To Philly For Fifty

MACTRAXX wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 3:28 pm Mike: You mean the Elizabeth curve in NJ - Metuchen area curves (MET-NBK) are not that big a deal.
That speed restriction between Elizabeth Station and Elmora/South Elizabeth was proposed at one time
to be eliminated in some manner (was it the late 70s/early 80s NECIP program?) to improve service.

I am in full agreement about the Baltimore tunnels with their advanced age and speed restrictions for
trains - I also recall that there was a gauntlet track in the tunnels S/W of BAL that required single track
operation for freight trains - is this still the case if freight trains use this routing?

The prime problem is still the rail infrastructure that exists in the 10 miles between NYP and NWK.
Unless that segment sees massive improvement - most of us all know what that means - the NEC
will never be able to offer the potential of service towards HSR that the NEC needs...MACTRAXX

The gauntlet track in the B&P tunnel (No.89 switch) has been removed. Amtrak told CSXT that they would have to pay the full up keep on the switch. The reply from CSXT is that they had no use for the switch as the had no plans to run High Wides south of Baltimore. The same was true for the Gauntlet switch (No.22) at New Carrollton (Carrol).

The gauntlet track in the B&P tunnel was always a bottleneck. When a train ran on it the adjacent track was fouled. The gauntlet track was installed to allow TOFC and auto racks to run through the tunnel without hitting the curved arch. I remember dispatching out of the second floor of Baltimore Penn station one night (circa 1983 or so) when I told the operators at Gwynn and B&P Jct to run a northbound freight on "The G". I had about 30 minutes before the next southbound Amtrak train arrived in Baltimore and I figured the freight would clear with 5 to 8 minutes to spare. So there I was at the window watching the freight start by the station on "A" track when suddenly cars started going sideways with one of them punching through the retaining wall and onto I-83. It turns out Potomac Yards had improperly blocked the train with empties on the head-end. BTW - did I mention we had a 100% OTP day going .... oops. Long story short, the B&P (Block'em and Plug'em) tunnel has always been a royal PITA. Replacing it (and filling it with concrete) will greatly improve through put through Baltimore.

Excerpt from Joe's Penn Coach Yard remarks:

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ ... CID=MY01SV

Well, he made one similar speech at Union Station with a P-42 as a stage prop as VP; well, it looks as if an Acela 2 was cast in that role this time.

RRspatch wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 11:45 pm There's a fairly sharp curve just south of the BWI Airport station (Stoney Run) that Amtrak had planned to straighten out. This was to be done right after the sharp curve midway between Bowie and Odenton was done. Unfortunately the second project got delayed (funding?) and the new BWI station cemented the curve in place.

I think you can still straighten out that curve, but you'll have to move the platforms north and bridge over the Stoney Run itself. You might as well reconstruct the crossing bridge, put in passenger access to track 2, and get ready to put in track 4. Not quite the extensive rebuild they were planning for!

The biggest slow downs are of course through the stations. Places like Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia and Newark all have slow speeds through them if you're not stopping.

Upgrading some interlockings with No.32 turnouts would also help.

A lot of that looks to be related to track layout and infrastructure itself. Baltimore has the B&P, is arranged so that you have to north to go south, and you're stopping there anyway. Wilmington is the same. Philadelphia is just as curvy with ZOO and Frankfort Junction. Newark's got that kink at Harrison. To do it right means moving stations, which would make politicians balk at the expense.

"But with a presidential train trip challenging because of security concerns, Biden instead flew to Philadelphia for Amtrak's celebration at its busy 30th Street Station." https://abc7chicago.com/politics/live-b ... /10553853/

Not hyperbole, just expensive:

The 3 curves are 3 slow points (80 ~ 90mph) that Are located right in the middle of what should be long fast 165 mph operations. (Maybe even maxing 180+)

They have an outside affect because trains lose speed not only in the curve but have to run 100 mph in the miles of approach and departure That would otherwise be good enough for 165 mph service

The 3 are:
1) Frankford Junction (of 2015 crash fame)
2) Methuen curves (that kinks the north end of the Trenton / New Brunswick speedway)
3) Elizabeth Curve (That kinks things again between Methuen in Newark airport)


Each should have been fixed ages ago by eminent domain

The 4th, non curve, would be to restore the 3rd track through Delaware Which is track that is fully 165 mph capable but is too congested to allow overtaking operations at speed

Would have been nice if The Times phototographer could have taken Joe in front of Acela 2 instead of MP-15 #578 (that # once belonged to an SDP-40F):

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/30/us/p ... cture.html

Fair Use:

PHILADELPHIA — President Biden returned on Friday to a place that is nearly as attached to his identity as his decades-long pursuit of the presidency: an Amtrak station.

This time, however, Mr. Biden was not kicking off a presidential campaign from the back of a train in Wilmington, Del., as he did in 1987. He barely had time to rub shoulders with commuters, a daily tradition during his decades in the Senate.

And he flew into town on Air Force One

Some PR person should be reprimanded for even having that old locomotive anywhere on the property. The media take pictures of whatever frames the shot.

Should have had a Keystone cab to evoke the metro liner if you to evoke 50 years ago. The MP-15 #578 is absolutely crazy

Other content redacted, it had served its purpose

Thanks. Fixed.

Here is the text of Joe's remarks at Penn Coach:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-roo ... niversary/

There's also a link to a Press Conference held while in flight with Press Secretary Jennifer Psaki. "Color herself lucky" she did not to field a question to the effect of "If trains are so great, why are we up here?"

Finally if anyone knows, which aircraft, a VC-25 (747) or C-32 (757), was Air Force One on this Mission?

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Would have been nice if The Times phototographer could have taken Joe in front of Acela 2 instead of MP-15 #578

Entirely on agreement Mr. Norman. I saw that photo and could only think to myself "somebody really screwed up". Knowing how intentional the White House is about optics (I've seen the advance team do its work) I could only think to myself that it was a deliberate decision (apparently wrong in this case).

If you are wondering what kind of things can fall through the cracks early on in a Presidential administration this is probably an ever so subtle example.

I saw the Obama team doing its work in 2014 and they were amazing. Clearly seasoned veterans by that point in time.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Agree on the optics, yet having Joe next to a work train does have a symbolic angle in regards to infrastructure renewal.

Arlington wrote: ↑Sat May 01, 2021 3:04 pm Some PR person should be reprimanded for even having that old locomotive anywhere on the property. The media take pictures of whatever frames the shot.

Should have had a Keystone cab to evoke the metro liner if you to evoke 50 years ago. The MP-15 #578 is absolutely crazy

The new Acela 2 train set was positioned directly behind the President during his speech.

MikeBPRR wrote: ↑Fri Apr 30, 2021 2:19 pm So in his speech today, President Biden said that if three curves were straightened out, we could get from
NYP to WAS in under two hours.

North of NYP, running times might be shortened if a straight route such as a tunnel under Long Island Sound
was built. A tunnel under the sound was one of Moses' ultimate dreams -instead of the LIE/I-495 ending
as a dead end at Riverhead, it would be a through route to New England, rejoining I-95 in CT or RI.

If a cross-sound tunnel was built, it would be the ultimate insult to Moses' legacy - if built for rail.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Sat May 01, 2021 1:57 pm Would have been nice if The Times phototographer could have taken Joe in front of Acela 2 instead
of MP-15 #578

For everyone, here's the AP press photo. There's a Silverliner V on 30 Street upper level and is that the Phase III Amfleet cafe from the 40th anniversary train?

Those Silverliners were 12 storage cars from Powelton that were set up as a sniper break.