The Southwest Chief; 58.59 mph

2. What two Amtrak stations have the least rail distance between them?

Boston-South Station and Boston-Back Bay Station

3. Which Amtrak route has had the most accidents?

To be fair, I should have written, "Which Amtrak train has been involved in the most accidents." Grade crossing accidents are to me more the fault of the vehicle crossing the tracks than the train, though that idea is debatable. The fact remains that some routes have more unprotected grade crossings than others. This increases the chance that the trains on these routes could be in an accident as a result of a car or truck's errant actions. Of course, vehicles are known to go around crossing gates too. Maybe it's unfair to say a route is more accident prone if the accidents are being caused by cars and trucks more than anything else. Or maybe the fact still remains that the host railroad needs to remove or install gated crossings to make a line safer and is responsible to a degree for accidents that happen as a result of failing to do so.

Off the top, it looks like one of the Florida trains has been involved in the most incidents. Also, both The California Zephyr and The Empire Builder make multiple appearances on the list. But my info is incomplete. If any of you have more data, please help me fill in the blanks.

PASSENGER TRAIN ACCIDENTS SINCE MAY, 1971

Train numbers and names are stated as they were on the date of the incident. So are the host railroad's reporting marks. Train numbers were provided by the host railroads until Amtrak developed its own train numbering system. I am not sure whether accidents involving the The Southern Crescent should be included if they occurred prior to Amtrak's taking over the route. I did not determine when Amtrak officially took over operation of the Crescent, but I know that the train was not part of the NRPC system in the beginning. Was the Chief? If Amtrak was not operating a train that was in an accident after May, 1971, should the train be on the list? After all, the question was, which *Amtrak* train has had the most accidents.

Info is from the NTSB website.

D=Derailment
C=Collision
GC=Grade Crossing Accident
H/O C=Head-On Collision
R/E C=Rear-End Collision
F=Fire
A=Other Accident

D - ICG #1 SB City of New Orleans 06-10-71 Salem, IL ICG

D, C - SOU #6 NB Piedmont/and ? 04-27-72 Arlington, VA SOU

D - ATK #? Train Name? 07-05-74 Melvern, KS ATSF

D - ATK #? Train Name? 10-01-75 Pulaski, TN L&N

GC - ATK #? Train Name? 11-19-75 Ellwood, IL ICG

C - ATK 132 Metroliner/with trains 944, 939 (?) 10-17-75 Wilmington, DE PC

D - A-T #? Auto-Train 05-05-76 Jarratt, VA SCL

D - ATK #? Train Name? 06-30-76 Goodman, MS ICG

GC - ATK #? Train Name? 12-15-76 Marland, OK ATSF

D - ATK #? Train Name? 12-16-76 Ralston, NE BN

D - ATK #? Train Name? 01-16-77 New Castle, AL L&N

GC - ATK #? Train Name? 10-02-77 Plant City, FL SCL

C - SOU #1/SOU #152 The Southern Crescent/and ? 10-08-77 Spencer, NC SOU

D - A-T #? Auto-Train 02-24-78 Florence, SC SCL

C - ATK #60/CR #400 The Montrealer/CR Freight 06-09-78 Seabrook, MD ATK

D - SOU #2 The Southern Crescent 12-03-78 Elma, VA SOU

D - ATK #8 The Empire Builder 03-28-79 Lohman, MT BN

C - ATK #111/Plasser Corp. Metroliner/MOW Equipment 04-20-79 Edison, NJ ATK

D - ATK #4 The Southwest Limited 10-02-79 Lawrence, KS ATSF

H/O C - ATK #396/ICG #51 Train Names? 10-12-79 Harvey, IL ICG

D - ATK #7 The Empire Builder 03-14-80 Glacier Park, MT BN

H/O C - ATK #82/SCL x2771 The Silver Star/SCL Freight 04-02-80 S. Lakeview, NC SCL

A - ATK #225/ATK x4934 Clocker/ATK Work Train 07-09-80 Linden, NJ ATK

D - ATK #21 The Inter-American 10-30-80 Springfield, IL ICG

C - ATK #74/CR OPSE-7 Empire State Exp/CR Freight 11-07-80 Dobbs Ferry, NY MNRR

D - ATK #97 The Silver Meteor 05-26-81 Lochloosa, FL SCL

H/O C - ATK x769E/ATK #195 Train Names? 03-29-82 Bristol, PA (NEC?)

