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Anyone been on a long distance run that actually came on time lately!?
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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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.
sojourner Member # 3134
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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.
Grandma Judy Member # 3278
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Westbound EB early into Pasco in January.
Pojon Member # 3080
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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!
CG96 Member # 1408
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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.
Capltd29 Member # 3292
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OTP isnt a rarity on some LD trains, such as the Empire Builder, so it varies, and a generalization cant really be made.
For me, the Capitol Limited was within 15 minutes in both directions on my trip in November.
JP
sutton Member # 1612
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It's funny: last year, the Empire Builder was early and the Three Rivers was nine hours late!
Pojon Member # 3080
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This year the Sunset Limited was 47 hours late on one run!
City of Miami Member # 2922
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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
notelvis Member # 3071
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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.
CoastStarlight99 Member # 2734
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Pojon, how come all your threads come out as two?
Mr. Toy Member # 311
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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.
sbalax Member # 2801
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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
chrisg Member # 2488
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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
Boyce Member # 2719
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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).
notelvis Member # 3071
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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!
NothinCouldBeFiner... Member # 3832
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Is there a place you can check online to "track" the trains' time? I know you can call the 800# and do it.
quote:Originally posted by Pojon: Anyone been on a long distance run that actually came on time lately!?
sbalax Member # 2801
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Go to www.amtrak.com and use the "Train Status" feature on the Home Page.
Frank is blustery SBA.
NothinCouldBeFiner... Member # 3832
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OOPs! I found it! I just didn't scroll down far enough. I was looking on top. Thanks!
NothinCouldBeFiner... Member # 3832
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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.
Frank is blustery SBA.
sbalax Member # 2801
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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.
mikesmith Member # 447
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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...
sbalax Member # 2801
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Hey, Mike--
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.
George Harris Member # 2077
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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.
mikesmith Member # 447
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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?
sbalax Member # 2801
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Mike--
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.
George Harris Member # 2077
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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.
amtraxmaniac Member # 2251
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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.
posted ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I'm going to check everyday just to get an average.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)