Silver Star has two locomotives again

[longhorn1969]

For awhile the Star had one unit, now its back to two units for a 8 car consist, anyone know why?

[daveklepper]

Possibly reliability?

[JPS1]

daveklepper

 Possibly reliability? 

The Texas Eagle has been running with just one locomotive for as long as I can remember.  Until recently it had been pulling 8 cars, but it appears to have dropped the baggage car.  It may have been because of declining ridership caused at least in part by the poor on time performance of the train.  

According to Amtrak's Host Railroad Report for September 2018, in FY18 Amtrak experienced approximately 2,000 minutes of delay per 10,000 miles on the host roads.  Amtrak locomotive failure was responsible for approximately 50 hours per 10,000 miles or roughly 2.5 percent of the delays.  It appears that Amtrak's locomotive failure on the host railroads is low.  

[daveklepper]

So, what is the reason?

[blue streak 1]

JPS1

According to Amtrak's Host Railroad Report for September 2018, in FY18 Amtrak experienced approximately 2,000 minutes of delay per 10,000 miles on the host roads.  Amtrak locomotive failure was responsible for approximately 50 hours per 10,000 miles or roughly 2.5 percent of the delays.  It appears that Amtrak's locomotive failure on the host railroads is low.  

 

Did you mean to mix time units?  50 hours would = 3000 minutes.

 

[JPS1]

blue streak 1

 JPS1 According to Amtrak's Host Railroad Report for September 2018, in FY18 Amtrak experienced approximately 2,000 minutes of delay per 10,000 miles on the host roads.  Amtrak locomotive failure was responsible for approximately 50 hours per 10,000 miles or roughly 2.5 percent of the delays.  It appears that Amtrak's locomotive failure on the host railroads is low.   

Did you mean to mix time units?  50 hours would = 3000 minutes. 

Good catch.  It should be 50 minutes.  

[Electroliner 1935]

Perhaps the influx of the new Siemans locomotives have made the P42's more available?

[Bobkat525]

Not that familiar w/The Star . .  Cud it possibly be that it runs as two sections and combines/splits somewhere along its route (e.g.: The Builder at Spokane.

[Deggesty]

Bobkat525

Not that familiar w/The Star . .  Cud it possibly be that it runs as two sections and combines/splits somewhere along its route (e.g.: The Builder at Spokane.

 

No, there is only one train now; it serves Tampa as well as Miami by going into Tampa after turning just east of Tampa and then goes back to Lakeland on its way to its destination. 

[f14aplusfl]

I've definitely seen the evening departures from Union Station to points south with two up front but I can not attest to the frequency.  Is Amtrak balancing out the power in different parts of the network (Sanford for the Autotrain)?  Are they detaching the locomotive in Richmond to provide "protection" for some of the regional trains that continue on towards Ronanoke and Newport News?