Washington Union Station

[RoyPBower]

I understand that trains terminating at WAS would just discharge passengers on the platform ending in a bumper post. But for through trains going on to southern cities (crescent, Carolinean, Meteor) is there a run through track? Where is it? I was there over the weekend and did not see it. Thanks 

[jrbernier]

  IIRC, there are several 'through' tracks at lower leval to the right of the stub tracks when you walk out from the station to the tracks.  The RF&P tracks go into a tunnel under the Library of Congress and come out on a wide sweeping curve and cross the Potomac River and go into what was the Potomac Yard by National Airport/Crystal City.

Jim

[Deggesty]

Occasionally, Amtrak will bring a train that terminates in Washington in on one of the lower tracks. Last year, we were five hours late arriving from Chicago on the Capitol, and we came in across the platform from the track that the Southern Crescent would come in on, so all passengers who were going south would not have to go into the station but could transfer directly to their next train.

 

[al-in-chgo]

Occasionally, Amtrak will bring a train that terminates in Washington in on one of the lower tracks. Last year, we were five hours late arriving from Chicago on the Capitol, and we came in across the platform from the track that the Southern Crescent would come in on, so all passengers who were going south would not have to go into the station but could transfer directly to their next train.

There could be another good reason to bring the Crescent into the "diesel concourse" besides its being a thru train.  That one is IIRC the only NEC run not to use an electric engine.  Apparently the same Amtrak HEP leaves from (NY/Penn, I'm guessing) station of origin under cat, but not making use of cat. 

There's nothing in the rules against it so long as the lower concourse is used at Was/Union Station.  IIRC there is a platform or two specifically permitting diesel HEP at NY/Penna.  If it's a long train especially, puts the fumes far away.  - a.s.