Amtrak on the Florida East Coast FEC Jacksonville - Miami

sounds like CSX have got a dose of "do what i say not what i do " . or lets see if we can have our cake and eat it .

A National Transportation Safety Board accident investigation of the derailment of an Amtrak Chicago - Los Angeles train on the old Santa Fe RR due to a broken welded rail complains that due to the "no-fault" agreement, the freight railroad didn't have as great an incentive to detect or prevent the break as it would if it had been financially liable for any of Amtrak's losses due to its Federal Railroad Administration track violations. Various news accounts have hinted that CSX wants to be legally free of liability for passenger losses, no matter how caused, and no matter who owns the track! In Massachusetts, they may have also wanted freight losses covered if they didn't own the track.
Since there have been published interviews with Florida legislators who are balking at giving CSX what it wants, and telling the newspapers why they don't like it, the secrecy is partially lifted. Recently, I think Mr. Bordmann of Amtrak publicly worried about what the new order of things could do to his operation.

How about Norfolk Southern and the FEC?

http://www.examiner.com/x-10977-Jackson ... s-down-FEC

This is only my personal opinion but I do not think the Florida East Coast is going to be sold to the Norfolk Southern nor
probably to any other company either. Business will pick up eventually and they will improve when that takes place. What
has hurt this company probably more than anything else is the rock business, no building means no demand for rock,
concrete and the other stuff that the rock is used for. There were 5 round trips of rock trains a day three years ago, now
some of the rock travels on the other regular trains and there is one dedicated rock train (unit train) three days a week.
This hurts everybody.
Noel Weaver

AMTRAK/FLORIDA EAST COAST INSPECTION TRAIN NORTHBOUND ON
SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2010

I have been provided with the following schedule for the northbound trip on Saturday,
May 1, 2010:

Leave Miami, Downtown Lead, NW 1st Avenue Crossing at 8:30 AM

Arrive West Palm Beach, 3rd Street Crossing at 10:45 AM, Depart at 10:50 AM

Arrive Stuart, 2nd Street Crossing at 11:35 AM, Depart at 11:50 AM

Arrive Fort Pierce, Avenue A Crossing at 12:15 PM, Depart at 12:20 PM

Arrive Vero Beach, 23rd Street Crossing at 12:40 PM, Depart at 12:45 PM

Arrive Melbourne, Hibiscus Avenue Crossing at 1:20 PM, Depart at 1:25 PM

Arrive Cocoa, Dixon Boulevard Crossing at 1:45 PM, Depart at 1:50 PM

Arrive Titusville, South Street Crossing at 2:10 PM, Depart at 2:15 PM

Arrive Daytona Beach, Second Avenue Crossing at 3:05 PM, Depart at 3:10 PM

Arrive St. Augustine, 5th Street Crossing at 4:05 PM, Depart at 4:10 PM

Arrive Jacksonville, Amtrak Station at 5:25 PM

At all of the above stops on the Florida East Coast boarding will take place on the east side of the train.

There is always the possibility that conditions may cause a variance from the above schedule but this is what is lined up at present.

The southbound schedule on Thursday, April 29, 2010 is to leave Jacksonville, Amtrak
Station at 8:00 AM and operate non stop except for operating stops. Southbound train will operate direct to the Florida East Coast Terminal at Hialeah and then to be interchanged to CSX and forwarded to the Amtrak facilities at Hialeah/Miami passenger
station.

Posted by Noel Weaver on April 24, 2010

Please read this completely before you ask questions.
Southbound the train will consist of two P-42 locomotives, Viewliner Sleeper, Dome Car and Office Car.
Northbound the above consist plus three Amfleet II Coaches.
No southbound stops except for operating reasons. No Florida East Coast power, Amtrak engines only.
Northbound departure is from Downtown Miami on the Downtown Lead at 8:30 AM, There will be congestion and probably
street closings in this area so you might want to stay a bit north if you have a camera.
As always, railfan safely, do not enter railroad property, drive carefully and enjoy the day.
Noel Weaver

