Pennsylvanian

[BigRedEO]

Well, I stopped reading every post in this thread when it become an argument rather than a discussion, but to throw in my two cents, I've taken the Pennsylvanian three times in the past year round-trip, PGH-NYP and back (I'm in the Cleveland area). I would rather drive the 2 hours to PGH than risk the Cap Ltd running late, which has been EVERY TIME I have taken a train out of Cleveland or PGH. I used to take the Pennsy from Cleveland to Chicago - many times - when it used to leave at 6pm from Cleveland. That was PERFECT for leaving directly out of work downtown to the station. LOVED it! So it makes me very happy that they might bring it back - would love to be able to head east or west out of Cleveland at more reasonable hours. But if there is 2 to 4 hours waiting in PGH, then it would defeat the purpose and I might as well just make the 2 hour drive to and from PGH again anyway.

 

[Big Iron]

I'm asking for a memory check because if I remember correctly, back in the 80's when the CL was single level it did have a connecting coach to one of he Florida trains. Again, if I remember correctly, the coach passengers did have to detrain in DC as the car was without power for the few hours that it took to make the connection.

Am I dreaming or should I trust my memory?

 

[Anderson]

I'm asking for a memory check because if I remember correctly, back in the 80's when the CL was single level it did have a connecting coach to one of he Florida trains. Again, if I remember correctly, the coach passengers did have to detrain in DC as the car was without power for the few hours that it took to make the connection.

Am I dreaming or should I trust my memory?

Oddly enough, that may not be a "switch" in Amtrak's opinion.

 

[Mackensen]

I'm asking for a memory check because if I remember correctly, back in the 80's when the CL was single level it did have a connecting coach to one of he Florida trains. Again, if I remember correctly, the coach passengers did have to detrain in DC as the car was without power for the few hours that it took to make the connection.

Am I dreaming or should I trust my memory?

Yep, it exchanged a Chicago-Miami through coach with the Silver Star 1984-1986 and 1991-1993. I gleaned this from timetables; I don't know if the passengers had to get off in DC.

 

[Big Iron]

I'm asking for a memory check because if I remember correctly, back in the 80's when the CL was single level it did have a connecting coach to one of he Florida trains. Again, if I remember correctly, the coach passengers did have to detrain in DC as the car was without power for the few hours that it took to make the connection.

Am I dreaming or should I trust my memory?

Yep, it exchanged a Chicago-Miami through coach with the Silver Star 1984-1986 and 1991-1993. I gleaned this from timetables; I don't know if the passengers had to get off in DC.

Thanks for the info! Any idea as to why it was discontinued after 1986? I'm assuming the 1993 discontinuance was due to conversion to Superliners?

 

[henryj]

What Amtrak might be thinking with the Capitol/Silver Star comment in the PIP. The Star is using four sets of equipment now. To run it to Chicago from DC rather than New York would only take one more set, or five sets. To run a Capitol/Star as a superliner train would only take two more sets as the Capitol now ties up three. I believe they could conjure up enough equipment to do either of those options should they decide it's worth doing. What bone they would then throw New York is anybody's guess. With all the talk on here about a Chicago to Florida train you would think this would be something that they would jump at. Connecting with a train like this at DC from New York would be easy on the NEC as it's just a daylight run of under 4 hours. Of course there is that 'across the platform' transfer problem.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

They will never extend the CL if it means doing so at the cost of the Star. The Star is one of Amtrak's safe bets.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

What Amtrak could do is buy out VIA Rail, and put dome cars on all the trains. Also butlers. And slot machines. And swimming pools. And have them run the train daily from LAX to NYC via SAS, NOL, CHI, Chatanooga, JAX, MIA, and your personal home town.

Get real.

 

[Donctor]

I'm asking for a memory check because if I remember correctly, back in the 80's when the CL was single level it did have a connecting coach to one of he Florida trains. Again, if I remember correctly, the coach passengers did have to detrain in DC as the car was without power for the few hours that it took to make the connection.

