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RRF/Making connections


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 03 July 2014 - 12:44 AM

I've been doing Fests for 14 years now, and naturally there is always the concern that we will make all of our Amtrak connections and be able to proceed with the ambitious itinerary. So far we have not had any major misses, and we've completed our Fests wire to wire. One reason why I now write all Fests in the western 2/3 of the country to begin and end in Chicago is to eliminate my feeling any responsibility for our making connections through Chicago. That, and the fact that with three different trains between the east coast and Chicago, some may prefer to take a different route. This year, as our annual summer Fest takes us to Salt Lake City, Reno, and Denver, we are at the mercy of 2 westbound California Zephyrs and 2 eastbound California Zephyrs, plus any same-day connections that we have planned for ourselves through Chicago in both directions. Furthermore, some also need to worry about connections on the East Coast to and from Silver Service trains. Timekeeping has suffered this summer on many trains, including the California Zephyr, Capitol Limited, and Lake Shore Limited. With currently a week or so until many of us begin travel, there is good reason for pessimism as far as our plans working out.... perhaps more so than in the past several years. There is no Plan B for the Fest. I hope everyone realizes we are on our own, and if a major connection is missed, some may not be able to complete the entire trip, or even catch up to the rest of the group who might have made the same connection or originated from the connection city. Credit limits and balances may prohibit some of us from making alternate plans, even to salvage even a part of the Fest. Some may not be able to or wish to fly, and some may not want to travel Amtrak in coach if no sleepers are available on a later train. The group may therefore become fragmented between those who can and can't continue. Some could conceivably give up and try to make their ways home, or if they can afford to do so, remain in the Midwest until their scheduled eastbound trains towards home. So just a word of caution to all that everyone should make sure they have the means to turn to their own Plan B if they have to, perhaps before initially setting out on what could become a very interesting journey.

Edited by KevinKorell, 03 July 2014 - 02:01 PM.


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#2 jis

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Posted 03 July 2014 - 10:00 AM

After the current ongoing performance of 49(2), I hope things turn for the better. Otherwise if this continues I'll have to make serious alternative plans to catch up with the fest after missing the connection in Chicago. :( And this time Amtrak can't even blame it on anyone else. The time was lost mostly between Rhinecliff and Albany. I wonder what happened!

#3 BillMagee

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Posted 03 July 2014 - 12:36 PM

As far as the #49 to #5 connection in Chicago is concerned, the good news is that since March 2 (123 trips), there have been only four times that #49 arrived after #5 left. The bad news is that two of those four have been in the last week, and yesterday's #49 departure has dropped into the "Service Disruption" category due to a derailment on NS just west of Toledo (#49 is detouring through Michigan). That may turn out to be the fifth missed connection.

I would still be reasonably optimistic about the #49-#5 connection. It appears that, within reason, they are willing to hold the #5 departure for the arrival of #49 (or #5 was leaving late anyway for some other reason). Since March 2, there have been 16 instances where #49 arrived after 1:30pm, with 9 of those arrivals after 2:00pm. In 12 of those 16 cases, #5 was held, including once when #49 arrived at 3:09pm. Of the four times the connection was broken, only one case involved a #49 arrival that was borderline - 3:07pm on May 22. The other three were occasions when #49 arrived after 4:30pm.

Below is a table with all the #49 arrivals at or after 1:30pm since March 2.

Date			   49 Ar CHI		  5 Dp CHI

13 Mar			 5:19 PM			2:00 PM			 MISS
13 May			 1:40 PM			2:00 PM			 OK
17 May			 1:59 PM			2:14 PM			 OK
20 May			 1:42 PM			3:03 PM			 OK
21 May			 2:00 PM			2:25 PM			 OK

22 May			 3:07 PM			2:00 PM			 MISS
23 May			 2:30 PM			2:50 PM			 OK
24 May			 2:02 PM			2:29 PM			 OK
09 Jun			 2:43 PM			3:11 PM			 OK
14 Jun			 1:36 PM			2:00 PM			 OK

19 Jun			 3:09 PM			3:30 PM			 OK
25 Jun			 1:31 PM			2:24 PM			 OK
29 Jun			 4:36 PM			3:33 PM			 MISS
30 Jun			 5:00 PM			2:00 PM			 MISS
01 Jul			 2:33 PM			3:12 PM			 OK

02 Jul			 1:49 PM			2:19 PM			 OK


#4 KevinKorell

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Posted 03 July 2014 - 01:15 PM

And of course while we would be very happy to have made the 49-to-5 connection, if 5 is held for us in CHI a few hours beyond the possibility of recovery, we get into SLC in the wee hours and don't get our money's worth of sleep on our first night there. I know it's a grueling schedule, one that provides for complete coverage of the light rail system, so I guess we do have the possibility of pushing the TRAX itinerary back an hour or two if needed, re-evaluating planned meal stop locations accordingly.


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#5 steve4031

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Posted 03 July 2014 - 01:43 PM

We'll have sleepers on 5. If 5 is a few hours late. We just sleep on the train.

#6 jis

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Posted 07 July 2014 - 12:26 PM

NS seems to be having difficulty getting out of its own way to run any train on time between Cleveland and Chicago of late. Anything that touches it in that segment seems to lose at least an hour or two.

#7 pennyk

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Posted 07 July 2014 - 02:00 PM

Looks like 98 made it into NYP today in time to connect to 49 AND 49 made it to CHI in time to connect with 5 (barely).

#8 KevinKorell

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Posted 07 July 2014 - 04:46 PM

New worry: Mississippi River flooding. I think it crested already at Burlington, IA, where the California Zephyr crosses, but with more rain it could come up again.

http://abcnews.go.co...ridges-24451943

http://www.thonline....d4e5f3d1d0.html

I can't look at Burlington's own newspaper, the Hawk Eye, because all news seems to be subscriber content.


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#9 jis

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Posted 07 July 2014 - 08:34 PM

There was a photo on Trainorders showing the Southwest Chief almost splish-splashing through the water at Fort Madison. The station is flooded so it stopped at a grade crossing on somewhat higher ground to handle the passengers.

#10 jis

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Posted 08 July 2014 - 07:32 AM

49 seems all set for another stellar 4+ hours late arrival into Chicago today. It is already 3 hours and 20 mins late out of Elyria as of 8:30am. The optimistic Julie thinks it will be in Chicago only 2:47 late. Yeah right! BTW, it left New York 1:40 late!




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