Report from Amtrak's Fall Foleage Excursion

[daveklepper]

• The mild political comment can be deleted by the moderator if required without any protest on my part, even if I agree with its sentiments.  Dave
• By Henry H. Deutch

December 2016

The elecon of the 45

th

President is over, and all have to unite and support him. Hopefully he

will ask Congress to improve public transportaon so that we can be!er travel by rail throughout the

naon at an a"ordable cost. Expansion of public transport will create increased employment, as well as

protecng the environment.

The following Trip Report was received without a name of the author; I believe that it came from

Chapter Vice Chairman Len Gordy.

KUDOS TO AMTRAK

After missing the first three Amtrak Fall Excursions, I finally got to ride this year. The Saturday

was one of the best railfan trips / general interest trips I have been on in recent years. It combined the

promise of pretty fall foliage with hours of rare mileage. Obviously the latter attracted me; I had never

ridden the LV (Lehigh Valley Railroad) from Newark to Allentown nor the RDG (Reading Railroad)

beyond Allentown to Harrisburg.

The price of $149 might have seemed steep to some, but the trip was scheduled to take 10 ½

hours and included a box lunch. After boarding, I learned that the price also covered other items: a pin

and the nice nylon carry bag the lunch was packed in. The last Amtrak National Timetable was also

distributed as a sad memento of a changing world.

The train left NYP {Pennsylvania Station, New York City) at 8:00 AM as Scheduled. Soon the

announcer gave the consist. We had 14 cars, Amtrak’s Conference Car (formerly a Metroliner), at the

head end for the staff, the souvenir car car 85999, and 10 long-haul Amfleet coaches divided into three

groups by two Amcafes. To pull this were a pair of Genesis diesels – being pushed by one of the electrics

located between them and the passenger cars. Some of the coaches were kept empty for passengers

boarding in Newark. While they were boarding the electric was shut down and the diesel s started.

The “consist” was just one of a steady stream of PA announcements, providing information about

nearly every town or point of interest as we approached it. These were a very good mixture of railfan and

general listener material. I think the announcer, as well as many others on board were Amtrak employees

(most if not all, managers and office workers) who volunteered to work the train. For example there were

at least serving as hosts in every coach, and some were handling the souvenir car.

We took the route of a Raritan Valley train, but instead of swinging onto the former CNJ at

Aldene, we stayed on NS’s (Norfolk Southern) Lehigh Line. Small knots of railfans were taking pictures

at many grade crossings and vantage points all the way to Harrisburg, except for the stretch from

Philipsburg to Macungie. There large crowds waited for us at many locations in that stretch. Someone

must have gotten the operation lots of publicity in the local media. Continuing beyond Harrisburg we

pulled onto the Rockville Bridge and then reversed up the branch to wye the train. As at Newark, there

was no need to uncouple and break the air and HEP (head end power) connections.

•  

We were scheduled to depart Harrisburg at 2:10. Even though we had two delays en route (20

minutes to restart the air conditioning in one car on the LV, and 25 minutes due to freight congestion

approaching Rutherford Yard), we would have come close except for an additional 8 minutes waiting for

42 (The Pennsylvanian) to arrive and clear our path. Not to worry we were told; we had been allotted an

hour to take photos at Lancaster, and that gave lots of margin.

The Lancaster stop was simple. We deboarded through coaches 3-7, I think, as that was all that

would fit at the platform in the single stop. The train then backed to clear the interlocking (about 40 car

lengths), paused then came back to the station. This time as previously announced, there were two stops.

The first with the locomotives at the platform, allowed the changeover to the electric. Following that, the

train pulled forward as it was at the initial arrival so we could reboard. The narrow platform did not give

much of a photo opportunity, but we did get to see the locomotives. They were selected for the trip. The

lead 42DC, 145, is lettered for the Amtrak Anniversary 1971 – 2011. The other two locomotives, P42DC

42 and ACS-64 642, are decorated to “Salute Our Veterans”.