D - ATK #5 The California Zephyr 06-15-82 Emerson, IA BN

F - ATK #11 The Coast Starlight 06-23-82 Gibson, CA SP

D - ATK #820 (Is this number right?) Train Name? 04-03-83 Rockfish, VA SOU

GC - ATK #301 The Ann Rutledge 07-28-83 Wilmington, IL ICG

GC - ATK #88 The Silver Meteor 08-25-83 Rowland, NC SCL

D - ATK #21 The Inter-American 11-12-83 Woodlawn, TX MoPac

D - ATK #81 The Silver Star 03-05-84 Kittrell, NC SCL

D - ATK #60 The Montrealer 07-07-84 Essex Jct., VT CV

H/O C - ATK #151/ATK #168 Train Names? Hell Gate Bridge Approach 07-23-84 Queens, NYC ATK

D - ATK #8 The Empire Builder 10-09-86 Fall River, WI SOO

R/E C - ATK #?/MBTA ATK Train (Name?)/Commuter Train 11-12-87 Boston, MA ATK

C - ATK #66 The Night Owl/MOW Equip. 01-29-88 Chester, PA ATK

D - ATK #7 The Empire Builder 08-05-88 Saco, MT BN

GC - ATK #708 The San Joaquin 12-19-89 Stockton, CA ATSF

D - ATK #6 The California Zephyr 05-02-90 Batavia, IL BN

D, C - ATK #66/MBTA #906 The Night Owl/Commuter Train Back Bay Station 12-12-90 Boston, MA ATK

D, C - ATK #82/Standing Freight Cars The Silver Star Carson Siding 07-31-91 Lugoff, SC CSXT

D - ATK #2 The Sunset Limited Big Bayou Canot Bridge 09-22-93 Near Mobile, AL CSXT

GC - ATK #88 The Silver Meteor 11-30-93 Intercession City, FL CSXT

C, D - ATK #87 The Silver Meteor/CSXT 176 05-16-94 Selma, NC CSXT

D - ATK #49 The Lake Shore Limited 08-03-94 Batavia, NY CR

C, D - ATK #29/MARC #286 The Capitol Ltd./Commuter Train 02-16-96 Silver Spring, MD CSXT

D - ATK #? 01-13-97 Granite, WY (Wyoming? Amtrak didn't go there in 1997. Fan trip?) UP

GC - ATK #? (?) No further infomation 02-05-97 Jacksonville, FL CSXT

A - ATK #4 The Southwest Chief 08-09-97 Kingman, AZ BNSF (what kind of accident?)

D - ATK #21 The Texas Eagle 12-20-98 Arlington, TX UP

C - ATK #59 The City of New Orleans 03-15-99 Bourbonnais, IL (Collided with what?)

GC - ATK #304-26 The Ann Rutledge 09-26-99 McClean, IL ?

R/E C - ATK #P286/CSX Q620 Empire Service/Freight Train 02-05-01 Syracuse, NY CSXT

D - ATK #5-17 The California Zephyr 03-17-01 Nodoway, IA BNSF

C - ATK #90/MARC #437 The Silver Palm/Commuter Train 06-17-02 Baltimore, MD ATK

D - ATK #? Auto-Train 04-18-02 Crescent City, FL CSXT

GC - ATK #91 The Silver Palm 05-07-03 Near Savannah, GA CSXT

QUESTION: I wonder how many passenger train accidents happened in Europe and Japan during the same period of time. As was asked in the movie Marathon Man, "Is it safe?"

4. Which had more horsepower? An FPA-A or an FL9-567C?

The FPA-A, with 1800 h.p.

The first 30 FL9s, designated -567C, were rated at 1750 h.p. They had 16 cylinder 2-stroke engines, dynamic braking, and retractable overhead power collectors. The second group of 30 FL9s, designated -567D1, were rated at 1800 h.p. These did not have dynamic braking or the overhead power collectors. FL9 2059 was the last F-Unit built.

(EXTRA CREDIT) What does the 'L' mean?

Lengthened Car Body (It was four feet longer than the F9) (Info is from The Railroad Encycliopedia, MBI Publishing Company, St. Paul, MN, 2001; page 99)

5. Name three ski areas which can be seen from Amtrak trains.

There were many answers. Here are mine:

Winter Park, CO; Blue Hills, MA; Jay Peak, VT.

6. (BONUS) What is Amtrak's southernmost rail station?

Miami, FL

Easternmost?

Portland, ME

Northernmost?

Vancouver, BC. Maybe the answer should be Bellingham, WA, since Vancouver is a VIA station, as someone pointed out. Opinions?

Westernmost?

Olympia-Lacey, WA (46'58" N, 122'54" W)

Which station is closest to the geographical center of North America?

Rugby, ND

7. (SUPER BONUS) How many Amtrak trains are en route at midnight on a Wednesday?

(SUPER DUPER BONUS) What are they?

(DOUBLE SECRET SUPER DUPER BONUS) Where are they?

I did change the wording of the question after I first posed it. I can't remember why. But the answer is 49.

