Thanksgiving Week Extras

It would be great for Amtrak's bottom line if it had enough equipment to fill out LD and medium distance trains to greater lengths. The examples of Cascades and Michigan service sold out extra trains has shown there is demand as well. SOU RR often ran extra trains ATL <> WASH during peak travel periods that would sell out as well.

SAL & ACL were able to run very long trains WASH <> south during peak periods,

I agree. Amtrak does try to maximize available equipment during Thanksgiving but that is still insufficient to meet demand.

It's a problem that's been around since forever it seems. Watching old classic movies occur set during the holiday season commonly have plot lines reflecting the inability to buy train tickets. This was during an era with multiple train companies competing in the same market.

And the same basic economics are at work then as well as today, it costs too much to maintain more rolling stock than you need for everyday railroad operations. Using local rolling stock idled by the holiday for intercity service is the wisest choice economically.

Ayup, this is the real issue. If you have enough equipment to completely handle the Thanksgiving rush, you have too much the rest of the year. Or, if you somehow CAN fill it the rest of the year, you find suddenly again you don't have enough for the Christmas rush.
As I recall AT&T studied this a lot in the phone system to handle the busiest day of the year... Mother's Day.

It helps when different places have different seasonal rushes with compatible equipment. That doesn't apply to Thanksgiving except when the equipment comes from Canada. After Sandy Amtrak leased a Via set to free up the Adirondak's equipment. I guess that's not feasible most years, or too expensive, or some such, because Via must have some extra equipment in the fall/winter when the Canadian runs less often with fewer cars. Or maybe the limiting factor at Thanksgiving is NEC capacity for trains, not just having enough coaches?

Are there any Thanksgiving extras outside the NEC?

The equipment problem can be somewhat mitigated by judicious scheduling heavy work at Beech, Bear, etc. In off peak times bring in a lot of stock for the minor level 1 work and at peak times just what ever needs major or wreck work only and put all other equipment into trains. As well allow most heavy maintenance workers ability to schedule vacation time during peak travel times. ( keeps them happy ), Work all during off peak times. Airlines do this same kind of heavy maintenance work scheduling as well.

In off peak times run charters more often such as the West Palm Beach safety patrol specials that last few years have caused the Meteor to be cancelled to provide enough equipment.

Football charters as well except Thanksgiving.

Arborwayfan wrote: Are there any Thanksgiving extras outside the NEC?

Usually out of Chicago, they would add cars to as many short-haul trains as they could, as well as add a (Chicago-Battle Creek round trip?) to the Wolverines... but that's about it. Out west, the standby Horizon set would do duty on either the Capitols or Surfliners and free up bilevels to lengthen those trains, but no extras....

Arborwayfan wrote:I...
Are there any Thanksgiving extras outside the NEC?

I believe that last year there was a short-turn on the Michigan Line, and one on the Cascades between Portland and Seattle.

Haven't seen this posted yet, which surprises me. Mods, please do merge with another thread if it has been posted.

Amtrak has posted the 2016 Thanksgiving schedules online:
Northeast Corridor - https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/679/923/No ... able,0.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Illinois Service - https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/337/723/Il ... etable.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Michigan Service - https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/240/229/Mi ... able,0.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The NEC has Regional extras starting on Tuesday (today), and commuter equipment extras on Sunday, and each of the IL and MI routes get 1 extra, usually a short-turn. I assume these will be Amtrak equipment?

Mr. Pumpkins, Last year, the IZ sets were double ended with P-42's and turned at the Quincy station.

381 turned for Extra 384 and turned for a 30 min set back 383

380 turned for Extra 385 and turned for 382

I'm kinda wondering which trains will be MARC sets (which means bathrooms are likely at the cab car and next to the engine). Assuming Amtrak uses them only on the NEC, I went through the schedule.

During the holiday week, Amtrak may use cars
borrowed from commuter rail agencies to run
“Holiday Extra” trains. (These trains are numbered
1054 and higher in the Thanksgiving timetable.)
We recognize that some of the borrowed cars
might not be what you expect from our Amtrak
fleet. “Holiday Extra” trains will have fewer
restrooms and may not offer food service.

Oh! Nice. But they use "Holiday Extra" on Sunday only and "Northeast Corridor Extra" everywhere else. I've starred the "Holiday Extras".

NEC Extras, train 1054 and up:

Tuesday
1129 505P NYP to WAS
1179 805p BOS to NYP

1184 1110A WAS To NYP
1186 105P WAS To BOS
1196 431P WAS TO NYP
1136 505P WAS TO BOS

Wednesday
1195 1026A NYP to WAS
1173 1225P BOS to WAS
1175 419P BOS to WAS

1174 9:45A WAS to BOS
1194 2:02P WAS to BOS
1196 4:31P WAS to NYP
1136 5:05P WAS to BOS

Thursday
1121 546A NYP to WAS
1139 545A Springfield to WAS
1143 515A BOS to WAS
1171 720A BOS to Linchburg

1140 1225P WAS To NYP

Friday no extras

Saturday Northbounds only
1182 735A WAS To BOS
1168 405P WAS To BOS
1198 905P WAS to BOS

Sunday
1057 1121A NYP to WAS*
1099 1241P NYP to WAS*
1063 330P NYP to WAS*
1135 12 Noon BOS to DC
1069 820p NYP to WAS*

1164 915A WAS to BOS
1054 955A WAS To NYP*
1056 230P WAS to NYP*
1134 335P WAS to NYP
1058 605P WAS to NYP*
1082 703P WAS to NYP*
1198 905P WAS to NYP

This also makes me wonder... MARC II cars are qualified to run from Linchburg to Boston?!?

Considering where the equipment is coming from and where it is needed on Monday, it's logical to assume that the first two 10XX series departing WAS on Sunday will be MARC, and the first two departing NYP will be NJT. Similarly, the last two departing NYP will be MARC, and the last two departing WAS will be NJT.

So, Marc 1054 becomes 1063, 1056 becomes 1069.
NJT 1057 becomes 1058, 1099 becomes 1082.

Judging from youtube videos (I searched each of these train numbers), this has been exactly how it's shaken out the past few years.

Boston extras don't have borrowed equipment.

Much to my disgust the past couple years living north/east of NYC

hs3730 wrote:Considering where the equipment is coming from and where it is needed on Monday, it's logical to assume that the first two 10XX series departing WAS on Sunday will be MARC, and the first two departing NYP will be NJT. Similarly, the last two departing NYP will be MARC, and the last two departing WAS will be NJT.

So, Marc 1054 becomes 1063, 1056 becomes 1069.
NJT 1057 becomes 1058, 1099 becomes 1082.

Judging from youtube videos (I searched each of these train numbers), this has been exactly how it's shaken out the past few years.

Okay, but what about the 11XX series? Remember, MARC lent out a good amount of their MARC II fleet to SEPTA, which has sent most of it back now; SEPTA as of last check only had an 8 car consist. I assume they're all with Amtrak now (and that NJT didn't have that much to spare).

11xx is Amtrak equipment only 10xx is commuter rail equipment.