Noel Weaver wrote:AMTRAK/FLORIDA EAST COAST INSPECTION TRAIN NORTHBOUND ON
SATURDAY, MAY 1, 2010
...
Please read this completely before you ask questions.
Southbound the train will consist of two P-42 locomotives, Viewliner Sleeper, Dome Car and Office Car.
Northbound the above consist plus three Amfleet II Coaches.
No southbound stops except for operating reasons. No Florida East Coast power, Amtrak engines only.
Northbound departure is from Downtown Miami on the Downtown Lead at 8:30 AM, There will be congestion and probably
street closings in this area so you might want to stay a bit north if you have a camera.
As always, railfan safely, do not enter railroad property, drive carefully and enjoy the day.
Noel Weaver

dome car AMTK 10031
office car AMTK 10001

some more details here including a run on thurs:

http://www.examiner.com/x-10977-Jackson ... run-on-FEC

StLouSteve wrote:some more details here including a run on thurs:

http://www.examiner.com/x-10977-Jackson ... run-on-FEC

This is an exact copy of the information that I posted here and elsewhere in the past few days.
Noel Weaver

Following is a copy of the schedule that I posted on the local group regarding the Amtrak Special on the Florida East Coast
for tomorrow, Saturday, May 1, 2010. Please note that this is the 39th birthday of Amtrak, this will be the first passenger
train to depart from DOWNTOWN MIAMI since January, 1963.

RAILFAN SAFELY, DO NOT TRESPASS AND DO NOT DO STUPID THINGS,
WE HAVE ALL BEEN AROUND RAILROADS BEFORE, MANY OF US FOR MANY,
MANY YEARS.
The unfortunate incident yesterday was caused by somebody doing
something that he should not have been doing. He ruined his day
for himself but all of the rest of our friends who chose to
follow the rules did just fine and had an enjoyable experience.

Following is the official Amtrak schedule for the "V.I.P. Tour
Miami to Jacksonville via FEC".

5:00 AM Depart Amtrak Hialeah Yard
6:00 AM CSX/FEC Interchange
7:00 AM 79th Street
8:00 AM NW 1st Ave.
8:30 AM Depart NW 1st Ave.
9:30 AM By 79th Street
10:45 AM Arrive West Palm Beach, 3rd Street Crossing
10:50 AM Depart West Palm Beach
11:35 AM Arrive Stuart, 2nd Street Crossing
11:50 AM Depart Stuart
12:15 PM Arrive Fort Pierce, Avenue A Crossing
12:20 PM Depart Fort Pierce
12:40 PM Arrive Vero Beach, 23rd Street Crossing
12:45 PM Depart Vero Beach
1:20 PM Arrive Melbourne, Hibiscus Venue Crossing
1:25 PM Depart Melbourne
1:45 PM Arrive Cocoa, Dixon Boulevard Crossing
1:50 PM Depart Cocoa
2:10 PM Arrive Titusville, South Street Crossing
2:15 PM Depart Titusville
3:05 PM Arrive Daytona Beach, Second Avenue Crossing
3:10 PM Leave Daytona Beach
4:05 PM Arrive St. Augustine, 5th Street Crossing
4:10 PM Depart St. Augustine
4:40 PM By Bowden Yard, note the train may stop here for FEC
guests to depart.
5:25 PM Arrive Jacksonville, Amtrak Station.

Upon arriving at Amtrak's Jacksonville station, the 10031 (Great
Dome) and 10001 (Beach Grove) will be added to train 98.



Note that yesterday (Thursday) we were ahead of schedule for the
southbound trip, times were not given out but we were ahead of
the times provided by the Amtrak Transportation Notice.
The times posted above will likely be recognized at the various
stops as many officials and guests will be involved at each stop
but I think we might arrive Jacksonville earlier than the time
posted above. Thursday we used 32 minutes from Jacksonville to
Sunbeam but we did not stop at Bowden in this case.

Use your ATCS, I will stay in touch with Glen McLain enroute and
he will post for you what I tell him. I might even break down
and post myself while we are stopped or if I am able to do so with
air and or other problems.

