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Anyone been on a long distance run that actually came on time lately!?
Posts: 287 | From: Palatka, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2004
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I was on the EB 3 weeks ago St.Paul to Portland and it was running on time or early in both directions.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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Not sure what you mean by recently, but my Crescent NYC to Atlanta in November was on time, maybe even a little early.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Sounds good. I live near CSX mainline south of Jacksonville, FL and for the last 30 days, NOTHING (all Amtrak trains)has come on time to the Palatka station!
Posts: 287 | From: Palatka, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2004
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When I was last aboard the capitol limited, we arrived into Chicago on-time. This was on March 13. Then I connected to the Empire builder, which had an on-time departure from Chicago, and even arrived into SaintCloud seven minutes early on March 14.
-------------------- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one corner of the Earth all one's life." Posts: 506 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Mar 2002
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Yes. I was on the Crescent leaving Atlanta last Sun night half an hour late and we arrived NYP half an hour early Monday. A great ride. Can't imagine why anyone would go any other way. I came back down to DC on the Chinatown bus because the price differential was go great and will go out on the Capital Tuesday afternoon and Wed continue on to CA on the Zephyr. Washington is beautiful = never have I seen so many flowering trees! John
Posts: 326 | From: San Antonio Texas USA | Registered: Dec 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Pojon: Anyone been on a long distance run that actually came on time lately!?
I honestly cannot remember the last time I was aboard an on-time Amtrak long-distance train. Saw the 'Heartland Flyer' depart Ft. Worth on-time a couple of weeks ago and was aboard an on-time 'Carolinian' High Point to Rocky Mount in March.
My last on-time long-distance train ride was April 2004 BUT it was VIA's 'Canadian' from Vancouver to Winnipeg......IMPRESSIVE....1500 miles, 36 hours, through an Albertan blizzard at full speed seen from the rear dome....and we arrived on-time or early at EVERY stop.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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I wasn't on it, but shortly after the coast line reopened, #11 was arriving in Salinas on time or even a little early for a couple of weeks. Now, however, its back to "normal" 2-3 hours late.
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I'm on the EB Southwest Chief on Saturday so have been checking its arrival in CHI. It's been early (as much as 50 minutes!) more than late in the last week. One day, however, it was more than an hour late. Luck of the draw, I guess.
My Surfliner SAN/SBA, while not a true long distance train, was six minutes early into SBA last night.
Frank in balmy SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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On my last trip the Southwest Chief 4 was on time, Lakeshore Limited was 30 minutes early into Chicago and Texas Eagle ran early waiting on time all the way to San Antonio. The Cardinal was on time until HEP Problems destroyed that and the Sunset Limited was four hours late getting me in San Antonio and got into LA jut over 3 hours late. The complete story at: http://www.trainweb.org/chris/Cardinal.html
Enjoy,
Chris
Posts: 711 | From: Santa Ana | Registered: May 2003
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On Dec. 2, 2003, the Sunset was actually an hour early pulling into San Antonio from Pensecola, Florida. This probably doesn't count because we were bused to New Awrlins (correct pronunciation).
Posts: 113 | From: San Antonio, Texas,USA | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote:Originally posted by chrisg: On my last trip the Southwest Chief 4 was on time, Lakeshore Limited was 30 minutes early into Chicago and Texas Eagle ran early waiting on time all the way to San Antonio. The Cardinal was on time until HEP Problems destroyed that and the Sunset Limited was four hours late getting me in San Antonio and got into LA jut over 3 hours late. The complete story at: http://www.trainweb.org/chris/Cardinal.html
Enjoy,
Chris
Just finished reading your latest trip report. I always enjoy them and liked seeing you east of the Mississippi again. Thanks for sharing.......I particularly enjoyed the portions on the Cardinal (I need to ride that train this summer.....maybe Ashland to Charlottesville) and the Texas Eagle. I was actually in Dallas/Ft. Worth riding the TRE and DART the day before you rode through!
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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OOPs! I found it! I just didn't scroll down far enough. I was looking on top. Thanks!
Posts: 18 | From: California | Registered: Apr 2005
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I really appreciate you sending me this! I just checked and Coast Starlight 11 arrived less than an hour late. I can easily handle that. Now let's hope it will be that way when we ride it. I'm going to check everyday just to get an average.
quote:Originally posted by sbalax: Go to www.amtrak.com and use the "Train Status" feature on the Home Page.
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I was on the SW Chief (#4) that arrived in CHI on Monday, 04/18/05 thirty minutes early. We went directly into the station without dropping the freight cars first. A very good trip. I'll post a full report when I return to SBA.
Frank, currently in warm, humid Houston.
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Frank... This isn't warm & humid.... It's spring-like weather....
Come on back in July and August. It gets a bit warm & humid for those two months... Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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I guess I'm spoiled living on "The American Riviera". We went to Spring for lunch today and I have to admit that the weather was tolerable. The Crawfish Festival hits town this weekend and next. Are the tracks that go through Spring the ones that Amtrak uses?
Frank currently very, very near IAH.
