All things Pennsylvanian AND Keystone West

[STrRedWolf]

I think this is the best fit here...

Turns out a group, Atlantic Rail Tours LLC of South Carolina, was getting together an add-on excursion on the Pennsy, in time for Pittsburgh's Anthrocon this year:

https://dogpatch.press/2019/04/01/anthrotracks/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Anthrotracks will take place aboard beautifully restored and maintained mid-20th-century railcars that will be carried on a round-trip from New York City to Pittsburgh — departing New York westbound on July 4 and returning east on July 8 — coupled to Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian train, which plies the route daily in both directions and is financially supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The chartered railcars are owned or managed by the Morristown and Erie Railway, a short line railroad in northern New Jersey. In addition to New York, passengers will also be able to board westbound and alight eastbound at Newark and Trenton, N.J. and Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa.

Those wishing to travel with Anthrotracks can choose between private sleeping car accommodations — a roomette for a solo traveler or a double bedroom shared by two passengers — and comfortable day seating in a lounge or parlor car. Those reserving sleeping accommodations will be able to use the railcars as their lodging for four nights while they are stationary at Pittsburgh’s Amtrak station, which is conveniently located three blocks from the Lawrence Convention Center. Both sleeping car and day passengers will have unlimited access to the activity cars and food and beverages are included in the ticket price for both classes of service.

Note I said *was*. They couldn't pull it off this year but aims for 2020:

From https://anthrotracks.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;:

Thank you for your interest in Anthrotracks. After going over the numbers several times, lengthy discussions among our team, and consulting with trusted advisors, we have reached the difficult decision not to move forward with Anthrotracks 2019 (a chartered railcar excursion to/from Pittsburgh for Anthrocon 2019). However, this is not the end of Anthrotracks as an idea — rather, we hope it is only the beginning.

We apologize for any inconvenience to anyone who may have made plans to travel or stay with us for Anthrocon 2019. If any payments were made, a full refund will be issued.

[jhdeasy]

The planned early July charter from New York to Pittsburgh and return, for Anthrocon 2019, was to be:

BIRKEN (M&E Railway)
PASSAIC RIVER (M&E Railway)
PACIFIC HOME (National Passenger Car Repair LLC)
PACIFIC UNION (Webb Rail LLC)
MOUNT VERNON (Dominion Rail Voyages LLC)

Amtrak, M&E Railway and participating private car owners were supportive of the client’s request, and spent considerable time in discussing how to best operate this movement. However, in the end it did not work out financially. It appears there were not a sufficient number of convention attendees who were willing to spend their money on private car travel and lodging. Maybe they would rather spend their $ on another animal costume to wear.

[STrRedWolf]

Doubtful (for a few reasons).

I think the group would need to reach out to Anthrocon proper to get more marketing going, which if they aim for 2020, would work in their favor. I barely heard about it on Twitter twice (once a month in advance, and then just now).

Also, let's switch to the average furry going to con: the trip/place to stay/etc would of been around $1200 from 30th street to Pittsburgh (in other words, a hotel on rails, and yes I checked when they were offering). An average costume ("fursuit") is at least $3000. Staying in an actual hotel? Let me check, I had to book the Omni... $180-$200/night (4 nights being $800), but since I'm staying Wed to Tues, $1070 in total.

Yeaaaaahhh... $800 for four days, and I can spend $400 on food and goodies at the con, over $1200 and I still have to spend cash for food and goodies, but at least I can crawl into bed at 2am after the last party of the convention and NOT miss the ride home? These are not rich folk on average.

But we're getting off track. I kinda wonder how much the cost would have been in total, and what the capacity was on each car.

[rcthompson04]

I have seen the Pennsylvanian being pulled eastbound a couple times recently in Chester County with a ACS-64 in front and a Genesis right behind it. Is this just some equipment moving tactic or a Genesis issue?

[CNJGeep]

If it is a P42 that does not have working PTC, they will put an ACS in front of it Harrisburg east.

[STrRedWolf]

Would they drop the ACS at Harrisburg going westbound (P42 leading, but controlling the ACS to Harrisburg)? Or would it be leading none the less?

[Backshophoss]

P-40/42's that are not normally used on the NEC may not have ACSES gear installed.others made be rigged for ITCS and cannot lead in I-ETMS territory.
NS is I-ETMS territory.

