"Sacrifical Lambs' for the Mail

Me too I wish they could still Carry M & E. But with buying the line it would cost too mcuh $$$$$ Also I would like to see Amtrak add more service when they can a Southern Montana Line form Chicago to Seattle, a Chicago to Miami Run, MSP to Houston and a Chicago to Houston Train.

AmtrakFan

Would be nice to have the Floridian back, as well as the Kentucky Cardinal, and for the MSP to Houston Run, I have a name for it, Twin Star Rocket. Also, how about a Sunset Limited connection to Kansas City via the Golden State, perhaps call it the Golden Rocket, one of those trains that never was. Amtrak should get together with some railroads to run mixed trains on light density lines, but that would never happen.

Actually, Mr. Cheney (isn't that where your alma mater, EWU, is located?), I presume you are aware that Twin Star Rocket was the very name given by the Rock Island to their Minneapolis (North Star State) - Houston (Lone Star State) train. Hence, there is your Twin Star.

Also you note the Golden Rocket; likely you are aware that was the name of a stillborn train intended for the RI-SP Golden State Route. It was to be the "Super Chief" of that route on a tri-weekly frequency which I guess would have relegated the Golden State to comparative status of "The Chief', or on the GN the "Western Star". However, even as early as 1950, SP saw the "writing on the Wall" and withdrew from any further consideration. However, cars were delivered to both roads lettered Golden Rocket, and were simply assigned to the Golden State.

Oh well Mr. Norman, anyway it would be nice for other route options to materialize, but without Mail and Express, and the lack of political will, it may well never happen.

OK for what it be worth, today I observed my first train that formerly handled M&E without any.

#7(18) left CUS today without any M&E cars in consist; in short a visible Superliner diaphragm.

Daily operation a year from now? place your bets.

Many, MANY Roadrailers and Boxcars are sitting at Lumber St doing less than nothing. Of course, there have been 'business blunders" manyfold over the M&E (AOL Time Warner comes to mind rather quickly), but for an outfit that can ill afford any....?

AmtrakFan wrote:Did that brutal 2000 winter Kill the LCL when it often had to be cancelled due to lack of cars? Also an Amtrak wmplyoee who I knew by assocation said it sometimes only had three passengers on the train.

The times for this train were very inconvenient for passengers. I am surprised it had any passengers at all.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:OK for what it be worth, today I observed my first train that formerly handled M&E without any.

#7(18) left CUS today without any M&E cars in consist; in short a visible Superliner diaphragm.

Daily operation a year from now? place your bets.

The train has been expressless for a couple weeks now.

Seeing as how the train didn't carry much in terms of M&E west of St. Paul, I don't see how the loss of same would affect its frequency. Provided that Amtrak still exists a year from now, and still runs long-distance trains, I'd bet there would be a daily Empire Builder (what with the fact that the train actually carries passengers and all).

While the following does not exactly relate to the Mail, it does affect another major ancilliary line of business.

From reviewing material at another board and from a reliable Member source, it appears that the staffing of LA Area "Metrolink" trains will soon be done by a concern other than Amtrak. The date noted for such a change is June 2005.

If this comes to pass, it is just one more ancilliary business exited.

Unfortunately, since this operator, possibly Herzog Rail Services, will now control the pool of qualified Train and Engine crews, what would there be to stop California, who already owns the equipment, from contracting with "someone else' to operate the Surfliners. Could the Bay Area services, i.e. Capitols and San Joaquins, be far behind?

A brand name change from "Amtrak California" to "Intercity California", or "IC" is not all that inconceivable.

There is too much "deja vu" with this exit from the Mail business. I was there to observe the loss of such during 1967 and the resulting exit from the intercity passenger business by the railroads. As I have noted before, loss of such is going to make quite difficult any justification for operating LD trains, even if well patronized, over already overtaxed Class One ROW's.

I becometh quite pessimistic as of late.

I'd tend to agree . politically , "oh we dont just carry passengers , we carry mail and express too " , would make the case for investing in passenger rail more justifable to government .
But its hard to argue the "express" business as it was operating , was efficent , or complementary to fast passenger service .
I think to ditch express totally would be a mistake , what amtrak needs to do now is to get the small express business left working efficently , investing what it gets from selling the express cars in equipment to speed up the handling off both express and baggage . and expand from there , but only if it pays well , and doesnt interupt passenger service too much .
I also think it needs ot use its major advantages , which is access to city centers on the nec , to its advantage , build a fast efficent express network from there .

Actually, I thought Amtrak owned the Surfliner cars, and California owned the "California cars." At least, that's the way it is with the locomotives, which is why the Surfliner locos have AMTK numbers and the California F-59s have CDTX numbers.

David Benton wrote: I think to ditch express totally would be a mistake , what amtrak needs to do now is to get the small express business left working efficently....
I also think it needs ot use its major advantages , which is access to city centers on the nec , to its advantage , build a fast efficent express network from there .

I believe Amtrak is already doing this, with their Amtrak Express Service. You can drop a package off in Philadelphia and have it picked up in New York in a couple of hours.

It's not advertised much, and I only heard about it through someone else.

GBN:

SP cancelled their order for this set before P-S started its actual construction.

Only "Golden Rocket" cars integrated into the Golden State were the RI ones. Just checked with an RI expert to confirm that.

John

From an observation today @ 18.34:

#4(30) 2 BoxCars

#5(02) 1 Reefer 2 Boxcars

Incidentially, both trains met @ 18.34; today the Lions Club is sponsoring an Oktoberfest which is set up in the Station parking lot. That means kids with skateboards - and the platform makes for a great "runway".

Unfortunately, one of them got a bit too close to #4 "for my blood'.

Stay Safe

Addendum: When I returned later to observe the AAPRCO Special noted elsewhere, there was a Lions staffmember stationed near the tracks hopefully to prevent any such reoccurrence.

Todays Observation 2
Train 3 (2) 4 Box Cars. Also where I live is having an Oktobor Fest so it was a mob seen by the Train Station.

AmtrakFan