Here's the low-down:

1. #67 SB Federal Between New London, CT & New Haven, CT
2. #97 SB Silver Meteor Between Washington, DC & Richmond, VA
3. #139 SB Regional Between Wilmington, DE & Baltimore, MD
4. #177 SB Regional Between Wilmington, DE & Baltimore, MD
5. #639 SB Clocker Between Trenton, NJ & Cornwells Heights, PA
6. #179 SB Regional At Penn Station, New York, NY
7. #66 NB Federal One Minute South of Philadelphia-30th Street Station
8. #198 NB Regional One Minute South of Newark Int’l Airport, NJ
9. #687 NB Downeaster Between Woburn, MA & Haverhill, MA
10. #273 WB Empire Service Between Croton-Harmon, NY & Poughkeepsie, NY
11. #29 WB Capitol Limited Between Connellsville, PA & Pittsburgh, PA
12. #30 EB Capitol Limited Two Minutes East of Sandusky, OH
13. #49 WB Lake Shore Limited Between Buffalo-Depew, NY & Erie, PA
14. #48 EB Lake Shore Limited One Minute East of Toledo, OH
15. #41 WB Three Rivers Between Pittsburgh, PA & Youngstown, OH
16. #40 EB Three Rivers Between Hammond-Whiting, IN & Nappanee, IN
17. #51 EB Cardinal Between Huntington, WV & Ashland, KY (Kenova, WV)
18. #318 EB Hoosier State Between Crawfordsville, IN & Indianapolis, IN
19. #89 SB Palmetto Between Savannah, GA & Jacksonville, FL
20. #91 SB Silver Star Between Southern Pines, NC (Pinehurst) & Hamlet, NC
21. #98 NB Silver Meteor` Between Fayetteville, NC & Rocky Mount, NC
22. #92 NB Silver Star Between Denmark, SC & Columbia, SC
23. #90 NB Palmetto At Jacksonville, FL - Clifford Lane Station
24. #53 SB Auto-Train Between Lorton, VA & Sanford, FL
25. #52 NB Auto-Train Between Sanford, FL & Lorton, VA
26. #19 SB Crescent Between Danville, VA & Greensboro, NC (Winston-Salem)
27. #20 NB Crescent Between Spartanburg, NC & Gastonia, NC
28. #354 EB Twilight Limited Between Dearborn, MI & Detroit, MI
29. #59 SB City of New Orleans Between Effingham, IL & Centralia, IL
30. #58 NB City of New Orleans Between Memphis, TN & Newbern-Dyersburg, TN
31. #7 WB Empire Builder Between St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN & St. Cloud, MN
32. #7 WB Empire Builder Between Sandpoint, ID & Spokane, WA
33. #8` EB Empire Builder Between Ephrata, WA & Spokane, WA
34. #8 EB Empire Builder Between Devils Lake, ND & Grand Forks, ND
35. #5 WB California Zephyr Between Omaha, NE & Lincoln, NE
36. #5 WB California Zephyr One Minute West of Salt Lake City, UT
37. #6 EB California Zephyr Between Elko, NV & Salt Lake City UT
38. #6 EB California Zephyr Between Fort Morgan, CO (Sterling) & McCook, NE
39. #3 WB Southwest Chief Between Kansas City, MO & Lawrence, KS
40. #3 WB Southwest Chief Between Needles, CA & Barstow, CA
41. #4 EB Southwest Chief Between Barstow, CA & Needles, CA
42. #4 EB Southwest Chief Between Garden City, KS & Dodge City, KS
43. #21 SB Texas Eagle Between St. Louis, MO & Poplar Bluff, MO
44. #22 NB Texas Eagle One Minute North Of Little Rock, AR
45. #1 WB Sunset Limited Between Houston, TX & San Antonio, TX
46. #2 EB Sunset Limited Between Ontario, CA & Palm Springs, CA
47. #11 SB Coast Starlight Between Klamath Falls, OR (Crater Lake) & Dunsmuir, CA
48. #14 NB Coast Starlight One Minute North Of Sacramento, CA
49. #796 SB Pacific Surfliner Between Oceanside, CA (LEGOLAND) & Solana Beach, CA

NOTE: COAST STARLIGHT MAY BE DELAYED - CONSULT AMTRAK :-)

QUESTION: Can Amtrak HQ communicate directly with any train at any time?

QUESTION - In Indiana during Daylight Savings Time, do you show up at the station at the published train time, or an hour before? I think it would be simpler to print the local time the train arrives without any footnotes. The timetables are coordinated with the time changes every Spring and Fall, anyway.

Dave

[This message has been edited by dnsommer (edited 11-09-2003).]

[This message has been edited by dnsommer (edited 11-09-2003).]

[This message has been edited by dnsommer (edited 11-10-2003).]

[This message has been edited by dnsommer (edited 11-10-2003).]

Does it mean show up an hour earlier than what you see printed? Right now it's exactly the time it says, right? In the next timetable, those times will be an hour earlier. But since the timetable issuance coincides with DST, why not just print the times as they will be?

So, assuming I'm mixed up as per usual, what aspect am I failing to graspulate?

Dave