Amtrak Auto Train Discussion

Hello
Why triple deck auto-racks?
Use special modify double deck racks, which fit through the tunnels in NYC
And than use single level long distance equipment to connect Boston via Washington DC with Lorton

Electric can pull the train till Washington and the short strech between Washington and Lorton a diesel pulls the small autotrain, which will hocked up there to the big autotrain to travel together towards Florida

The this already a night train on NEC, right? Just without slepper ...
So add real slepping cars to it and transport the automobiles in smaller autoracks.

Problem, of cource the $$$

Bye

Noel Weaver wrote:Probably close to 90 per cent of the people who use the Auto Train are seniors and lots of seniors have pets. Probably Amtrak could increase the patronage on the Auto Train by making some arrangement to accomodate pets on this one train subject to suitable restrictions to
prevent any possible problems. I have a cat which keeps me from using it on my trips north in the summer most years.Noel Weaver

Not sure how this could be accomplished. Until 15 or so years ago, Amtrak used to accept pets in suitable containers as checked baggage and in sleeping car rooms, but a number of animal rights groups threatened (or maybe actually filed) animal cruelty complaints against Amtrak, so the practice was discontinued. The complaint essentially was that there was no opportunity to feed-water-walk the pets enroute. There were probably 'accidents' in the sleeper rooms as well. Cats maybe could somehow be accommodated, but dogs are problematic. I would have taken Jeffrey (the Treeing Walker Coonhound in my speeder avatar) on my round trip Newark, NJ - Lamy, NM this past summer had he been permitted to join us in the sleeper rooms.

.Taurus. wrote:Problem, of cource the $$$

That's the long and short problem of Amtrak, period.

Messrs Ken and Weaver--

It is interesting to note that circa 1976, the private Auto Train would have accomodated either Jeff or Mikey. They had a Coach at which water bowls and a mat were in place at each pair of seats.

I'm not sure how "malodorus' the Coach was after each journey; I did not commence my annual pilgimages to Palm Beach/Broward until my Father moved 'down below' - that was 1980. Since I was then "workin' for The Road' and those vacation days were counted, my journeys were by air and wind up toy (yup, to those of you who know me, I have driven a Chevette, albeit past tense) served up by some auto rental concern that "had 'a deal".

Now Lucky (Newfoundland; 1992-2003) would have expected a Bedroom, and when he decided that he liked the sofa and expected my lap would have been his pillow, he would have slept through the night; never mind me

Bless you for coming my way, Sweet Boy.

Other than the AT for a while, were pets ever allowed on Amtrak or pre-Amtrak passenger trains either in car or in baggage car? Dogs are dogs, then or now.....if so, how were they "walked and watered" then.

From the Amtrak timetable, May 1, 1977:

"Dogs, cats and other domestic animals will be accommodated in a closed, rigid, secure, and well-ventilated container on any Amtrak train providing baggage car service. They will not be allowed in club cars, sleeping cars or coaches (except that guide dogs accompanying blind passengers will be allowed in any type of accommodation on all trains).
Passengers wishing to visit their pets may do so enroute or during station stops of 10 minutes or more, when passenger safety and operating conditions permit by making arrangements with the train conductor".

Segment of the timetable continued on to list the stations where such acceptable containers could be purchased at.

january Trains magazine puts the cost of a 89 foot bilevel auto rack at $ 130 k , so amtrak could afford to buy say 10 of them . May cost moe to have them modified to fit the nec clearances .
Biggest cost would be a new terminal , but if its for a smaller number of autocarriers it shouldnt be too expensive .

Noel Weaver wrote: The lack of a really good location to build a facility for Auto Train use in
the north east together with clearance restrictions and a very reluctant
railroad (CSX) probably means that any extension north is a no go and
will likely remain that for some time.

It would be nice if Amtrak or VRE could build a station right at Lorton's Auto Train station. At least you'd have a good connection to Union Station.

As only people with motors can use the train there wouldn't be any point?

Mr. Murjax, what for?