[STrRedWolf]

Any word on track work being held around the July 4th holiday? I know Amtrak's got work along the Keystone East-of-Harrisburg line, and I hope it won't affect the Pennsy going to Pittsburgh. I wonder what NS has up it's sleeves.

Yes, I'm taking it again this year, July 3rd going up and July 9th coming back.

[njtmnrrbuff]

I took 43 from NWK-ALT last Saturday and between Paoli and Thorn Interlocking, we ran slow and on the opposite track. I checked Septa’s site and it said they were doing trackwork around Whitford. I think there were other things being done too. We were about 25 minutes late into Altoona. Yesterday’s 43 was late into ALT by the same amount of time.

Today, I take 43 from ALT to PGH and will be spending a little under a week in PGH before returning to NWK on 42 the very last day in June.

[rcthompson04]

I took 43 from NWK-ALT last Saturday and between Paoli and Thorn Interlocking, we ran slow and on the opposite track. I checked Septa’s site and it said they were doing trackwork around Whitford. I think there were other things being done too. We were about 25 minutes late into Altoona. Yesterday’s 43 was late into ALT by the same amount of time.

Today, I take 43 from ALT to PGH and will be spending a little under a week in PGH before returning to NWK on 42 the very last day in June.

Tie replacement and other repairs are going on between Thorndale and Paoli right now with SEPTA suspended some weekends. Work is also occurring at the Paoli and Exton stations with the Paoli work causing issues some weekends.

[gp80mac]

Any word on track work being held around the July 4th holiday? I know Amtrak's got work along the Keystone East-of-Harrisburg line, and I hope it won't affect the Pennsy going to Pittsburgh. I wonder what NS has up it's sleeves.

Yes, I'm taking it again this year, July 3rd going up and July 9th coming back.

https://www.logisticsmgmt.com/article/n ... n_the_line

That's when they are supposed to start up the TOP21/ next stage PSR stuff.

[ThirdRail7]

For the record, the fight for the second Pennsylvanian does not go well. Here is a link to an older article.

What happened to those feasibility studies for additional passenger rail in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvanians want more trains. The Amtrak Pennsylvanian line runs only once a day from Pittsburgh through Harrisburg to Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York. Adding more service has been proposed for years, with towns like Johnstown, Pittsburgh, Huntingdon, and Lewistown begging for another train.

But results from feasibility studies looking at adding passenger rail service have yet to emerge. A study on adding more service from Pittsburgh to Altoona is allegedly in process, but that extra service’s potential future funding is currently in dire straits. And another study looking at adding service from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg appears to have been shelved entirely.

Things haven't improves much since this was posted. In addition, there may be a fight for the existing Pennsylvanian and Keystone Service:

Funding cuts jeopardize Amtrak service, PennDOT official says

The state’s Amtrak passenger rail service will be impacted when the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s $450 million annual payment to PennDOT plunges by $400 million three years from now, a PennDOT official warned Thursday.

“Amtrak service is in jeopardy, as we know it today,” even without the pending funding crisis, Jennie Granger, PennDOT’s deputy secretary for multimodal transportation, told about 110 business and government officials at the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Westmoreland Country Club in Penn Township.

[Suburban Station]

a logical argument could be made for using turnpike funds for Amtrak service across the state but the argument is much more specious when it is for funding PAT and SEPTA, especially when the turnpike doesn't directly serve either city.

[rcthompson04]

The state’s Amtrak passenger rail service will be impacted when the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s $450 million annual payment to PennDOT plunges by $400 million three years from now, a PennDOT official warned Thursday.

“Amtrak service is in jeopardy, as we know it today,” even without the pending funding crisis, Jennie Granger, PennDOT’s deputy secretary for multimodal transportation, told about 110 business and government officials at the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Westmoreland Country Club in Penn Township.

[/quote]

Some of the ideas in the article are just out there (i.e. commuter rail for Pittsburgh). Western Pennsylvania is a bastion of terrible regional cooperation when it comes to transportation. Rail is no exception.

That is why I suggest the SEPTA counties and a few others get together and push for cutting a portion of the sales tax and letting counties who want better transit to be able to charge that amount or double if they vote for it. Giving each county the ability to collect 1 to 2% sales tax for transit would eliminate this argument of the rest of the state versus the populated areas.

[ohioriverrailway]

So 30 (01) was held for connecting trains from the west. And it arrived PGH about 7:45A
But 42 (02) wasn't held for those 15 minutes so folks could connect to it.
Sounds illogical...but is it possible no one makes that 30/42 connection?