Thanksgiving 2019

[SouthernRailway]

Thought I’d perhaps jump the gun and start a thread about this year’s Thanksgiving special consists: extra trains listed as “commuter train equipment” in timetables and leased from commuter railroads.

Question: the Crescent is already sold out around Thanksgiving, a month away.

First, why doesn’t Amtrak lease commuter coaches to add to long-distance trains as well, for short trips (maybe for anyone traveling 2 hours or less)?

Second, why doesn’t Amtrak borrow Amtrak-compatible sleeping cars and add them to long-distance trains?

Perhaps prices in these borrowed cars would need to be less than in regular Amtrak cars, and tickets sold for them would need to be clearly marked as a substandard class of service, but why give up the added business? Perhaps Amtrak could borrow an observation-lounge to make the sleeping cars better.

[Greg Moore]

I suspect the issue is simply availability of cars.

While adding cars to long distance trains may make sense, keep in mind you need to get the coaches back to the commuter agency in time for their Monday (or even Friday) traffic.

As for adding sleepers, where are you going to find them? I suspect at any reasonable rate, PV cars would simply cost too much.

The good news is, things should get better over the next few years as Amtrak does in fact get more sleepers and the single-level coaches come online in the Midwest, freeing up some Horizon cars.

My son is already impacted. He waited too long to book his train BACK to Buffalo the Sunday after Thanksgiving and so is going back on Saturday as of now.
And despite my telling my Aunt for months if she wanted to take the train here from Boston to book, it's too late now.

There's definitely money being left on the table in places, but I'm not sure Amtrak has much choice.

[rcthompson04]

Interesting idea, but how practical is it? Maybe taking some SEPTA bomber coaches and mixing them in Keystone Amfleets for a few days. You could use 2 or 3 bombers mixed with Amfleet cars.

[ExCon90]

Bear in mind that SEPTA cars do not have restrooms. You'd probably have to put a note in the timetable or at time of booking that passengers in these cars will have to visit another car in the train to satisfy their needs. (Or "go before you go.")

[STrRedWolf]

You need to fit it under the Hudson tunnels.

That, and the "need to get 'em back to their owners" leads them to only two places: NJ Transit and MARC. (Note it's easier to give 'em back to these two via scheduling than having to dead-head SEPTA trains back to Philly)

If I remember past threads, MARC will be leaned on heavily for MARC IIA/B cars and maybe the MARC 4's. MARC usually can spare the MARC IIA/B's any day of the week. Plus, MARC runs a special Thanksgiving holiday schedule (no Thursday, Penn line 'R' schedule only) and limited weekend schedule on the NEC ("Penn Line"). So it can spare the cars and possibly some HHP-8's if Amtrak's low on the Sprinters.

[MACTRAXX]

Everyone: The Thanksgiving Holiday period this year is as late on the calendar as it can be this year...
The prime dates are Wednesday November 27, Thursday November 28 (Thanksgiving Day) and Sunday
December 1...When Amtrak officially releases the special Thanksgiving Holiday timetable (should be at
some point during the first week of November - after a search nothing is currently available) we should
see what Amtrak's NEC plan will be for their busiest days of the year...

In recent years Amtrak has run basically the same schedule with leased equipment from MARC and NJT
on the Sunday after Thanksgiving only with two trainsets from each.

I will second GM in his mention about having to return leased commuter equipment in time for the Monday
morning rush hour...The Holiday Specials (MARC WAS-NYP-WAS; NJT NYP-WAS-NYP) are timed accordingly.

Amtrak has leased SEPTA push-pull equipment specifically as a reserve in recent years for the Sunday peak.
This trainset is usually placed on the lower level at 30th Street Station (Track 11 or in the Penn Coach Yard)
and would be used PHL-HAR, PHL-NYP or NYP-HAR if necessary...

The instances that I can think of extra commuter rail cars added to Amtrak trains are at least ten or more
years ago - The MARC Heritage Fleet (I even spotted these cars in Chicago back during the Thanksgiving
2000 Holiday period) and the CDOT Constitution Liners before they were retired and sold off...

It is far easier to run any leased equipment separate in its own train. The one example in which commuter
and Amtrak cars operate together is adding two Amcafe cars (if available) to both leased MARC sets...

[Rockingham Racer]

The MBTA used to contribute equipment. Trains ran only between Boston and New Haven, IIRC.

[gokeefe]

This will be one of the last if not "the" last Thanksgiving for Amtrak without new cars in service in Illinois and California. Should be interesting to see any tweaks start to emerge in the service planning.

[njtmnrrbuff]

NJT isn't leasing any of their trainsets to Amtrak this year. The Arrow IIIs need to stay home because of their reliability. It's safe to say that they will never turn a wheel anymore on an Amtrak holiday special. They should have been retired a while ago and their retirement is two to three years away.

[east point]

There is still the problem of private and VIA cars going to NYP. All VIA cars and some private cars have third rail clearance problems so cannot operate there. Now has anyone noted whether any VIA cars will operate Montreal <> Albany ? US Thanksgiving different date than Canadian. Maple Leaf could also have some VIA cars ? However with VIA traffic up it may not be able to spare any cars.

What is a shame is that Amtrak is so short equipment that it cannot assign at least 1 or 2 Amfleet-1 cars to LD trains for short haul passengers.

[mtuandrew]

Assuming that Anderson or his successor would ever be interested in making nice with AAPRCO, I would like to see the private car owners collectively assemble a reasonably-standard Heritage coach fleet available for hire year-round. Mostly it would serve tourist lines, leaf excursions, and the odd office car special for regionals and short lines. During the holiday travel season (broadly late November to early January), Amtrak would have dibs - and to assemble and keep the fleet in repair, Amtrak would pay AAPRCO for five years of seasonal use up front for a fleet of 110 mph-capable cars that fit in NYP (though I would personally restrict these coaches out of NYP when possible, excepting the Lake Shore Limited.) The fleet would be operated for the common benefit of the AAPRCO members, so that gives them an incentive to take part.

Sleepers and food service cars would still be up to Amtrak, I don’t see a feasible way to keep those cars ADA-accessible and standardized.

[gokeefe]

What I've noticed is the planned "refresh" of the Horizon cars. I really wonder what Amtrak would do at Thanksgiving with the availability of a large fleet of "reserve" rolling stock.

[mtuandrew]

What I've noticed is the planned "refresh" of the Horizon cars. I really wonder what Amtrak would do at Thanksgiving with the availability of a large fleet of "reserve" rolling stock.

Keep them parked, probably

[gokeefe]

Haha ... So we might say based on the temporary date of the Viewliner diners.

Thankfully it appears that a far better fate awaits the Horizon cars. Fun Fact: If all 80 coaches were moved as a single train it would be 6,800 feet long plus the engines.

Interesting to think about how Amtrak could move the fleet around from one peak travel zone to another. Major college football games, state fairs etc, could all have "Special" service.

[STrRedWolf]

Amtrak just posted their Thanksgiving Holiday schedule for Nov 22nd to Dec 2nd. Looking through them...

No "Holiday Commuters" on the Empire... None on the Keystone...

NEC Southbound on Sunday Dec 1st: 1063 NYP 3:30pm WAS 7:03pm, 1065 NYP 8:20pm WAS 11:51pm

NEC Northbound on Sunday Dec 1st: 1054 WAS 9:55am NYP 1:30pm, 1056 WAS 2:30pm NYP 6:05pm

My bet is that MARC lent Amtrak two sets of MARC II cars, smacked a cafe car and their engine on each set, and they're doing push-pull.