As pointed out by the announcer, we used the New York – Pittsburgh subway at ZOO, which is

unusual (and requires slow speed) these days. Arrival back at NYP was around 6:23, slightly ahead of the

6:30 advertised.

There were a few minor glitches. One was the air conditioner problem (another car had to be

reset in Lancaster). The Amfleet cars we used have th well-known problem that the seats don’t line up

with the windows. Lastly, the rest rooms in my car (I don’t know about the others) were clean and

functional, but they could have used an air freshener or two. On the other hand, while apparently a sell-

out with about 650 passengers, there were some empty seats so no one had a problem finding one. I

doubt they were all no-shows –maybe the seats occupied in the café cars were not included in the initial

seat total. (I rode Saturday; I heard there were still seats available for Sunday.)

I didn’t here any complaints or gripes, though the dozen or so we left behind at Lancaster

probably would disagree. In spite of instructions from the conductor and being told not to wander, they

must have thought that “allotted one hour” meant “staying 1 hour”. I overheard that they would be

returning on a regular train and that their belongings would be stored in NY. By the way, this is my first

trip (fan and regular service)in some time where people had scanners, web-enabled computers, or other

means of eavesdropping on the railroad.

In closing let me say that the long walk on the congested platform from my coach (number 10 in

the consist) to the escalator to the main concourse at NYP reinforced my concerns about the flaw in the

Moynihan Station plans. That is passengers will be walking long distances to the cars on Amtrak trains

from the new waiting room at one end of the lon platforms.

THANK YOU FOR THIS SUPERB TRIP REPORT

YARD OFFICE RAMBLES is primarily a column of trips taken by members of this Chapter for telling other

members of interesting experiences. Please send your letters, clippings and other information to Henry H. Deutch;

2290 Silver Re Drive; Lakeland, FL 33810-7434, and please mark the envelope TRIP REPORT. E-Mail

[e-mail]. Phone [phone], Cell 407-973-0114.

•  

YARD OFFICE RAMBLES is primarily a column of trips taken by members of this Chapter for telling other

members of interesting experiences. Please send your letters, clippings and other information to Henry H. Deutch;

2290 Silver Re Drive; Lakeland, FL 33810-7434, and please mark the envelope TRIP REPORT. E-Mail

[e-mail]. Phone [phone], Cell 407-973-0114.

 

[Firelock76]

Maybe the next Fall Foliage Excursion will have 611 on the point.

Hey, with Mr. Wick taking over, who knows?

[RME]

Firelock76

Maybe the next Fall Foliage Excursion will have 611 on the point.

A somewhat limited set of potential routes, even on a first cut that looks at loading-gage restrictions and trackwork characteristics, including places you can turn an engine with Voyce Glaze's lateral-compliance restrictions.  Were you proposing to run the train at any point faster than 40-45mph?  Get your checkbook out for the insurance.  And tell me how you would address the HEP requirements without providing nearly as much power on the point as would be needed to run the train in the first place?

There's a very clear place for 611 on fall-foliage excursions.  Just not Amtrak fall-foliage excursions that run where Amtrak expects to get the most revenue, for the least overhead and risk.

[Firelock76]

Aw c'mon, kick back and let your imagination run wild, we can dream, can't we?

Don't be so serious!  And besides, where there's a will, there's a way.

[ROBERT WILLISON]

I'm with you fire lock, perhaps some of insurance coverage would fall under Amtrak's umbrella of insurance.

[ROBERT WILLISON]

Or maybe a Amtrak excursion on its own right of way, some nice scenery on the the North East corridor.

[runnerdude48]

I also rode this excursion (also in coach 10 and also for the rare mileage) and it was a great trip.  I was amazed that Amtrak ran this trip so wonderfully when it has so much difficulty running its regular trains with as much class.  I've ridden excursions in the past run by long time railfan groups that weren't anywhere near as good as this one.  I'm looking forward to next year's excursion.

