Next Stop: Princeton Junction - in about 10 minutes

I come home from work every day using the NEC from Metropark to Hamilton on the 8365 train. At the New Brunswick station a conductor sometimes announces "Next Stop: Princeton Junction - in about 10 minutes." This strikes me as odd, not only because the scheduled trip is 15 minutes and not 10, but because more often than not the train is stalled in between the two stations due to following an Amtrak train.

Yesterday, though, the train arrived at Princeton Junction (and departed and arrived at Hamilton) 4 minutes early. This has never happened at any station before. Are they allowed to do that?

You mean train 3865?

If so, you notice the "L" next to each stop in the printed timetable. They're even allowed to leave Metropark early. Did they?

Yeah, 3865. No, they did not leave Metropark early. Well, maybe by a minute or so.

An ALP-44 or ALP-46 powered train should be able to get up to 100 mph between New Brunswick and Princeton Junction, so it will be able to do the run faster than an Arrow 3, which is limited to 80 or so.

"Princeton Jct in about XXX (normally 10) minutes" is said to prevent passegners from getting up as soon as the train leaves Jersey Ave or New Brunswick, and the announcement is made "Princeton Jct next". This isn't so much a problem wiht regular everyday commuters, but rather non frequent passengers standing and getting all cranky becasue tehy thougth PJ was the next stop in like 3 minutes.......

"...should be able to get up to 100 mph..."

Except most all the loco-hauled trains have at least one Comet V, right?

timz wrote:"...should be able to get up to 100 mph..."

Except most all the loco-hauled trains have at least one Comet V, right?

Yeah, what's up with that? Why the continued delay in getting Amtrak to approve the Comet V for 100 mph on the NEC?

The Comets seem to go noticebly faster than the Arrows in that stretch. I wonder if the C5's will ever be upped to 100 mph. They seem have a lot of truck hunting at 90 mph and it's very noticible in the New Brunswick to Princton Jct. stretch. Quite annoying from a passenger standpoint with the car bouncing back and forth like that.

The worse part about that "about" 10 minutes is that you really want to fall a sleep. The passengers are quite, no announcements, the rails singing on the concrete ties, zzzzzz. That's why the one conductor does the "Wakey Wakey" announcement.

Olton Hall wrote:I wonder if the C5's will ever be upped to 100 mph. They seem have a lot of truck hunting at 90 mph and it's very noticible in the New Brunswick to Princton Jct. stretch. Quite annoying from a passenger standpoint with the car bouncing back and forth like that.

Yep, I've noticed that as well on that very stretch! I figured something must be wrong with the particular car I was in, but I guess it's systemic among the Comet V's.

Oddly enough, the C5's (both NJT and MN) are certified for 100 mph operation on NJT property, but as far as I know, there are no 100 mph stretches on NJT rail, only Amtrak. They are the ones which set the restriction at 90mph

Some of the Comet Vs handle very nicely at high speeds (like the one I rode on Thursday on the NEC- NICE!!!!) but unfortunately, some don't.

Even the Arrows are only limited to 80 they have a quicker takeoff. In the long run though the push-pulls are much more efficent

^Well, the Arrows have better acceleration period. But on the other hand, if you have a 46, it can achieve greater speeds period plus push pulls don't have to be inspected as much compared to the arrows since each arrrow unit is considered an engine and must be inspected more while the coaches don't have to be inspected as often. Each type of train has its own advantages.