All Things Cascades incl Vancouver

Purely a PR move. The old route doesn't have PTC either.

True, but at least the crews have objectively more time running the route. It also gives much more time to clean up the wreck and regauge any necessary speed restrictions.

dgvrengineer wrote:Purely a PR move. The old route doesn't have PTC either.

The old route (BNSF) has PTC. It's Amtrak and Sounder locomotives that don't have PTC.

Since the BNSF Seattle Sub PTC is online,is there a problem to to get each Amtrak and Sounder loco registered in the BNSF computers?
This seems to be a common problem on Host RR PTC systems.

Backshophoss wrote:Since the BNSF Seattle Sub PTC is online,is there a problem to to get each Amtrak and Sounder loco registered in the BNSF computers?
This seems to be a common problem on Host RR PTC systems.

When I retired back in June "foreign" power was not yet programmed into the BNSF PTC system. I had heard that the new WSdot Chargers would be the first "foreign" power to be programmed into the system. This was probably going to be done in preparation for the new faster schedules due to start in December. Whether or not Chargers equipped Amtrak trains are using the BNSF PTC at this time I don't know. But if they have it and the Amtrak/Sounder crews are qualified on it then PTC is in service on BNSF.

Has the tracks where train #501 crashed been repaired yet? Do any trains presently use the line at this time. If not, I wonder if the 4449 can run an excursion down the line before Amtrak decides to try again with the line?

If SP 4449 is on the move,figure on the trailing diesel will have it's PTC gear up and in service,unless BNSF and UP granted a waiver for this move.
NOT aware of any move by SP 4449 at this time.

There wasn't a move. My question about 4449 was hypothetical?

Has Amtrak decided the next time they're going to attempt to start service on the Point Defiance bypass?

Will depend on how far along the PTC "Backroom" network has progressed.
Each RR has their entire roster loaded into their "PTC Backroom" computer,on a "secure network" that shares roster info between the between
the RR's.
Amtrak is creating their own PTC "Backroom" to share roster info with the Host RR's on that network.
Even Commuter operations like Metrolink,NMRX , Sounder,etc will be part of this network.

Tom6921 wrote:Has Amtrak decided the next time they're going to attempt to start service on the Point Defiance bypass?

IIRC, WSDOT has pushed the restart back to “early” 2019.

A few questions about Cascades:

Do the NPCUs lead the northbound or the southbound trains?
Is one more likely to find a Charger or a Genesis powering a train?
It is known which trains operate with the new Talgo sets and which with the old?

Thanks!

Power is usually on the north end and cab cars are usually on the south, but not always. Right now most trains are Charger powered, with 2 to 4 P42s in the rotation at any given time. Most of the sets are in a rotation but it changes a lot so it is semi random.

Does the Cascades still use the F59PHis?

No. They were last used in mid-October.