Return of Daily LD Service

Are these dream jobs that people are clamoring to fill? We have two employment issues in the US today (neither of them Amtrak's fault). The first issue is a large number of people who are unemployed. The second issue is a large number of jobs seeking employees. Many "face the public" jobs are going unfilled due to people not wanting that kind of work.

Yes, for the employed it seems odd to have high unemployment and high job availability. The old school people would assume the two would cancel each other out and at worse only one of those problems would exist. The reality is that matching people to jobs is not as easy as it would seem.

Ending of the Federal supplemental benefit, and if the State agencies would start to enforce the "actively seeking work" rules, only those who simply do not have qualifications for today's work will be Unemployment beneficiaries.

I can recall recently going to a regional fast food chain. There's the manager out front waving customers away. I asked what's going on? He says he couldn't get anyone to come in to work. One who had worked there told him "i'm making more on Unemployment than than I could working for you or any other restaurant".

Now wouldn't it be nice if the "actively seeking work" provisions were to be enforced?

people in those service sectors have been used to customers being rude or unreasonable for the reward of a pittance and a receipt scrawled “I didn’t tip because you didn’t smile enough”, but now have the added burden of being obliged to either attempt to enforce health rules (where state or local government hasn’t already removed what protections temporarily existed), or serve the feckless at a risk to their own health, both without much or any support from the employer mentioned above.

Never fear Mr. Norman, at some point the combined forces of capitalism working at federal state and local will force these people back, through the traditional tools of sub-poverty level benefits and tying health care to employment. The boss man’s discomfort will pass.

How about the novel notion of raising these folks wages? And without enforcement by ???, indoor mask mandates are impotent and good luck to the restaurant workers etc with the wiley beast that is Delta.

Back to LD service...

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Fri Sep 10, 2021 6:54 pmNow wouldn't it be nice if the "actively seeking work" provisions were to be enforced?

It would raise the level of employment at unemployment offices (another face the public job that isn't most people's dream job). Any politician pushing for such "reform" would be risking their own unemployment. Wage increase leads to price increases that cancel wage increases except for those already well above average on the pay scale. There are plenty of "easy answers" ... just not easy answers that actually work.

Unless some law is passed that would require the unemployed to apply for and accept a job at Amtrak it wouldn't make the trains run fully staffed or on time. Working on a long distance train isn't a good job for people who need to be home at reasonable times to take care of dependent children and families.

One may come up with a scheme where people are forced to work but unless they are forced to work for Amtrak it won't help NPRC fill their vacated positions.

On my 6714 step 3.15mi walk never out of sight of the Chicago Sub, neither made the scene.

Who knows what's going on!!!

addendum 340P Somebody just went by

addendum 412P Somebody else by

Observed:

5(20) on time

Normal eight car consist; on the rear were. Charter Club and St. Jame's Place .

Charter Club was rebuilt from UP Dome 7003 and St. James Place from IC 11BR Belleville.

A "Grand Slam"

Observed:
#5(21) "more or less" OT with Creative Charters cars; UP Domes Warren Henry (Obs) and Evelyn Henry.
#4(19) Bagg is gone; 310XX in consist, T-Dorm added still seven cars. 20ML
#6 (19) normal consist 30ML
#3 (21) "smack" OT; T-Dorm but no Bagg AND NO Lounge; six cars. "The Super Chief without a Lounge? Oh heavens". 2 Sleepers, 1 Coach, 1 Coach Bagg

I guess Amtrak has moved away from their blanket no more PV's. Also wonder if these is some kind of "Pow-Wow" maybe in Denver with PV's on the move in consist of two successive trains.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Sep 21, 2021 3:23 pm A "Grand Slam"

Observed:
#5(21) "more or less" OT with Creative Charters cars; UP Domes Warren Henry (Obs) and Evelyn Henry.
#4(19) Bagg is gone; 310XX in consist, T-Dorm added still seven cars. 20ML
#6 (19) normal consist 30ML
#3 (21) "smack" OT; T-Dorm but no Bagg AND NO Lounge; six cars. "The Super Chief without a Lounge? Oh heavens". 2 Sleepers, 1 Coach, 1 Coach Bagg

I guess Amtrak has moved away from their blanket no more PV's. Also wonder if these is some kind of "Pow-Wow" maybe in Denver with PV's on the move in consist of two successive trains.

