Conference Car 9800

Of course Mr. Silverliner, we should note that some of your Zone 6 colleagues are evidently not known for their slow approaches to a station platform:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grvYULRu ... re=related

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Of course Mr. Silverliner, we should note that some of your Zone 5 colleagues are evidently not known for their slow and safe approaches to a station platform:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grvYULRu ... re=related

Nice catch.....Brings a tear to my eye seeing that.Haha. When I say Dc guys, I mean DC zone 2. Ive seen Transit trains run faster then some of those guys.Haha

Now THATS what im talking about!!!

budd, I know you know that I know you have your reasons for coming in slower to stations, and they are fine and perfectly acceptable. I totally understand using up your air, bailing off, ep, etc - im joking (kinda) but its all in good fun - running trains on the NEC is not unlike driving down route 1 or I 95...there are a LOT of similaries! You all have heard of "road rage" well, there is "rail rage" which kicks in and sometimes get worse, because there is NOTHING you can do, at least in a car, you can go around some pokey moron......

But when I have a 10 car ML set with an ALP46 (original) on a rainy day and I start to get hassled by the Amtrak guy because he isn't getting good signals into Metropark after already bellyaching to CETC8 about the bad signals, it gets kinda annoying when im getting in and out of the station much faster than he ever will even with the massive wheelslip I am fighting (which is why I got the railroad at Islen before he did and wasn't held there and wait for them to pass and platform). And anyway, harrassing me is just gonna make me go slower, so its counterproductive. Ill get out of the way ASAP (and some dispatchers know that, which is why I usually get good moves when they hear my voice) but if some guy (amtrak or another NJT guy) is bothering me about being slow, etc, guess what, my "slow and steady" trainhandling kicks in - I have a trainload of precious cargo back there and I don't want anyone spilling their coffee

For better train handling the cab-cars (both the 9600's and C-Dots) should have Suppression so ya don't throw everyone around going to Full Service everytime ACSES or Cab signals drop. Jtgshu, lol, going slower one someone bitches, lol. That's like blowing the horn more when passing MofW guys who keep saying they're in the clear over the radio. Ha. And Budd: I'm sorry, but did you go through a growth spurt 6'2"?!? I know I haven't seen ya in a few weeks, but I didn't think you were that tall.

Making diving station stops in full service doesn't imply you know anything about running an engine or a smooth train for that matter. Deadheading on the NEC, I'm constantly mortified how poor some people can manage to run a train and how embarrassed I am that they hold the same federally issued liscense... the looks from other passengers saying "Don't you people police yourselves better than this" is distressing too...

JT, I thought the radio was SUPPOSE to be used for razzin other railroaders and bellyaching instead of what we should be using it for like voice operated signals. Hahaha. Njt guys do there fair share of bellyaching anf I just take it in stride as just anotherday on the railroad. Hell, both companies are vying for track space. Capacity is non existent.
Csxconductor, I'm 6'2 but I have such poor posture from a curved lower spine stemming from a car accident that almost killed me my senior year of high-school. If I stand up straight then you would see it.
Mikeespee who do you work for as an engineer ? Personally I don't like reading engineers bashing other engineers on these boards. I think its highly disrespectful. I raz the DC guys for being slow southerners but that's it. I'm just curious about who you directing those comments towards? Njt engineers? Did you think it was the equipment? Dive bombing signals and stations is how they are taught to run and although I won't be so quick to say its a rough ride or its the engineer , I am quick to say its the equipment like ac traction, long push pull trains with plenty of slack to deal with , or the braking system which slows trains down in much reduced distances but I don't feel as though it provides a smoother ride. Also many of the locomotives that they run won't allow bailing off engine brakes with a cab signal drop and quite honestly I think blended brake is downright harsh on any locomotive.

Nah Budd, the radio used to be for playing funny sounds and ring tones and movie clips - the crickets sound was always fun when sitting at a stop signal for 5 minutes.

MikeEspee wrote:Making diving station stops in full service doesn't imply you know anything about running an engine or a smooth train for that matter. Deadheading on the NEC, I'm constantly mortified how poor some people can manage to run a train and how embarrassed I am that they hold the same federally issued liscense... the looks from other passengers saying "Don't you people police yourselves better than this" is distressing too...

uhhhh what?

You can make a smooth as silk stop with a full serivce reduction, you can make a bumpy stop with 10 lbs of reduction. More brake does NOT necessarily mean its going to be rougher or a harsh ride. Often, the less brake the bumpier it is as some cars have light brake on, others don't, and they start bouncing around til they all start to grab.

"don't you police yourselves better than this" huh? I have NEVER been "policed" by another engineer, except when I was a student - a road foreman yes, not another engineer. id love for a deadheading employee, ESPECIALLY another engineer, to come up and start questioning/complaining about the ride - HAHAHA. That'd be fun........



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Do the Amtrak Corridor Clipper or 9800 have schedules? I know that in the case of the 9800 it would run when people charter it, but is there a list of when it is chartered out for? Also, the corridor clipper since it is used for inspection does it run by a certain schedule, does Amtrak just periodically put it on random trains, and does it run every day?
Thanks for the help,
Daniel

Daniel, I'm not aware of any public listing of special movements. The best advice I can offer you is to keep an eye on out "Unique Equipment Sightings" thread. Hopefully someone down the line will see 9800 or CC before they get to your neck of the woods. That was the original intent when we started that thread 4-ish years ago.

I called Amtrak once to inquire about chartering the "Amtrak Conference Car 9800" and they reservation agent had NO IDEA what I was even talking about - and neither did four of her other colleagues, including her supervisor that was on duty!

Possibly 9800 and the Great Dome car are handled by Group Sales, not part of the Reservation Department. They also have a different phone number.

Tadman, Thanks for pointing me in the right direction with the "Unique Equipment Sightings" thread.

JimBoylan,
Maybe you should try this: http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentSe ... 1245658523
There is no phone number, but the email adress is [email protected]
These would probably be the right people to talk to. If you do find out how much it costs I would like to know.
-Daniel

From the looks of the page you linked, Amtrak is fine with taking you anywhere, not just their system?

Davis