Amtrak Updates 11/28-12/11

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Why do they need to Wye it?

If 90413 is not an ITCS then why is it even there? Or is the ITCS shut down?

[Mackinac Mac]

Thanks for the updates guys! Here is visitor 90413 in the Dearborn Amtrak Station.

I hate to speculate, but I was doing just that with a few friends and were thinking business is good and the trains are bigger, sometimes the ITCS units are not available and they take the set that is available and make sure at least one unit is ITCS. Maybe this explains the trains with no rear unit, perhaps when they realize there is a Cab Car that is not contributing they pull it off, but didn't have time to break the icy set today, so they go along for the ride, because it is just easier to leave the cab there?

[J T]

Hey Mac, here's 90200 on P371 this morning:

[GP30M4216]

90200 really is masquerading as a snow man....cool shot JT! I especially like how the snow is also built up on the sheet metal piece between the number boards where the horn used to be.

Why do they need to Wye it?

If 90413 is not an ITCS then why is it even there? Or is the ITCS shut down?

Non-ITCS locomotives cannot lead on the ITCS portion generally and apparently several special waivers must be filled out for such an event to occur. If a non-ITCS unit is present, it must be trailing. I'm not sure what would happen of if it would be possible to run with a ITCS equipped NPCU leading and a non-ITCS powered locomotive shoving. In this case, the Cab unit was generally useless, unless they plan to wye tomorrow's train at West Detroit and need 90413 to lead down from Pontiac for that short distance, but in many cases it would have been just cut off and the whole train wyed. Mac's idea about consists seems likely. Many of the Michigan Line consists stay together and then become Lincoln Service trains, where of course there is no ITCS.

In the winter of 2008-2009, for several months, the ITCS was being upgraded, and was turned off during this time. It was great to have a little variety, with several visiting NPCU's, Genesis, and even a couple P32's making a presence on the Michigan Line.

[Buster Manning]

Nice to see that an ITCS cab-car in on a non-ITCS train and vice-versa.....wonder what brain-surgeon manager ok'ed that equipment set plan.....and people wonder why rr'ers can get so grumpy--'cause they have to deal with incompetence from those that are supposed to 'lead'.........

my heartburn is heating up---thinkin' maybe I should buy stock in Rolaids or Tums....

352 was wyed upon arrival in PNT; looks better on paper to not show a delay wyeing the train at Scotten and Bay City Jct.--even though there is enough time built into the schedule to still depart AA on time; oh wait, that was before NS slapped a 40 P/25 F mph slow order on the Ypsi-Lake section this past week... RRTTF, I expect you will be able to see me trundling by even better now, I better stop picking my nose/scratching my butt in that section.....

[nssd70m-2]

Thanks for the insight. Btw, did 90200 loose its "mars" light? It looks like it in the photo,
Mike

[Buster Manning]

It lost some of it's parts---like the red lense and the lightbulb from what I can remember

[conrail767596]

And 352 (05) originally had the 89 and 837 off of 300 (05) until they scrounged up that 27.

[J T]

It lost some of it's parts---like the red lense and the lightbulb from what I can remember

The 9 on the engineer side number board is jacked up, too. It's more noticeable when I zoom in on it.

[nssd70m-2]

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Amtrak 352 with 28. Main 1 Vinewood to Milwaukee Jct. Main 2 Milwaukee Jct to Moterm. Main 1 Moterm to M.A.L.

[GTW6401]

352 has 33 and 90219.

[GTW6401]

353 on the 11th will have 90219 leading.

[ns8401]

Hey Buster, is that slow order because of bad track or is NS playing bad host?

[ConrailDetr​oit]

355 has 27 and 30.

[ns8401]

355 By Ypsilanti at 655ish and then 352 running 2 hours and 15 late through at 815 or so.

[GP30M4216]

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=348720

The caption says this is a Michigan train, but if 90413 is leading into Chicago, that wouldn't make sense since it doesn't have ITCS. The snow on the numberboard makes it look a lot better though