As Mr. Matthews immediately noted, save a grave emergency such as 9/11, Auto Train is prohibited, because it is operated under an agreement between Amtrak, as successor to the ATCorp, and CSX, as successor to RF&P/SCL (as distinct from the otherwise existing agreement between Amtrak and CSX covering all other passenger trains), from handling passengers without autos or other permitted motor vehicles.

However, there is a VRE Lorton station immediately North of the AT facility, so if you are looking for a way to get there the see a friend off or simply to "railfan it" , it is a 1.5 mile walkbetween the two stations.

Addendum: even if it appears from the map linked above that the shortest route from VRE to AT would be to walk along the ROW, don't. While unlawful and if caught you would be subject to at the least detention, the area is also indigenous to copperheads. While a "greeting' from one of those fellows is not fatal, it still will "make for a bad day".

I'm not willing to give up on the idea of a Chicago vicinity to Sanford AT service. My problem is that I'm not familiar enough with routes and track conditions in the Southeast to make a case.

Instead, let's take a really awkward routing -- essentially the CN from Chicago into Memphis or the New Orleans area and then the route of the old Sunset Limited. That would be about 18 hours on the City route (a little quicker than the City without all the stops), plus (just a guess) 10 more into Sanford, in total a time of 28 to 30 hours.

I think that is easily competitive with the time people actually take to make the drive because, as others have noted, the AT crowd tends to be older and thus less likely to drive it straight through. A 10am departure from Chicago also would put it into Florida with a good deal of day left for those folks whose destination is further south in Florida.

As far as NYC to Chicago goes, there is a location that could accommodate an autotrain, the old Chevrolet Yard on the east side of the main in Tarrytown. For the last few years the plant was in operation, car carriers were run from there. Unlike Harmon, Tarrytown is located near the NY Thruway/I-287 corridor.

The two major hurdles would be to get the wealthy NIMBYs of North Tarrytown and Metro-North brass to approve. Anything that could impact the operation of Metro North would probably not fly. I worked the Chevrolet switchers in the 70s (HM-11 and HM-12) and we were able to service the plant from Croton West Yard (located just north of Metro-North's Harmon facility) without impacting passenger service. An auto train could fit in there, if Amtrak wanted to work with MN.

Howya gonna get that train across the Hudson?

Dakguy201 wrote:I'm not willing to give up on the idea of a Chicago vicinity to Sanford AT service. My problem is that I'm not familiar enough with routes and track conditions in the Southeast to make a case.

Instead, let's take a really awkward routing -- essentially the CN from Chicago into Memphis or the New Orleans area and then the route of the old Sunset Limited. That would be about 18 hours on the City route (a little quicker than the City without all the stops), plus (just a guess) 10 more into Sanford, in total a time of 28 to 30 hours.

I think that is easily competitive with the time people actually take to make the drive because, as others have noted, the AT crowd tends to be older and thus less likely to drive it straight through. A 10am departure from Chicago also would put it into Florida with a good deal of day left for those folks whose destination is further south in Florida.

Mr. Dakguy, I think you have in mind some kind of Supertrain or Silver Streak-I; from one who actually made journeys during both '02 and '04 ORL-1-NOL-58-CHI, departure from Orlando was 1PM with arrival in Chicago 9AM SECOND MORNING. Google reports a drive Chicago to Sanford at 16.25hrs, Add in a 10hr overnight stop and two hours of fuel and rest stops and we are talkin' 28hours.

Again I reiterate, from having "been there done that' some seventeen times in this life, Auto Train passengers are neither railfans nor even train lovers (nonfans who like the relaxing environment an LD train offers). Because they are either "going down' for a duration that makes the $50/day for some wind up toy uneconomical, or they simply are "accustomed' to their Bennie-Caddy-Lex , having their "own ride" when "down below" makes sense. The existing AT is a painless way to get the buggy down and back, but as I have noted if AT is not there by noon, "arewethereyetitis' becomes quite endemic.

If an Auto Train facility was in N.Y. N.J.CONN or P.A . Can a freight railroad move the NEC clearance friendly auto carriers to Lorton? Than from there the cars owner can travel with their car to Sanford?