blue streak 1After some brain storming we begin to think that our posts may be misleading. Not only is CSX delaying Amtrak they are also delaying NS freights. 1. Freights from Chattanooga and BHM that go onto the Piedmont sub ( towards Greenville and CLT have to cross Howell's CSX line. 2. Freights to / from Piedmont sub that go to Macon - Jacksonville also have to cross CSX at Howell . 3. Often the Crescent will get delayed by NS freghts in front trying to transit Howell that are delayed by CSX. Looking at last night's delay that appears to be what happened as Crescent stalled by Inman yard waiting for NS freight to clear by CSX freight and then Crescent proceeded further to be delayed at Howell by another CSX freight . Due to the complexity of Howell the solution appears to have CSX to duck under all the NS tracks that wye directly across CSX. The long freights of both CSX and NS make the situation worse. In distant past although there were many more transits across Howell the trains and yard transfers were much shorter .
1. Freights from Chattanooga and BHM that go onto the Piedmont sub ( towards Greenville and CLT have to cross Howell's CSX line.
2. Freights to / from Piedmont sub that go to Macon - Jacksonville also have to cross CSX at Howell .
3. Often the Crescent will get delayed by NS freghts in front trying to transit Howell that are delayed by CSX. Looking at last night's delay that appears to be what happened as Crescent stalled by Inman yard waiting for NS freight to clear by CSX freight and then Crescent proceeded further to be delayed at Howell by another CSX freight .
Due to the complexity of Howell the solution appears to have CSX to duck under all the NS tracks that wye directly across CSX. The long freights of both CSX and NS make the situation worse. In distant past although there were many more transits across Howell the trains and yard transfers were much shorter .
Financing the reinvention of the wheel can get expensive.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
I know what we should do to stop the delays of passenger trains on the NS at Howell: go back in history before the Western and Atlantic was built, and build a railroad from Atlanta to Gainseville, on the same alignment as is now used by NS.
Or, change the convention so that the second road at a crossing has precedence,
Your solution is the only viable one: persuade CSX to go under the NS tracks; would NS pay for such a project (I doubt it)?
As I recall, from 1958 (the first year I rode the Southerner through Atlanta) on, the only delays in Atlanta were caused by pulling the southbound Southerner out of the station and pulling the northbound train into the station--or turning the coach seats after it was decided about 1968 to eliminate the switch engine moves on this train.
Johnny
After some brain storming we begin to think that our posts may be misleading. Not only is CSX delaying Amtrak they are also delaying NS freights.
#20/04 lost almost 2 hours at Howell CP last night. CSX up to its old tricks. Unfortunately NS gets charged for the delay.
Even without #20 not operating today out of NOL #19 only 5 minutes late out of ATL and 5+ hours late out of Laurel, Ms
Well #20 has alread lost 2:00+ hours by Anniston and looks like it will loose more time to ATL. However 20/5 and 20/6 will depart ATL on time as it is cancelled between NOL and ATL. 19 was terminated in ATL this morning. 19/4 & 19/5 will also be cancelled at ATL. What is going to be interesting is that 2 Complete Crescent train sets will be laying over after 19 arrives at ATL tomorrow morning. Now where will the 2nd train's set will be parked ?
Crescent hits tressapsser west of ATL. Lost 2 hours at Bremen. However mde it thru Howell CP with no delay.
http://www.cbs46.com/story/39011681/pedestrian-hit-killed-by-amtrak-train-west-of-atlanta
https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/man-killed-by-amtrak-train-while-walking-on-tracks-police-say/826123436
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/officials-man-killed-by-amtrak-train-while-walking-on-tracks/85-590337934
The state of Georgia released its FRA required 2015 rail plan.It is somewhat dated but -------------
For those who want to know a detailed description of the Howell CP go to the following link. You will have to page down many pages to appendix "D" Looking at the diagrams the many possibilities of delay to the Crescent will become apparent.
http://www.dot.ga.gov/InvestSmart/Rail/Documents/StateRailPlan/StateRailPlan-Appendices-2015.pdf#search=appendix%20d%20rail%20plan%2A
This may be kind of silly, but since I last rode #19 in April and
it arrived in New Orleans over 2 hours late, plus with all the posts
about the Crescent being stabbed, I have been off and on keeping
track of it's timing. This past week once 16 minutes late, once 13
minutes late, and tonight - YIKES - 2 minutes EARLY!!!!