Just as a sidenote.  If "611" or any steam locomotive is on the headend of any future excusion, I will not be part of it.  I've had enough of steam excursions and the myriad of problems that go along with them.

[Firelock76]

runnerdude48

I also rode this excursion (also in coach 10 and also for the rare mileage) and it was a great trip.  I was amazed that Amtrak ran this trip so wonderfully when it has so much difficulty running its regular trains with as much class.  I've ridden excursions in the past run by long time railfan groups that weren't anywhere near as good as this one.  I'm looking forward to next year's excursion.

Just as a sidenote.  If "611" or any steam locomotive is on the headend of any future excusion, I will not be part of it.  I've had enough of steam excursions and the myriad of problems that go along with them.

 

runnerdude48

I also rode this excursion (also in coach 10 and also for the rare mileage) and it was a great trip.  I was amazed that Amtrak ran this trip so wonderfully when it has so much difficulty running its regular trains with as much class.  I've ridden excursions in the past run by long time railfan groups that weren't anywhere near as good as this one.  I'm looking forward to next year's excursion.

Just as a sidenote.  If "611" or any steam locomotive is on the headend of any future excusion, I will not be part of it.  I've had enough of steam excursions and the myriad of problems that go along with them.

 

Ah Runnerdude, you must have never had the pleasure of an NS steam excursion back in the old days!  Glad you enjoyed the trip you just made, by the way.

And let me remind all, NKP 765 once pulled the New River Train with an Amtrak consist.

[ROBERT WILLISON]

Well that answers that question.

[Electroliner 1935]

Firelock76

Ah Runnerdude, you must have never had the pleasure of an NS steam excursion back in the old days!

Having ben on two Roanoke Chapter Independance Limited four day trips pulled by 611 from Richmond/Alexandria to Detroit/Chicago on the NS with overnights at Bluefield, Portsmouth, and Ft Wayne , I feel they did it very well. This was before the trip with the derailment. I don't think there will be any one like them in the future. So glad I got to be on them. 

 

[ROBERT WILLISON]

runnerdude48

I also rode this excursion (also in coach 10 and also for the rare mileage) and it was a great trip.  I was amazed that Amtrak ran this trip so wonderfully when it has so much difficulty running its regular trains with as much class.  I've ridden excursions in the past run by long time railfan groups that weren't anywhere near as good as this one.  I'm looking forward to next year's excursion.

Just as a sidenote.  If "611" or any steam locomotive is on the headend of any future excusion, I will not be part of it.  I've had enough of steam excursions and the myriad of problems that go along with them.

 

never had a real problem with ns excursions. It's unfortunate they limited the top speed of the excursions to just 45, nothing better than a steamer at track speed. It's also unfortunate that the eliminated the run bys.

With that said I enjoyed the excursion completely. Can't wait for next year.

[runnerdude48]

I'm sure there have been good trips behind steam engines in the past but I got tired of the long stops to water the engine and the lack of runbys etc.  Ironically the portion of the "rare mileage" covered by the Amtrak Autumn Express that I had ridden was between Phillipsburg, NJ and Allentown, PA behind a "Russian decapod" (#90 maybe) back in the late 60s or early 70s out of Elizabeth, NJ on the CNJ/LV. We traveled along the Lehigh River to the Ashley Planes south of Wilkes-Barre and wyed the train there.  On the way back the rear truck of the tender derailed in Mountaintop, PA.  After some heroic attempts at rerailing the tender Martz Trailways provided our transportation back to Hoboken where PATH was running frequent morning commute service by the time we got there. Anyone remember that trip?  In all honesty, I would ride another steam trip but it has to be the right one.

[ROBERT WILLISON]

Honestly breakdowns, derailments and poor time keeping kinda of goes with the territory. The equipment is old and host railroads not entirely on board. I know it upsets the local operators when issues crop up, it's an embarrassment for them too.

The ns and up run some of the best excursions. If you are close North East Ohio, I highly recommend the annual 765 excursions on the cuyohaga valley. Those excursions are inexpensive, and all folks involved do an excellent job.