CMStPnP BTW, officially Texas has written off extension of the Crescent to Dallas via Meridian, MS because of the projected costs they got back from NS and KCS. Amtrak still likes the additional revenue and ridership the extension would bring in. However without Texas financial support they both agree the route probably will not happen and they have officially walked away from the plan. Casino funding in LA was also deemed unreliable at best. Long term they are still looking at Austin to Houston service (large capital costs because some rail needs to be relaid) San Antonio to Monterrey, MX (bureaucratic and political issues with Mexico holding this up, as well as lack of funding). Houston to New Orleans...........forget what they said about this route. Dallas to Denver..........costs too high to improve the route.
BTW, officially Texas has written off extension of the Crescent to Dallas via Meridian, MS because of the projected costs they got back from NS and KCS. Amtrak still likes the additional revenue and ridership the extension would bring in. However without Texas financial support they both agree the route probably will not happen and they have officially walked away from the plan. Casino funding in LA was also deemed unreliable at best.
Long term they are still looking at Austin to Houston service (large capital costs because some rail needs to be relaid)
San Antonio to Monterrey, MX (bureaucratic and political issues with Mexico holding this up, as well as lack of funding).
Houston to New Orleans...........forget what they said about this route.
Dallas to Denver..........costs too high to improve the route.
Where did you hear Texas has written off extension of the Crescent?? When did Texas said that in last 2016 or in 2017??
20 lost an additional 2:15 ATN - ATL last night / this morning. Left ATL at 1:05 AM this morning. Cannot imagine all the normal passenger load having to wait in that small waiting room !
NS isn't getting off scott free on this trip. Lost 3:00+ MEI - TCL - BHM - ATN.
A Crescent extension ? With this time keeping no way !
Here is a better map that you can zoom in to the location.
http://www.mytopo.com/maps/index.cfm?feature=gwinn&state=0
Crescent trains have to stay clear at the CSX intersection just south of the "Theatre du Reve " which is where NS crosses CSX. Northbound Crescents usually hold somewhere west of "Bims liquor store" to not foul NS freights coming in from the south.
Southbound Crescents will usually hold short of the CP near Howell Mill Road. You will notice that this route will also affect any NS freights going on this route. As well Piedmont division freights have to hold at Howell Mill rd if CSX 2 MTs block the single track crossing for NS trains going south to Macon.
NS freigths to / from Chattanooga, Birmingham, and Inman yard going to Macon will not be impeeded by CSX at Howell.
There is single track line that starts between "Georgia lawers for the arts" and "Compound" that splits off the NS 3 tracks proceeding north and joins CSX near "theatre du Reve" then goes thru switches and bears off to the right, That is the old SAL connection from Terminal station to the Athens line / SAL Silver comet line to BHM ( Abandoned west of I-285 ). CSX still uses this route at times from the trackage rights for trains to/from BHM and Montgomery trains further messing up Howell.
To clarify at the "Paul Mitchell the school Atlanta " there are 5 tracks shown. From the east the first two tracks are 2 MT CSX ( NC&SL { W&A} ), then 2 MT NS (SOU) and one siding which do not recall how it is now used.
For today 19 lost 1:05 from ATL to Anniston + the :25 minutes under schedule it runs when no delays. 19 was under schedule ATL - ATN when the Amtrak Officer's special was ferried to NOL, SAS, FTW, OKC for the inspection trip to Newton. 20 today still too delayed to comment.
Atlanta terminal is a mess. Doing things on the cheap over the years hasn't helped. Turning Inman from a hump into a "poor man's" intermodal terminal is one example. Building a second intermodal terminal in town is another. Should have built one, big terminal and been done with it.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
blue streak 1BALT. It is not that simple. There are 2 Howells withiin 3/4 mie of each other. The one giving the problem is where NS crosses CSX. Any yard work at Tilford has to go pull south over Howell and then push north for the yard at what appears as 3 MPH. Thought the downgrading of Tilford yard hump would help but has not. The yard lead from Tilford to Howell is only about 3/4 mile so long freights -- you get the idea. Have both observed this and have been caught while on Crescent. Last time on Crescent 37 minutes by my log. Believe Trains Mag had an article on it but cannot find it Anyone ? Here is a world map if you zoom in about 10 times you can see the whole mess. http://www.openrailwaymap.org/
Believe Trains Mag had an article on it but cannot find it Anyone ?
Here is a world map if you zoom in about 10 times you can see the whole mess.
http://www.openrailwaymap.org/
For the most part, a move that is lined will foul Howells until it is completed. If Howells is needed for 'head room' to make the move, Howells will be fould until the move shoves back clear of Howells. It is as simple and as complex as that.
I have had that mess as a part of my territory for several years. CSX is trying to make a coheasive terminal out of what the 5 terminating predecessors built and then were surrounded by the expanding nature of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. The routes between each of the 5 carriers yards constituted interchange routes - not Main Tracks. Atlanta Terminal is a mess, for CSX and for everyone else.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BALT. It is not that simple. There are 2 Howells withiin 3/4 mie of each other. The one giving the problem is where NS crosses CSX. Any yard work at Tilford has to go pull south over Howell and then push north for the yard at what appears as 3 MPH. Thought the downgrading of Tilford yard hump would help but has not. The yard lead from Tilford to Howell is only about 3/4 mile so long freights -- you get the idea. Have both observed this and have been caught while on Crescent. Last time on Crescent 37 minutes by my log.
CSX doesn't hold their traffic at Howells - if CSX is ready to roll it gets the light. If NS gets there and no CSX movements are lined, they get the light.
Signals get lined at Howells before trains are physically at the crossing. I believe it is a 10 minute grind off if it is decided to change the route once it has been lined.
This is an almost every day occurrence, Tonight 20 has been sitting outside of Atlanta station holding short of Howell interlocking as of 10:28 PM tonight. As of 10:30 finally moving. Based on departure at Anniston it could have been holding since 9:15PM
Today's 19 lost 2:23 from ATL to Anniston. On a very good day 19 & 20 can make ATL <> Anniston 25 minutes under schedule. What is NS doing wrong ? Nothing !!! Almost always the delays are due to CSX ( Western and Atlantic RR - civil war fame, NC&SL, L&N ) long freights fouling Howell.
NS on the MPR ( monthly performance reports ) gets charged for freight train inteferrence at Howell but CSX who was at Howell first gets off scott free !
Do not think NS is blameless for all Crescent delays. It very ocassionally has fouled Howell but it seems to try to avoid such. As well sometimes the intersection of the Chattanooga line at Austell causes delays but very seldom. Today NS did delay 20 betweeen Birmingham and Anniston but that is a rarity.
NS is still delaying both 19 & 20 some days between Merdian and BHM. Those of you who are skeptical just check Dixieland history on these two trains for May and June.
What significance is this going to have ? For the NYPS maintenance work Crescent will be turned at WASH. Will 20 delays cause the turn to 19 be delayed ? Worse still the T&E crews on 19 turn next day to 20 at New Orleans and may have HOS layover problems as turn scheduled for less than 10 hours starting in July. A small saving grace is NS north bound oftens makes up time from CLT - Greensboro and lesser to CVS.
EDIT 20 arrived ATL peachtree station 10:35 PM. Fair note. Just learned of a NS freight at Inman yard which may have contributed to 19 & 20 delays ? Train orders said 19 Had to be routed thru yard ?
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