Am I dreaming or should I trust my memory?

Yep, it exchanged a Chicago-Miami through coach with the Silver Star 1984-1986 and 1991-1993. I gleaned this from timetables; I don't know if the passengers had to get off in DC.

Thanks for the info! Any idea as to why it was discontinued after 1986? I'm assuming the 1993 discontinuance was due to conversion to Superliners?

Ridership wasn't remarkable. Amtrak got tired of holding the Cap for the late NB Star.

 

[Donctor]

What Amtrak could do is buy out VIA Rail, and put dome cars on all the trains. Also butlers. And slot machines. And swimming pools. And have them run the train daily from LAX to NYC via SAS, NOL, CHI, Chatanooga, JAX, MIA, and your personal home town.

AND FULL DINERS!!!

 

[Ryan]

I'm asking for a memory check because if I remember correctly, back in the 80's when the CL was single level it did have a connecting coach to one of he Florida trains. Again, if I remember correctly, the coach passengers did have to detrain in DC as the car was without power for the few hours that it took to make the connection.

Am I dreaming or should I trust my memory?

Yep, it exchanged a Chicago-Miami through coach with the Silver Star 1984-1986 and 1991-1993. I gleaned this from timetables; I don't know if the passengers had to get off in DC.

Thanks for the info! Any idea as to why it was discontinued after 1986? I'm assuming the 1993 discontinuance was due to conversion to Superliners?

No, the Cap was still single level (and had a dome car!) when I rode it in 1994.

 

[Anderson]

I'm asking for a memory check because if I remember correctly, back in the 80's when the CL was single level it did have a connecting coach to one of he Florida trains. Again, if I remember correctly, the coach passengers did have to detrain in DC as the car was without power for the few hours that it took to make the connection.

Am I dreaming or should I trust my memory?

Yep, it exchanged a Chicago-Miami through coach with the Silver Star 1984-1986 and 1991-1993. I gleaned this from timetables; I don't know if the passengers had to get off in DC.

Thanks for the info! Any idea as to why it was discontinued after 1986? I'm assuming the 1993 discontinuance was due to conversion to Superliners?

Ridership wasn't remarkable. Amtrak got tired of holding the Cap for the late NB Star.

Remember, ridership was stuck in the 20 million range for about thirty years...it's up close to 50% in the last decade, but that's a very recent development in the scheme of things.

 

[jphjaxfl]

If Amtrak is to have any sucess at all in the Chicago to Florida market, they will need to operate a train that is comparable with driving speeds and runs close to schedule. As late as 1968, the City of Miami/SouthWind daily operation had good crowds from Chicago to Florida points. After the PennCentral came to be, the old PRR line from Chicago via Indianapolis to Louisville was allowed to deteriorate, but the City of Miami route allowed nearly on time performance. Amtrak chose the former SouthWind Route. By the time Amtrak started in 1971, the delays from Chicago to Lousiville were 30 min to an hour which were tolerable. By 1974, the delays were as much as 12 hours due to frequent 10MPH slow orders through Indiana. In early 1975, a temporary reroute from Chicago via Evansville to Nashville was tried, but it bypassed Indianapolis and Louisville (which were covered with a connecting bus) so that did not last. From May, 1975 til the end in October, 1979, the train used the former Monon, then L&N line from Chicago to Louisville. This line had always been a slow running and the L&N south of Louisville had deteriorated so that trains were also very late and rarely ran on schedule. I knew many families from the Chicago and points north and west that had ridden the train from Chicago to Florida for years that said "Never Again" because the Amtrak experience turned what was supposed to be a "fun" family vacation into a travel "nightmare". To gain the market back, Amtrak would need to do it right and without some serious infrastructure investment, Amtrak would not be able to do it right. Right now Congress is not about to invest in a money losing proposition so it won't happen.