Has something happened between Atlanta and NO to give 19 better
timing, or will this not last?
Crescent watchers: almost good news Sunday night 8/26 -
#19 arrived in New Orleans @ 7:45 - just 13 minutes late!
That must be close to if not a record for 2018. Lucky were the
passengers tonight!!
...and reliable departures from Atlanta every day.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
There is not enough slop in the dwell in Atlanta to make up for all the time keeping foolishness, especially south of Altanta.
Raise that dwell to 10 hours or so and package up the overnight travellers with hotel and transfer in Atlanta, so all they have to do it get off the train and on shuttle van in Atlanta, and I'll bet you don't lose many of existing traveller, but you'd pick up a whole bunch of tourism oriented travellers.
From 943 - 938 PM tonight so far #20 is holding at Howell interlocking for CSX to clear.
blue streak 1Don at one time I was agreeing with you. However if you check station stats for BHM you will find that 41,700+ Passengers boarded in 2017. The highest number did go to NOL. However 8 of the highest 10 revenue pairs came for trips to ATL and north, Spliting the train at ATL probably would eliminate 90% of that revenue ? Plus TCL & ATN also provide much thru ATL traffic.
In 2017, Anniston had only 4,255 boardings and alightings. For the Crescent both directions, that is a paltry 11.7 people a day using the station, about 6 on each train getting on or off.
The RPA site shows 7 out of 10 city pairs (from AL) were to ATL or north. What would be more telling would be ridership on the Crescent from each city compared with total ridership. Unfortunately, RPA does not provide that, only rankings:
1. Birmingham, AL - New Orleans, LA
2. Atlanta, GA - Washington, DC
3. Atlanta, GA - New York, NY
4. Charlottesville, VA - New York, NY
5. Atlanta, GA - New Orleans, LA
6. Charlottesville, VA - Washington, DC
7. New Orleans, LA - Washington, DC
8. New Orleans, LA - New York, NY
9. Greensboro, NC - Washington, DC
10. Lynchburg, VA - New York, NY (from https://www.railpassengers.org/site/assets/files/3443/52.pdf
Only 2/10 are from south of ATL through to points north and only two from ATL or point south to NOLA. Add a day train ATL to DC/NYP and make the NOLA-ATL segemnt a dya train.
BaltACD http://dixielandsoftware.net/cgi-bin/getmap.pl?mapname=East Cresent not doing too good today either
http://dixielandsoftware.net/cgi-bin/getmap.pl?mapname=East
Cresent not doing too good today either
Yes 19 lost another 1:18 atl - atn + :30 pad = 1:48
Don at one time I was agreeing with you. However if you check station stats for BHM you will find that 41,700+ Passengers boarded in 2017. The highest number did go to NOL. However 8 of the highest 10 revenue pairs came for trips to ATL and north, Spliting the train at ATL probably would eliminate 90% of that revenue ? Plus TCL & ATN also provide much thru ATL traffic.
But definitely a day train north out of ATL is needed. Our only concern is that any day trai service might overload ATL station much more than is already happening on the Crescent ? The morning rush hour could be wild depending on departure time. We feel that it would carry more passengers than the Palmetto does due to the higher population density ATL - Greensboro than Palmetto south of Petersburgh ?
North of Greensboro the route has to be carefully analyzed. If LYH and CVS is skipped then the next planned Roanoke - WASH trip should cover that route at convient times very well except for Danville. By going thru Raleigh the day train would provide another Piedmont schedule CLT <> Raleigh and thru to the NYP. However going by Selma does add additional time but this train would connect 4 state capitols and WASH together. Is there any other route that does or would do the same except the Star ?
charlie hebdo This thread is one year old. If the title is still true, maybe it's time to make Atlanta the southern endpoint.
This thread is one year old. If the title is still true, maybe it's time to make Atlanta the southern endpoint.
If you watch what happens in Atlanta, you'd see that Atlanta is the destination for most passengers on the train.
Functionally, it's two trains. One from NY to Atlanta and one from Atlanta to NOL. Why not just make both halfs daylight with a long dwell in Altanta. Drop the sleepers and diner, add coaches. Send through passengers off to sleep in a hotel.
Number 19 is marked-up 4 hours, 19 minutes late into NO this evening, July 28th. Number 20 is showing 2 hours, 39 minutes late into Atlanta.
