Thanksgiving Week Extras

I was wondering about which days during the typical Thanksgiving weekend Amtrak runs trains with equipment from other railroads (NJT, MARC, SEPTA) Is it just the Wednesday before and the Sunday after? I'm planning on heading to D.C. on the Friday after and I really don't want to be stuck sitting in a Arrow III for 2 and half hours.

Olton Hall wrote:I'm planning on heading to D.C. on the Friday after and I really don't want to be stuck sitting in a Arrow III for 2 and half hours.

Yeah, no kidding! And with a 90 mph max authorized speed (recently increased from 80, but still...), you can probably add some additional time to the trip with an Arrow III.

I remember back when I was still in college, I took Amtrak to DC after Thanksgiving break. Not only was I stuck in a MARC coach, and not only did I have to stand, but I had to stand in the vestibule from Metropark to Philadelphia, where the crowd thinned enough that I could at least get into aisle. That can't be too safe, and I wonder about the legality of stuffing that many people onto a train! Thanksgiving might be a good time for watching trains, but riding them isn't so much fun!

I've seen leased commuter equipment on Amtrak only on Thanksgiving day and Sunday. The commuter railroads need their trains on Wednesday and Friday.

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As always, thank you Mr. Vogel for sharing your excellent work with the Forum.

I must wonder if the MARC x-PRR & N&W "World's Fair Cars" will make a cameo appearance on the Corridor this Thanx. Now that the Amtrak "Congressional' cars have apparently been withdrawan (I didn't see any sign of them when I was "out' last month), these cars represent the last vestige of pre-Amtrak life on the Corridor.

A little history on the (my term) "World's Fair Cars". These cars, about 40 in total, were rebuilt by the PRR during 1963 in anticipation of increased traffic for the 1964 New York World's Fair (I guess those belong to a bygone era in our post 9/11 world) from Budd ex-21 Rm "--Inn" and from ex-N&W 10-6 "--College" cars.

The rebuilds were most definitely "on the cheap". The interiors had the aestethics of an "OR", they could be cleaned with a garden hose. No effort was made to realign the windows for coach seating (no view? "sorry bout that), some of the seats were salvaged from some 44 seat LD coaches that had to be prematurely retired account corrosion.

But I guess they did the job during "Pioneer Days' on the Corridor and in MARC commuter service as well. if they are still in service (I noted several at Wash on my recent trip), they are a true testameant to the durability of now 55+ old Budd equipment that somehow I think has "not exactly' been maintained "by the book" since leaving Pullman Company lease (most definitely so then; Pullman put even the reportedly high VIA Rail standards "in second place").

OK, I'm starting to take exception to the knocks against the AIII (my sentimental fav piece of NJT equipment). Granted, being on them from Nwk to PJ can be a bit daunting sometimes; so I imagine their not too much fun to DC as well.

The best advice is book something in advance if you can. When you're in Amtrak's reservations system the web, make sure you're not booking a train with a four digit number (excepting the Acela's, of course). The holiday extras are usually in the 11xx series or the 30xx series, with I believe the 30xx's most often being commuter equipment. Last year's holiday schedule seemed to indicate that the 11xx trains were second sections of Regionals that often operated the full DC-BOS.

I did a quick check of searching for a reservation from Newark to DC on Thursday and Sunday, and also Friday. The system pulled up a couple 30xx's on Thursday and Sunday, and did not identify them as "Regional Service" but did indicate a food service car. Might be the return of the "enhanced MARC train" (MARC set with a Amtrak cafe) as seen before. Friday, however, showed nothing but Regionals, Metroliners, and AE's.


Perhaps we should expand this to include other Thanksgiving travel tips for the NEC and other parts of the system? All I can say is that this is the weekend to treat youself to an Acela if you can afford it. I will be going BOS-BWI again this year, repeating my trip on Wednesday's #2153 SB and Sunday's #2252 NB. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for as smooth a trip as last year.

Thanks for the advise everyone. Bob, as always, great photos.

No slam against the Arrows. I like them and ride them all the time. Its just that when you are traveling any distance and paying Amtrak fares, I would like to have Amfleet cars.

Good luck to anyone who plans to go out there trackside in Jersey. The Friday after thanksgiving, I might go to Princeton. I doublt that there will be foreign equipment Hopefully, no one will get turned away from the platforms

The Turbos, on the other hand, are unencumbered by any rush-hour obligation, and I expect Amtrak to operate them around-the-clock through the Thanksgiving rush... probably between Newport News and Metropark. Pack a sweater if it's cold out.

dumpster.penguin wrote:The Turbos, on the other hand, are unencumbered by any rush-hour obligation, and I expect Amtrak to operate them around-the-clock through the Thanksgiving rush... probably between Newport News and Metropark. Pack a sweater if it's cold out.

I really doubt this one, the Turbo trains are owned by New York State and
Amtrak is already in a major dispute with N.Y.S. over these trains. I
seriously doubt that they want any more problems with this one.
Noel Weaver

I was wondering until yesterday how people knew which trains were the extras (besides the train number) I didn't know about the NEC holiday schudule book until I picked one up at the station. It appears they don't publish this schedule on line.

Hey, I got the timetable today. There are no Baltimore Terminating southbound Extras. This means that the MARC sets will run through to DC instead of ending at BAL for the monday rush. Odd, I wonder what prompted this change.

Maybe for once, JUST ONCE, Amtrak has chosen to do something for the convenience of their passengers, instead of dragging out the litany of reasons to justify terminating the Sunday trains assigned MARC equipemnt in Baltimore.

will any marc sets make there way up into NYP

Mr Met wrote:will any marc sets make there way up into NYP

Yes, they have in the past.