Amtrak Vermonter / Montrealer

Track work was one reason. The other I think was what happened up North with a trespasser on the tracks. I though have a question on yesterdays 55 and 56 consists. Northbound 56 had One engine, then two cars followed by another engine and the 5 Vermonter cars in tow. I saw that it went to Springfield and then was cancelled the rest of the way up North. Train 55 then came south bound with the same lineup but different road #'s but it again had one engine followed by two cars and then another engine followed by 5 Vermonter cars. Train 55 also originated in Springfield and not St Albans. I know they both were canceled on Sunday but this seemed weird for a Monday consist on both trains. Does anyone know the full answer to the makeup of these two trains? On a side note train 56 which did not run the day before, was not washed as I hope it would have when it sat idle in DC. It clearly(no pun intended)needs a good washing.

Engine 153 died on Sunday night in Springfield. In order to run 55, they capped the train with a shuttle. 56 came north with a shuttle for 475 to use on its southbound run.

I assume the track work would also be the reason for NECR running daylight freights in both directions that I've been seeing for the last couple weeks?

The following report by WWLP 22 News underscores the steady increase in popularity of the Vermonter in Western Massachusetts. However, the irony of having a beautiful 400-foot platform in Holyoke (HLK) that has served some 1,000 passengers this year vis-à-vis a 40-foot wooden dais in Northampton (NHT) that has underserved roughly 16,000 passengers (during the same period) continues to confound.

http://wwlp.com/2016/11/21/ridership-on ... increased/

The people of Northampton should be happy to have a platform at all...

Not funny. I think Kilo Echo's point is well taken: That's 400x unfairness/misallocation to serve NHT's 16x as busy station with the 1/25th as long platform

Just let the "Day Train Faeries" come at night, and make the 400ft platform at Northampton like they initially planned in 2014. If the City of Northampton Planning Board continued planning, we could've been left with a 10' slab of asphalt and a wheelchair lift for those passengers.

Alas, the guys is the trenches at MassDot are working on 120ft of platform, so you can get two sets of traps to open.

Weren't the present platforms at NHT and GFD only temporary, rushed to completion prior to the end of Gov. Patrick's administration?

The North bound Vermonter (56) was seen yesterday as well as today with two engines again. That time of year when two units are required for snow and ice up north in Vermont. Nice to see the two units but I wish they would add a car or two. Two units and five cars looks overkill.

Amtrak could sell tickets for the available cab seats in the 2nd locomotive!

Even if they had to station an employee in there to make sure the goofy railfan didn't mess with things...they'd make bank. Heck, if they just sold the seat next to the engineer...they'd actually make even more bank since the employee is already there. Hmmm, this is a good post for the Amtrak funding topic(s).

Alright, enough with the cab rides for profit thing...

You want to see overkill...how about when the Springfield shuttle is 2 locos and one car because they're short cab cars and they can't wye the train...but I digress...

Amtrak is never going to pander to some foamer fantasy for cab rides, no matter how revenue-starved they end up.

MattW wrote:Even if they had to station an employee in there to make sure the goofy railfan didn't mess with things...they'd make bank. Heck, if they just sold the seat next to the engineer...they'd actually make even more bank since the employee is already there. Hmmm, this is a good post for the Amtrak funding topic(s).

Does this include the cost of the FRA fines?

Preclearance bill passes congress
http://www.theprovince.com/news/nationa ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is very good news glad to see this item taken care of.