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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quote:Originally posted by sbalax: Are the tracks that go through Spring the ones that Amtrak uses?
Frank currently very, very near IAH.
No. Spring is on the old Missouri Pacific ex IGN? / T&P line going north to Palestine where the San Antonia line comes in, then Longview where it meets the old T&P, then on the T&P to Texarkana. The route of the original MoPac Texas Eagle Houston Section. It is also the junction for the old MoPac line to Ft. Worth by way of Bryan and Waco. It was round about and has not had passenger service since the 40's or early 50's.
As MikeSmith says, its springtime in Houston. Wait for the 90 degrees, 90% humidity days of July and August.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Frank, George is right. Amtrak will run northeast-southwest {roughly Highway 90}.
However, the toll road you are near in Spring and IAH is my favorite drive in Houston. I always see at least 3 freights when I take the Hardy toll road between Beltway 8 and Loop 610.
Did you go to Wunsche Brothers in Spring for lunch?
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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Yes, we did. I'd read about it in Sunset Magazine (which I believe was originally a publication of the Southern Pacific)and it was very good. I had a chicken fried chicken sandwich and my friend had the cheeseburger. We shared half an order of onion rings. All very good. We parked right next to the tracks but didn't see any trains. We heard one while we were in the small, but interesting, Spring museum.
We didn't use the Hardy Toll Road yesterday but were on both East and West Hardy Road looking for the Continental Airlines Company Store which we finally found. One of my other interests is commercial aviation so I was like the proverbial kid in the candy shop. I bought a great PeopleExpress 747 model and a CO 747, both aircraft I flew on.
Next trip will be on the Capitol Limited CHI/WAS early May.
Frank, still in IAH but soon to be in JAX.
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Frank, here are the railroad lines out of Houston, starting from Spring and going around the city clockwise. Information from living there on weekends for two years and SPV's Railroad Atlas book for Texas.
Spring, UP formerly MoPac, formerly IGN, to Palestine and Longview,Texas Eagle to St. Louis. More or less parallel to I45 as far as Huntsville TX
Humble, UP formerly SP formerly houston East and West Texas (the rabbit line) to Shreveport. multi-stop day train and night train up until the early 50's. More or less parallel US 59
about half way between US 59 and US 90: UP formerly MoPac, formerly Gulf Coast Lines, to Beaumont, Opelousas LA, Baton Rouge. More or less parallels US 190 in Louisiana
Dayton, UP former SP, former Texas and New Orleans. Sunset Route. more or less parallels US 90 to Beaumont, the I 10 / US 90 to Lafayette LA, then looping south near US 90 down through the swamps and coming into New Orleans from the southwest.
Between the SP line and the GH&H are several industrial spurs to chemical and other plants in the Baytown / Pasadena area.
UP to Galveston, formerly Galveston Houston and Henderson, jointly owned by MoPac and Katy parallel to I45 / US75 southeast. Passenger service lasted until early 60's Mopac Texas Eagle
BNSF formerly ATSF formerly Gulf Colorado and Santa Fe to Alvin, then to Galveston, meeting the GH&H at Virginia Point for the crossing of Galveston Bay, on a bridge that was built in the early 1900's as a two lane? road plus two track bridge that now carries only one track. Bascule lift span over the boat channel. This was the last line with passenger service into Galveston IIRC. MoPac's Gulf Coast Lines trains to Brownsville also used this line as far as Algoa.
UP former MoPac former IGN branch to Arcola. Know nothing about it.
UP former SP former T&NO Sunset Line west, Missouri City - Rosenburg - Glidden - Flatonia - Seguin - San Antonio. ATSF passenger trains to Houston used this line east of Rosenburg.
now abandoned SP former San Antonio and Aransas Pass. Through Clodine. Is West Park Tollway on its right of way? This line met the Sunset Route at Eagle Lake, about 70 miles west of Houston. At one time SP used or studied use of this as a one way pair with the Sunset Line. Why did they not continue? It is shorter and straighter than the line they kept.
now abandoned UP former MKT parallel to the Katy Freeway (I10) line is the source of the name for the highway.
UP former SP former Houston and Texas Central, one of first railroads built in Texas. parallel to US 290, Satsuma, Hempstead, College Station, Corsicana, Dallas. Route of the Hustler and Sunbeam, and for a brief while Amtrak Dallas to Houston section of the Texas Eagle, but TE schedule was about 6 hours compared to the Hustler's 4 1/2.
BNSF former FW&D / CRIP Joint Texas Division, former Texas and Brazos Valley. At one time host of two 4 hour Dallas to Houston trains a day. Through Louetta, Tomball, and no town of any particular size on a fairly straight shot to Corsicana.
And next, we are back to the line through Spring.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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The SWC is habitually early, unless there are major weather problems, a derailment, or engine problems. I've taken it five times in the last 3 years, and I've only been late once and it was only 20 minutes or so. I can't help but notice in the west anything that runs primarily on BNSF track does well OTP, while most trains running on UP track does poorly.
-------------------- Patrick Posts: 387 | From: Bakersfield, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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I'm going to check everyday just to get an average.
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