ABOVE ALL - Lets not have a repeat of the unfortunate incident
Thursday when one person chose not to follow proper rules and
common sense. You can expect a heavy police presence all along
the line, probably every available FEC, Amtrak and local police
officer will be coverning this extraordinary event from Miami to
Jacksonville. Follow the rules, do not trespass, do not cross
the tracks except at a grade crossing or bridge and you will not
have any problems from police. Please remember that they are
simply doing their jobs. The police have the full support from
most railfans and people who use good judgement and common sense.
I hope we will not hear of anymore incidents like yesterday.
Enjoy your day.
Regards,
Noel Weaver

Here is a link to an article in the Sun-Sentinel for Friday regarding Amtrak and the Florida East Coast.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-b ... 8662.story

Noel Weaver

How did it go and what was the unfortunate incident?

Here is local broadcast media coverage of the "event".

WPTV NBC West Palm Beach

That this was chosen to be on an A-Day - and a Saturday at that- leads one to wonder was this more media event than an inspection trip by operating personnel, FEC and Amtrak, to evaluate feasability of restoring service over this route. When I learn that media, "pols', passenger train advocates, even local railfans, were aboard, one has to wonder what was the purpose of this journey.

A possible "take" is this; OK we put on a show for the media (on what was to have been a slow news day until some disgruntled soul(s) in New York apparently had visions of a "5/1"); now let's all go home and forget about this as Amtrak does not wish to be burdened with additional train miles (and for which no assurance of Local funding; or giving up the ability to "whack a train' - Meteor - fast if need arises) and FEC can do nicely without passenger train interference on their rails.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:However to continue, I hope that the sponsors have done adequate research to establish expected public acceptance of this new or rerouted service. Funny how there has never been any kind of Ambus connection; say, one operating Jax to Melbourne and another Orlando-West Palm. That would seem a comparatively inexpensive way, with unquestioned ease of entry and exit, to establish if the farepaying bodies are actually there.

A lot of people turn their noses up at Ambuses, so it wouldn't really determine whether farepaying bodies were actually there. And it probably wouldn't be worth it: outside California where they're state-funded, they're mostly available where an existing bus operator was happy to sign a contract with Amtrak to be "advertised" as the Amtrak Thruway Bus -- if there is no such operator, the bus turns out to be a very expensive operation to set up. I'm guessing there is no such operator.

I think the strong advocacy of the communities on the FEC route, combined with the expected improved trip times, makes it a pretty good bet for public acceptance.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Here is local broadcast media coverage of the "event".

WPTV NBC West Palm Beach

That this was chosen to be on an A-Day - and a Saturday at that- leads one to wonder was this more media event than an inspection trip by operating personnel, FEC and Amtrak, to evaluate feasability of restoring service over this route. When I learn that media, "pols', passenger train advocates, even local railfans, were aboard, one has to wonder what was the purpose of this journey.

Generally in PR, asking the public and powerful local people to come is a way of generating interest and excitement in a project you DO intend to attempt. It's a very bad PR and horrendous politics to get people all excited about something you have no intention of doing. It's very possible this won't happen. But it runs counter to common sense to think they aren't serious about looking into it.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Here is local broadcast media coverage of the "event".

WPTV NBC West Palm Beach

That this was chosen to be on an A-Day - and a Saturday at that- leads one to wonder was this more media event than an inspection trip by operating personnel, FEC and Amtrak, to evaluate feasability of restoring service over this route. When I learn that media, "pols', passenger train advocates, even local railfans, were aboard, one has to wonder what was the purpose of this journey.

A possible "take" is this; OK we put on a show for the media (on what was to have been a slow news day until some disgruntled soul(s) in New York apparently had visions of a "5/1"); now let's all go home and forget about this as Amtrak does not wish to be burdened with additional train miles (and for which no assurance of Local funding; or giving up the ability to "whack a train' - Meteor - fast if need arises) and FEC can do nicely without passenger train interference on their rails.

I had the opportunity to speak with someone on Saturday night that was on the train and that was involved. They were quite please with the reception from the various localities as well as the FEC staff. To hear them descrive the reception at Bunnell, you would have thought the president was in town. That being said, there is a lot of work to be done before a train well be on the FEC ( that work does not include the physical plant of the FEC.. I was told that the ride quality was easily good for 90MPH) and right now the ball is in the State of Florida's court.. Amtrak wants to do this.. Florida, it is your move.