If you could restore a defunct Amtrak route

I am presuming the Cleveland Pittsburgh New York train is the second Pennsylvanian that keeps being bantered about before 2024. Going to and from Cleveland seems like an interesting schedule issue. I presume the train leaving Cleveland would have to depart around 9am to make NYP by mid evening.

A link to some comments from one of the news sources.
At least as of now, most are very positive. One of the top ones (at this time) makes an important point that Uber/Lyft helps solve the last mile.

Sealed train BUF - Detroit ? the approximately 300 miles instead of ~ 400 miles with stops at Erie, Cleveland, Toledo is a non starter. Taxpayers throughout the US want US mileage. I'll be darned that I want to see US dollars to pay to a Canadian outfit for thru trains with no stops. The only way would be passengers paying all ( and I mean all ) Canadian expenses. Will that happen ??? no way !!!

Sealed train BUF - Detroit ? the approximately 300 miles instead of ~ 400 miles with stops at Erie, Cleveland, Toledo is a non starter. Taxpayers throughout the US want US mileage. I'll be darned that I want to see US dollars to pay to a Canadian outfit for thru trains with no stops. The only way would be passengers paying all ( and I mean all ) Canadian expenses. Will that happen ??? no way !!!

The distance from Buffalo-Detroit is shorter across southern Ontario. The NYC [actually Michigan Central's Canada Southern] routed a number of trains across the route. Amtrak continued running the remnant of the Empire State Express to Detroit, with one car for a few stops; people who had boarded in US for Canada, or getting on for US destinations. It was not for between Canadian stations.

An extension to Cleveland only would need a terminal to be established with a place to turn consist. Currently, servicing locomotive would require a reverse move from Lakefront out to Collinwood. Still can not remember if any wyes exist anymore to turn. So there would need a terminal established to do the servicing of train.

Find a wye to turn the consist,,Fuel for the power can be brought in by truck,hire a contract maintenance crew for simple running repair and bring in "merry maids" to clean the consist
and a "Honey Wagon" to handle restroom waste material.
Install ground power for layovers and fresh potable water for the onboard water tanks on the cars

Backshophoss wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:04 am
and a "Honey Wagon" to handle restroom waste material.

Things were so much simpler when the toilets just dumped to the ballast... 8^)

The question of a wye in Cleveland, is that I do not know if there is one close, Whiskey Island? I have not had the chance to look up references. Remember a lot of trackage has been changed since last time Cleveland terminated/serviced passenger trains; like pre-Amtrak and Conrail came then the breakup between NS and CSX, industries closing and trackage removed. Where is Pennsylvanian serviced in Pittsburgh and is consist turned? Remember the Biden Campaign special consist had to come from Chicago. Was it on tail end of Capitol Ltd?

urr304 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:47 am The question of a wye in Cleveland, is that I do not know if there is one close, Whiskey Island? I have not had the chance to look up references. Remember a lot of trackage has been changed since last time Cleveland terminated/serviced passenger trains; like pre-Amtrak and Conrail came then the breakup between NS and CSX, industries closing and trackage removed. Where is Pennsylvanian serviced in Pittsburgh and is consist turned? Remember the Biden Campaign special consist had to come from Chicago. Was it on tail end of Capitol Ltd?

My understanding is that Pennsylvanians use a wye a few miles east of the station. I believe it is this location.

(40.4564402, -79.9073896)

urr304 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 12:07 am The distance from Buffalo-Detroit is shorter across southern Ontario. The NYC [actually Michigan Central's Canada Southern] routed a number of trains across the route. Amtrak continued running the remnant of the Empire State Express to Detroit, with one car for a few stops; people who had boarded in US for Canada, or getting on for US destinations. It was not for between Canadian stations

Actually you could travel between two Canadian stations (Windsor, St. Thomas or Ft. Erie) and I think it was the only Amtrak train you could locally in Canada on.

http://www.timetables.org/full.php?grou ... &item=0044

The exNYC exPenn Central/Conrail track Amtrak used across Southern Ontario is now abandoned......but right up until Covid hit you could depart NYP on the Maple Leaf at 6:40am connect in Aldershot, Ontario to a VIA train via London and be in Windsor at 11:45pm. And if you don't think Detroit or N. Ohio/SE Mich residents use Windsor....just stroll through the station parking lot there and look at the tags (Covid aside!!)

Eastbound the the trains missed the connection at Aldershot by a half-hour so a little tweaking would restore it....... and Windsor-Aldershot-NYP it has been available at various times.

My understanding is that Pennsylvanians use a wye a few miles east of the station. I believe it is this location.

There is another wye a few miles west by Brunot Island. If I was the dispatcher I would use that one to avoid the long shove to the east.

urr304 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:47 amRemember the Biden Campaign special consist had to come from Chicago. Was it on tail end of Capitol Ltd?

The special ran as it's own train from Chicago to Cleveland a couple hours behind the Lake Shore Limited (which is a couple hours behind the Capitol Limited).

justalurker66 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:37 pm I wonder who the "Amtrak representatives" are that are shopping the new routes. Hopefully people with the authority to make proposals.

Nope ... not Amtrak's efforts.
https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2 ... il-service

Article is PAYWALLED!!!

Backshophoss wrote: ↑Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:13 pmArticle is PAYWALLED!!!

Sorry, it was not blocked when I visited it - and I can still read it.

Fair use quote:
"COLUMBUS, Ohio — Rail advocacy group All Aboard Ohio has begun a public information campaign calling for a series of multi-frequency passenger rail routes throughout the state, plus additional round-trips over existing Amtrak routes between Cincinnati and Chicago as well as Cleveland to Detroit and New York via both Pittsburgh and Buffalo."

"Although some Ohio news outlets picked up social media posts implying that Amtrak is behind the proposals, the passenger railroad declined to acknowledge specifics regarding the All Aboard Ohio plans in an email to Trains News Wire."