In 2017 the Crescent had the worst on-time performance at its end points of the long distance trains at 42.2 percent. The on-time performance at its intermediate stations was probably worse.
I rode the Cresecent from Atlanta to New Orleans approximately 8 years ago. It was on time when I rode it.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
From July 1st the Atl <> Anniston delays continue. FYI it has been noted that a perfect trip between the 2 stations has been 30 minutes under schedule both ways. Only checking that day can delay locations can be determineds as info is then lost for previous days.
19 average loss was :35 and median :35
20 average loss was :28 and median :40
blue streak 1Evidently NS has not been able to make up time north of ATL like they used to . It is unknown what has caused the Crescent to loose time north of ATL . Anyone ?
My hunch is stuff is still jammed up at Linwood. NS is still not "resourced up" enough to get out of the ditch.
For the month of June really not much better. However July has shown some improvements maybe due to NS hump partial reopening at Chattanooga. Here are the differences between revelant stations. Arrivals . Note ATN = Anniston, Alabama.
It is noted that occassionally Crescent can be under schedule time between ATN & ATL 25 -30 minutes under enroute schedule but it does not often happen. 2 problems are congestion on NS between ATN and Austell. The other problem is the grade crossing of CSX at Howell interlocking just west of ATL station. CSX often blocks NS track at Howell due to it either having long northbound thru freights on one track changing crews and / or using the other CSX track for flat switching ( used to be hump ).
For train #19 Average delay Median delays
CLT - ATL :59 :51
ATL - ATN :33 :29
ATN - LAU 1:23 1:18
LAU - NOL arrival -:20 - :11
For Train 20
NOL every train departed NOL except 1 that was 3:00 Late due to previous nights very late arrival.
NOL - LAU :07 :00
LAU - ATN 1:26 1:25
ATN - ATL :26 :23
ATL - CLT :50 :27
CLT - WASH - :04 - :13
Evidently NS has not been able to make up time north of ATL like they used to . It is unknown what has caused the Crescent to loose time north of ATL . Anyone ?
NOL every train departed NOL on time except 1 that was 3:00 Late due to previous nights very late arrival.
CSSHEGEWISCH Prior to 1975, Southern did operate a Washington-Atlanta day train, the "Piedmont". It was operated as a mainline mixed train with 20-30 cars of TOFC/COFC behind 2-3 coaches and a snack bar.
Prior to 1975, Southern did operate a Washington-Atlanta day train, the "Piedmont". It was operated as a mainline mixed train with 20-30 cars of TOFC/COFC behind 2-3 coaches and a snack bar.
One of the first service changes should be to drop the Crescent south of ATL and replace it with a day train (coaches only, eventually improving speed and reliability). And add (as Oltmann has suggested numerous times) a 2nd train from ATL to DC, a day train.
For April Crescent 19 lost an additional 2:34 average 2:10 median Atl - Laurel. #20 lost avg 2:07 median 2:12. #20 lost 2:07 avg 2:12 median.
For May same mid points lost additional 19 avg 2:30 median 2:02. #20 avg 2:00 median 1:57.
For two months end point arrivals NOL zero on time Washington 1 22 min early.
What is worse is delay arrivals during 2 months NOL hours 4+ = 6; 5+ = 2 6&8+ = 4; 11 hours =1. Washington arrivals 4 & 5 =9 8&9 =2
Tonight (4/26) the northbound Crescent arrived in NYC SIX hours late.
I sure would hate to be a member of the crew trying to explain away
all of this awfull tardiness!
The weekend of the 14th & 15th I rode from Phila. to NO and arrived
Sunday 2 and a half hours late. I guess that's not too bad?! Ugh.
blue streak 1 There are reports on train orders that NS is now jamed from ATL - Linwood yard ( Just north of Salisbury ). 19 today seems to have made it to ATL without more delays but since 20 is not yet at ATL we will see. Oltmannd - Any information ?
There are reports on train orders that NS is now jamed from ATL - Linwood yard ( Just north of Salisbury ). 19 today seems to have made it to ATL without more delays but since 20 is not yet at ATL we will see.
Oltmannd - Any information ?
Sort of. There are some merchandise trains stacked up - part of the overall issues NS has had with in the past 6 months - but RR still looks pretty fluid. There's quite a bit of capacity on that line - not much traffic.
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