AAPRCO fall special, 13 cars should start arriving Albany this week for the trip to Burlington VT and surrounding area. Not sure of the guest list just know that most are coming from out west. They spend a lot of money getting the cars in position for the folks making these trips. Due to depart ALB for VT 9/28

Mr. Norman: still typical consists on 5/6 and 3/4? From what was said at an RPA event last week the current “return to service” priority of the maintenance crews according to Harris of Amtrak is the trans dorms so they can get more sleepers for sale. They remain significantly short staffed at the shops but apparently trans dorms are the priority.

Only saw it from the sidewalk by my house, but otherwise normal eight car consist #5(4) has an open platform obs PV on the rear. I think it might be the CN (traditional Maple Leaf livery) car.

I certainly can understand that Amtrak is having trouble getting staff and cars back on the road.

But riddle me this.........

The second Seattle Superliner Sleeper just came off ALL Empire Builder consists - as planned - for Oct. YET,

- Reservations for sleeper class remains stronger than ever. Clearly Amtrak had the Sleeper right? And this is in addition to the consist lost from the wreck. Amtrak was able to put a replacement set together. How ironic.

- What now happens to the second SCA? Back to furlough when Amtrak is supposedly in a hiring quagmire?

- The Superliner Trans-Dorm Sleeper is being pounded into service selling as much roomettes as it can, AND having a separate SCA assigned to it. Wouldn’t it have just been at LEAST better to retain the full sleeper with the attendant and more rooms?

I just completed travel on Empire Builder and Lake Shore Limited. These trains are PACKED! Sleeper and Coach. I am shocked that coach attendants and conductors are not complaining about how full the consists are running cause its definitely more of a “squeeze to manage” for them.

YET Chicago yard now has more Amfleet II cars than I’d ever seen before (being mixed in with Horizon coaches). The new Siemens coaches all sidelined awaiting to turn a wheel. No incremental Viewliner Sleepers on any routes.

Meanwhile the NEC trains and West Coast trains and other corridor trains are running with NORMAL 7 to 10 car consists.

And no - I can’t tell what cars are on a RIP track at Chicago, or what cars are ready for service. I will definitely live up to limitations and not take guesses like others on what “can run” and what “can not.” But there does FINALLY seem less Superliner Trans/Dorm Sleepers in the yard (hopefully they are down at Beech Grove getting serviced so they can be returned to running). Still plenty of Superliner Sightseer cars around in Chicago...........

But people want OUT. They are TRAVELING. The Empire Builder has gone long into the season and sometimes year-round (except maybe mid Jan to early March) with two Seattle Sleepers. Strong route with good ridership. Cited as second to the Auto Train in terms of passenger consist length and people moved. Last year even tri-weekly it struggled with a single Seattle Sleeper. Does NOT make sense to remove when demand is certainly there.

The Empire Builder that I took - the Seattle Sleeper was sold out of bedrooms in June 2021. I took one of the last roomettes on the train. I looked periodically to see if a bedroom would open up - I use prefer a larger room regardless. Ended up in the same roomette I booked in June.

This also makes it clear that there is demand for bedrooms. In peak season - Amtrak would get better premium revenue if they moved the Auto Train’s Deluxe Sleepers (they have six on roster) to the Empire Builder or CA Zephyr...

If there’s a Superliner shortage - make the Capitol Limited a single level consist once and for all. Plenty of Viewliner Sleepers to make that happen, and Amtrak can either use low density Amfleet I’s, Amfleet II’s that are still not operating in various services (e.g. Adirondack), etc.

I will say the “Traditional Dining” on trains west of the Mississippi (except Texas Eagle), was a welcome relief and job well done Amtrak. They can’t accommodate the coach passengers in the Diner till community seating starts back up - OR there’s some special limited coach seating by reservation (the last seating of each meal period).

Well those are my “radical” observations...... I am really trying to present this post in a level-headed fashion and look at things from different angles. I know what Amtrak is SAYING, but their ACTIONS are just not following their words or even logic at times.

Just completed a trip on the SWC 9/15 CHI-FLG and return on the CZ on 9/23 GJT - CHI. Both trains had sleepers sold out (CZ did have 1 roomette available as far as Denver).

SWC was 20 min late into Flagstaff due to being delayed at ABQ by a tardy Rail Runner.

CZ was 2 hours late into CHI due mainly to a 1 hr+ delay at Denver account of a track problem on a bridge (possible bridge strike?) that had to be inspected, plus single tracking just before the Chicago burbs due to track work.

SWC (15) Consist: 2 locos, 3 Sleeper, Diner, SSL, 2 coach
CZ (22) Consist: 2 loco, 3 Sleeper, D, SSL, 2 Coach