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Amtrak 354 was four and a half hours late arriving Pontiac this morning. It went by MP 22.5 at 5:15 am.

However, to my surprise, this morning's first Amtrak out of Pontiac, 351, was only a half hour late leaving Pontiac. So they must have had the other trainset ready to depart once 354 got and, unloaded, and parked itself out of the way.

And we will see about 353's depature time. My bet is they use the extra locomotive parked there at Pontiac, which is facing south, as its power instead of wyeing the train at Pontiac Yard, and 353 leaves on time. If so, there is a reason for the extra unit to be there today.

Amtrak 353 past MP 22.5 on time at 8:58 am with three new Venture coaches and not one but two baggage cars on the rear. I presume the two baggage cars are to get the five cars required for the new signaling system. I think last time the Venture coaches were on a train that I saw there were four of them and no more, Ooops.

CN requires the Wolverine trains to have 24 axles.
The Blue Water needs 30 axles. Which means 32 axles in practice.

Amtrak 353, our only daylight Wolverine on the Holly sub nowadays, just went passed MP 22.5 on time at 8:56 on its way to Chicago, today with five Metroliner coaches plus one of the usual Michigan snack cars.

Manistique wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 09, 2022 8:59 am

Amtrak 353, our only daylight Wolverine on the Holly sub nowadays, just went passed MP 22.5 on time at 8:56 on its way to Chicago, today with five Metroliner coaches plus one of the usual Michigan snack cars.

Should he amfleet 2’s that were used when the two train sets didn’t make it back to Chicago the other day until midnight.

Chip wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 30, 2022 3:36 pm

There’s been an Amtrak ballast train parked with the engine off in Wayne between the Ford plant since yesterday morning with a freshly painted NS 4512 long hood forward on the head end.

Still there as of 5:50 this morning

Manistique wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 09, 2022 8:59 am

Amtrak 353, our only daylight Wolverine on the Holly sub nowadays, just went passed MP 22.5 on time at 8:56 on its way to Chicago, today with five Metroliner coaches plus one of the usual Michigan snack cars.

Did it have two engines today? There wasn't a protect unit at the station in Pontiac after 353 left this morning.

When 351 broke down on Friday the 7th, was there not a work train on duty that could have towed him to Battle Creek (passenger transfer to 365) or at least to Jackson where passengers could get off the train and with a second track 353 could couple onto the front?
Andy

twropr wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 10, 2022 7:36 pm

When 351 broke down on Friday the 7th, was there not a work train on duty that could have towed him to Battle Creek (passenger transfer to 365) or at least to Jackson where passengers could get off the train and with a second track 353 could couple onto the front?
Andy

In the "old" days often the railroad whose tracks they were running on would be asked to help out with a locomotive or whatever. Don't know why that doesn't seem to happen nowadays. I remember seeing GTW locomotives powering Amtrak trains out of Pontiac when an F40 was acting up. There are probably cost issues or lack of available crews now.

Amtrak 351 was delayed a bit leaving Pontiac today by a short train or light power heading north to Pontiac. I thought maybe it was a very late 354 arriving but according to the Train Status that had arrived pretty much on time.

Train 353 just passed MP 22.5 on time this morning with all the traditional Wolverine equipment except for the snack car, which was an old Metroliner design one.

Amtrak does "borrow" engines from time to time. But there has to be an engine and crew available to bring it to the train.
The issue was the engine on 351 wasn't producing HEP and they couldn't get the engine on 353 to provide HEP to 351's train in addition to 353's train.
Haven't seen any reports to indicate that control of the combined train wasn't being provided by the engine on 351.

352 passing Waldo Stadium 17:36 one Charger, 4 Horizon coaches and 1 Amcafe.

352-17 arrived Battle Creek 23 min LT but was 2 hrs 40 min LT by Ann Arbor. Amtrak Alerts said freight train interference.
What freight could this be on a segment of the AML that is nearly all passenger?
Andy

twropr wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 17, 2022 10:49 pm

352-17 arrived Battle Creek 23 min LT but was 2 hrs 40 min LT by Ann Arbor. Amtrak Alerts said freight train interference.
What freight could this be on a segment of the AML that is nearly all passenger?
Andy

NS B25 local Jackson-Wayne turn job runs on the AML past Ann Arbor. Yesterday evening B25 was 104 cars long and apparently stalled out near mp40 just after Ann Arbor. Sounded like they had to split it into 2 trains.

phantosea wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 18, 2022 8:25 am

twropr wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 17, 2022 10:49 pm

352-17 arrived Battle Creek 23 min LT but was 2 hrs 40 min LT by Ann Arbor. Amtrak Alerts said freight train interference.
What freight could this be on a segment of the AML that is nearly all passenger?
Andy

NS B25 local Jackson-Wayne turn job runs on the AML past Ann Arbor. Yesterday evening B25 was 104 cars long and apparently stalled out near mp40 just after Ann Arbor. Sounded like they had to split it into 2 trains.

