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15 min. wait for Keystone Service @ Philly

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15 min. wait for Keystone Service @ Philly
Posted by BT CPSO 266 on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 3:00 PM

 http://catchthekeystone.com/schedule/weekday/

I was wondering why the Keystone Service trains have to wait for 15 min. @ Philadelphia? Are they waiting for transfers from the Northeast Regional or Aclea?

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Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 3:14 PM

BT CPSO 266

 http://catchthekeystone.com/schedule/weekday/

I was wondering why the Keystone Service trains have to wait for 15 min. @ Philadelphia? Are they waiting for transfers from the Northeast Regional or Aclea?

 

 

The trains change direction at Philly.  I don't know if they use the same crew, or change crews, but either way, the change is going to take some time.  Plus it's a major stop, so it is going to take time to get the people in and out. 

  

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 4:19 PM

That changing of directions used to involve swapping the power from one end to the other - at one time, earlier in Amtrak's operation, before the Keystone Corridor upgrades - even involving diesels for electrics, or vice-versa.  Don't know if they still do that, but maybe the 'cushion' or 'dwell' time is left in the schedule just in case. 

- Paul North. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 5:14 PM

Paul_D_North_Jr

That changing of directions used to involve swapping the power from one end to the other - at one time, earlier in Amtrak's operation, before the Keystone Corridor upgrades - even involving diesels for electrics, or vice-versa.  Don't know if they still do that, but maybe the 'cushion' or 'dwell' time is left in the schedule just in case. 

- Paul North. 

 

Keystones now use electric engines and cab cars.  So no more swapping.  But you have to change ends (and I think crews, too - but don't hold me to that). 

  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.

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Posted by BT CPSO 266 on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 5:47 PM

I just find it odd that even the "through" Keystone trains wait for 15 min. but I guess it is a busy hub. The switch to the cab car makes more sense for a wait, for a keystone train only traveling between Philly & Harris.

It would be nice if the schedule on the link I posted mentioned which ones were transfers to the Northeast Regional. It could be confusing to the average traveler.

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 8:45 PM

BT CPSO 266
It would be nice if the schedule on the link I posted mentioned which ones were transfers to the Northeast Regional. It could be confusing to the average traveler.

Do you know who prints the schedule you linked? The regular Amtrak schedule shows which ones are connections and which ones thru. Strangley your  scheduled does not show the Pennsylvanian.

 

 

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Posted by BT CPSO 266 on Tuesday, April 27, 2010 10:10 PM

blue streak 1
Do you know who prints the schedule you linked? The regular Amtrak schedule shows which ones are connections and which ones thru. Strangley your  scheduled does not show the Pennsylvanian.

 

I am not sure? It seems to be a website completely dedicated to the Keystone Service

http://catchthekeystone.com/
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Posted by daveklepper on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 2:48 AM

Should not this whole thread been in the Passenger Forum and not the General Forum?

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 10:03 AM

At the very bottom of the Wikipedia article on the Keystone Corridor at - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_Corridor , it references as an ''External Link'' the ''Catch the Keystone, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Amtrak''. 

The overall look of the website and the links to both agencies at the bottom, and the similar text in this blurb by an ad agency which indicates that both approached them - http://neimangroup.com/work/penndot [cute, too Smile,Wink, & Grin ], reinforces a belief or impression that it is a joint Amtrak-PennDOT venture. 

- Paul North. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)

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