We got home a couple nights ago. We rode to just outside New Orleans (Schreiver)and then home 7 days later. Visited the kids there. I noticed something different and wanted to ask about it. From Tucson, where we got aboard, until we hit Louisiana, we stopped for NO freight trains. They all stopped for us. As soon as we were in Louisiana we started stopping for them. Same thing pretty much on the return. Is there a state law or something going on ? Or just coincidence ?, Steve in so az
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
Not a "law" and not just coincidence either. You're pretty much in the hands of host railroad traffic patterns and dispatchers and whether you are on a multi-track or single track route.
New Orleans to Lake Charles, LA = BNSF Lake Charles, LA to Los Angeles, CA = UP
Now in the heartland, BNSF will treat you better than UP generally, but I can't speak to the southern routing. Anyone?
Posted by steve in so az (Member # 3394) on :
Thanks Mike - that solves the mystery. steve
Posted by dixiebreeze (Member # 3224) on :
Mike, do you think we'll ever get AMTRAK service back in Ocala?
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
dixiebreeze, I think we can forget about Amtrak ever using the "S" line through Ocala for passenger service again. CSX is rerouting a lot of their freights off the "A" line south of here which is supposed to mean an average of 30 freights a day through Ocala (up from 20 or so). The deal is that there is going to be commuter service down around Mousetown, so they freed up the "A" line for that. There is also talk about future relocation of the CSX line "around" Ocala.
I belong to the Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers, and our most important priority right now is just getting service from NOL east to, say, JAX.
Posted by dixiebreeze (Member # 3224) on :
Mike, thanks for the info. I agree NO to Jax is the highest priority. It seems insurmountable to try and reach the right people to make it happen. What do we have to do -- sit on the tracks?