Ten years or so ago, the ran this NS local (or its then version) after the last Amtrak train cleared Jackson, Train 354, around midnight, to avoid this possible problem. They also wouldn't let JAIL into Jackson Yard until 354 cleared and the NS local left Jackson Yard, thus the reason for JL-1 being a midnight run. I guess they have since changed the schedule for whatever reason.

I understand Amtrak is doing some kind of M/W at night - this may be the reason for B25 running before 352.
Andy

Manistique wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 19, 2022 7:18 pm

Haven't seen 350 or 355 lately. They were suppose to restart up this past Saturday.

Just read that they are now cancelled until October 23. Wonder if we will ever see them again?

Sorry if I missed reading this elsewhere on the board but checked and didn't see anything.

So what is the counterpart for 350? 351? How are they getting the train set back to run 351 each day if it's not a 350 doing so? Sorry, haven't kept up with Amtrak stuff lately and just noticed this weekend there were no 350 trains on Saturday and Sunday. Going back a few pages in this thread and I see nothing about why 350 isn't currently running and why. What's the scoop?

J T wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 23, 2022 9:53 pm

Manistique wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 19, 2022 7:18 pm

Haven't seen 350 or 355 lately. They were suppose to restart up this past Saturday.

Just read that they are now cancelled until October 23. Wonder if we will ever see them again?

Sorry if I missed reading this elsewhere on the board but checked and didn't see anything.

So what is the counterpart for 350? 351? How are they getting the train set back to run 351 each day if it's not a 350 doing so? Sorry, haven't kept up with Amtrak stuff lately and just noticed this weekend there were no 350 trains on Saturday and Sunday. Going back a few pages in this thread and I see nothing about why 350 isn't currently running and why. What's the scoop?

350 returns to Chicago as 355. 351 uses the consist from 352. Word is the shortage of engines, cars, and crews justifies the cuts to service.

ConrailDetr​oit wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 23, 2022 10:30 pm

J T wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 23, 2022 9:53 pm

So what is the counterpart for 350? 351? How are they getting the train set back to run 351 each day if it's not a 350 doing so? Sorry, haven't kept up with Amtrak stuff lately and just noticed this weekend there were no 350 trains on Saturday and Sunday. Going back a few pages in this thread and I see nothing about why 350 isn't currently running and why. What's the scoop?

350 returns to Chicago as 355. 351 uses the consist from 352. Word is the shortage of engines, cars, and crews justifies the cuts to service.

Has it always been that way? I always thought it was 350/351, 352/353, 354/355, etc. Then again, I've never paid close attention to Amtrak services in Michigan, and it's much harder these days without their old style timetables not being readily available.

Amtrak stores two trainsets in Pontiac at the depot every night for 351 and 353. When they shut the old MC Station in Detroit around 1995 and opened the "temporary" station on Woodward in the New Center Area of Detroit the rumor I heard is that they didn't want to or have room to store these trainsets in Detroit so they extended the service to Pontiac. (A bit hard to believe but maybe).

These train sets arrive back in the evening as 352 and 354 and the whole train is wyed at Pontiac Yard's north end overnight to return as 351 and 353 to Chicago the next morning

350 arrives from Chicago each afternoon and then heads back to Chicago as 355 a few hours later. They keep a spare locomotive in Pontiac mainly to use on returning 355 as it is pointing south. The power from 350 is wyed with the other two train sets at night so it is ready to do the same thing the next day. In the old days Amtrak ran a push-pull train so to avoid all this.

350/355 are supposed to be running again on October 25 but this has been pushed back since September do to "equipment shortages," So we will see in a couple days if it is back on or not. Not sure why if there is equipment shortages they still keep a spare locomotive idling in Pontiac without these trains to use it on. My guess is there are other reasons for not running this train.