RailRoadFan.com

Starting this thread off with listings as of this post from the official website tracker of Amtrak trains currently within this forum's main coverage area.

MICHIGAN:
353 is departing Troy heading south on the CN Holly Subdivision.
350 and 365 are northeast and southwest of Lawton along the Amtrak Michigan Line respectively.

INDIANA:
351 has just gone onto the NS Chicago Line in Porter.
49 is following behind just a few miles to the east between Otis and Chesterton.

ILLINOIS:
332 and 29 have just arrived at Chicago Union Station.
306 is about to arrive at Chicago Union Station.
355 (?!) is also about to arrive at Chicago Union Station.
51 is between Dolton and South Holland on the old Monon.
390 has just departed Homewood heading north on CN's ex-IC mainline.
380 is about to arrive at LaGrange heading east on the BNSF Racetrack.
303 is heading southwest between Summit and Willow Springs on the former GM&O mainline.
300 is about to pass through Godley.
381 is passing through Kewanee further west on the Racetrack.
391 is between Loda and Paxton further south on the ex-IC.
301 and 302 are about to pass each other north of Williamsville further south on the ex-GM&O.
22 is about to arrive at Springfield.

Does anyone know why ITCS was taken out of service over the Michigan Line last week?
Also does anyone know why there are still slow orders (I think they started in April or May) west of Kalamazoo that are delaying trains 10-15 minutes?
With the slow orders and ITCS down, it is taking #351 over 90 minutes to get from K'zoo to Porter - at track speed with ITCS operational the running time is 64 minutes.
Andy

twropr wrote:Does anyone know why ITCS was taken out of service over the Michigan Line last week?
Also does anyone know why there are still slow orders (I think they started in April or May) west of Kalamazoo that are delaying trains 10-15 minutes?
With the slow orders and ITCS down, it is taking #351 over 90 minutes to get from K'zoo to Porter - at track speed with ITCS operational the running time is 64 minutes.
Andy

This isn't good, it certainly isn't good. The real question is: Will ITCS be restored?

From the tracker.

MICHIGAN:
365 is on a six-minute delay approaching Shaftsburg.
351 is on time crossing I-69 west of Marshall along the Michigan Line.
371 is on a one-minute delay approaching Sawyer.

ILLINOIS:
350 is on time about to cross over 79th Street and Stony Island Avenue on Chicago's south side.

INDIANA:
29 is on a 35-minute delay just west of Olive.
51 is on a 27-minute delay approaching Monon.

OHIO:
49 is on a one-hour, 40-minute delay between Wauseon and Pettisville.

MICHIGAN:
365 is between Ainger and Bellevue on time.
351 has just left Battle Creek station 15 minutes late.

INDIANA:
371 is approaching Burns Harbor.
350 is approaching Michigan City.
851 is currently passing through Lowell.
29 has stopped at Waterloo two hours and 48 minutes late.

OHIO:
49 is approaching Stryker on a two-hour, 17-minute delay.

Amtrak train just arrived in Battle Creek and had crew change, continuing east now. I was told it is a "test" train, but not what its testing! AMTK 519 with 4 coaches with AMTK 518 on the tail.

NS Grain Train just arrived in Decatur, will work on putting it away now before 354.

bctrainfan wrote:Amtrak train just arrived in Battle Creek and had crew change, continuing east now. I was told it is a "test" train, but not what its testing! AMTK 519 with 4 coaches with AMTK 518 on the tail.

Understand this equipment was sent to run over track that had recently been surfaced to compress the ballast - otherwise the revenue trains would have slow orders until the ballast settles. Does anyone know where the surfacing took place?
Andy

twropr wrote:

bctrainfan wrote:Amtrak train just arrived in Battle Creek and had crew change, continuing east now. I was told it is a "test" train, but not what its testing! AMTK 519 with 4 coaches with AMTK 518 on the tail.

Understand this equipment was sent to run over track that had recently been surfaced to compress the ballast - otherwise the revenue trains would have slow orders until the ballast settles. Does anyone know where the surfacing took place?
Andy

Based on the fact that they've got passenger coaches, they may also be testing ITCS. They'd want more weight per car if they were trying to run tonnage

MiRailProductions wrote:

twropr wrote:Does anyone know why ITCS was taken out of service over the Michigan Line last week?
Also does anyone know why there are still slow orders (I think they started in April or May) west of Kalamazoo that are delaying trains 10-15 minutes?
With the slow orders and ITCS down, it is taking #351 over 90 minutes to get from K'zoo to Porter - at track speed with ITCS operational the running time is 64 minutes.
Andy

This isn't good, it certainly isn't good. The real question is: Will ITCS be restored?

From another forum, apparently it was a software problem. Don't know much more about it, the "leaker" was pretty tight-lipped.

peter

I've decided to post reports from the tracker again today.

350 is 35 minutes late at Royal Oak, MI.
353 is 11 minutes late at Decatur, MI.
352 is one minute late at Michigan City, IN.

NS Grain train should have left or will leave Decatur shortly. 352 and 353 are going to meet at Three oaks, so the farthest west the grain train could be for 352 is Niles.

Which way is NS grain train going?

KenB wrote:Which way is NS grain train going?

Back to Chicago

Pretty sure they're not by Three Oaks yet. I think they were held in Decatur for 352 and 353.

353 was at Greenfield Village at 11:37 AM.

Consist was P42DC 28, Amfleet I coach 82546, Amfleet I coach 82542, Amfleet I coach 82548 (ILHSR logo), another Amfleet I coach, Amfleet I coach 82508, Horizon coach 54539 and Amfleet I cafe 48179.

There was a train stored at the New Center/Artrain track last night. I didn't get a good look at it, but noted an B32-8WH and an Amfleet.

peter

I heard horns on the West Side of Ann Arbor at 2115, going westbound. It could be the Dash 8 with the Amfleet, since 354 isn't even in the area and 355 went through on time.

Detoured past the New Center on my way into work today. From what I could tell:

Dash 8 #518/6 (brains a little fuzzy, had some other things to do before I could get online)
2 amfleet coaches
2 horizon coaches

I couldn't see if anything else was on the far end as the New Center was blocking my view.

According to TO, they're testing some Dash 8s for ITCS out in the Kalamazoo/Indiana area this week. The consist here sounds like the same one, but it seems odd that they'd park it way out here instead of in Niles.

peter

I assume that is New Center in Detroit, MI? Which way were they going?

KenB wrote:I assume that is New Center in Detroit, MI? Which way were they going?

I think it's this Ann Arbor place?
http://www.new.org/