldn't go through there. I could pick up the CL in DC from my home in Trenton with a regional. I usually jump in a cab after I check my bag and head on into the downtown section. Not much to do there except eat at one of the local eateries. Still I like to walk around and see what has changed since I went to school there.

Aloha

There is only one thing from my visit to Pittsburgh that I remember. I hope the Dubesque (may not be spelled correct) is still there. I remember my visit from 76-77, durring my Ice capades tour. The view from up there made the city look good. The rest of my time there was either in the ice arena or hotel.

You talking about the Duquesne Incline?

Duquesne Incline website

 

[rail_rider]

I wouldn't mind if the Pennsylvanian was 3 hours late arriving Pittsburgh. I'd rather sit at NYP or on the train than sit 4 hours at the PGH station!!I usually go NYP - WAS - CHI to avoid the layover in PGH.

I agree with you about the PGH station. If it wasn't for my connection with the city I wouldn't go through there. I could pick up the CL in DC from my home in Trenton with a regional. I usually jump in a cab after I check my bag and head on into the downtown section. Not much to do there except eat at one of the local eateries. Still I like to walk around and see what has changed since I went to school there.

Aloha

There is only one thing from my visit to Pittsburgh that I remember. I hope the Dubesque (may not be spelled correct) is still there. I remember my visit from 76-77, durring my Ice capades tour. The view from up there made the city look good. The rest of my time there was either in the ice arena or hotel.

Yes the Duquesne Incline is still there and your right the view from atop Mt. Washington is beautiful, especially at night. The only reason I know how to spell Duquesne is my wife went to school at the university by the same name.

 

[GG-1]

I wouldn't mind if the Pennsylvanian was 3 hours late arriving Pittsburgh. I'd rather sit at NYP or on the train than sit 4 hours at the PGH station!!I usually go NYP - WAS - CHI to avoid the layover in PGH.

I agree with you about the PGH station. If it wasn't for my connection with the city I wouldn't go through there. I could pick up the CL in DC from my home in Trenton with a regional. I usually jump in a cab after I check my bag and head on into the downtown section. Not much to do there except eat at one of the local eateries. Still I like to walk around and see what has changed since I went to school there.

Aloha

There is only one thing from my visit to Pittsburgh that I remember. I hope the Dubesque (may not be spelled correct) is still there. I remember my visit from 76-77, durring my Ice capades tour. The view from up there made the city look good. The rest of my time there was either in the ice arena or hotel.

You talking about the Duquesne Incline?

Duquesne Incline website

Yep that it and that's the view I remember, Never saw it at night as every night I was there we had shows.

Aloha and Mahalo

Eric

 

[Steve4031]

Well when the entire route is double track at minimum it shouldn't be rocket science to run the trains on time.

Well . . . after the break up of Contrail, Norfolk Southern failed this science. On a whim I decided to ride the Three Rivers to Johnstown, and catch the Pennsylvanian back to Chicago when it use to go all of the way through. The three Rivers arrived on time with o problems. However, the Pennsylvanian kept getting later, and later, and later. It was 6 hours plus late arriving Johnstown. And limped into Chicago well after daylight. What a trip!!!

 

[sueb]

Then Amtrak further messed up the Pennsylvanian last Friday at PHL by bringing it in across the platform from a westbound Keystone service train. The ushers and conductors who were directing boarding pax misdirected a number of pax to the wrong train, as the Pennsylvanian doesn't stop at all of the local stops the Keystones serve. On the positive side. a pax I ran into this morning said they did honor commuter tix on the Pennsylvanian on that run, and they gave out free hot dogs and chips from the snack bar.

 

[wayman]

Well when the entire route is double track at minimum it shouldn't be rocket science to run the trains on time.

Well . . . after the break up of Contrail, Norfolk Southern failed this science. On a whim I decided to ride the Three Rivers to Johnstown, and catch the Pennsylvanian back to Chicago when it use to go all of the way through. The three Rivers arrived on time with o problems. However, the Pennsylvanian kept getting later, and later, and later. It was 6 hours plus late arriving Johnstown. And limped into Chicago well after daylight. What a trip!!!

Part of your problem then was that the Pennsylvanian and Three Rivers (in the era both went to Chicago) were primarily mail/express trains that, oh, by the way, also happened to carry passengers. That's how Amtrak prioritized them back then. Once, I was waiting in Chicago for one of those two trains for several hours, and the stated reason for the delay in departure was that they were waiting for the express cars to be loaded and hooked on. Boy were the passengers grumbling about that!!!

The good news is, when Amtrak dropped the mail/express component and focused solely on passengers, the OTP started improving. The bad news is, when Amtrak dropped mail/express on the Three Rivers and Pennsylvanian, they canceled one train and cut the other back to Pittsburgh....

 

[DET63]

According to Amtrak, the Pennsylvanian's OTP was 95% in September, and 96.3% over the past 12 months.